Frankfurt Germany — City of Money

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Frankfurt Germany is clearly the City of Money. It is the seat of the European Central Bank and the largest financial center in Germany.

Situated at the Main river (actually, that river goes through the city), it has a population of approx. 650,000.

Among English speakers it is commonly known simply as "Frankfurt," though Germans more frequently call it by its full name Frankfurt am Main to distinguish it from the other Frankfurt in the German state of Brandenburg, called Frankfurt an der Oder.

Frankfurt Germany is often considered as the unofficial capital of Germany. It has played a central role in the political history of Germany and the German states for centuries. [More historical facts of Frankfurt Germany...]

Before we dig any further now... Once you are in Frankfurt Germany, make sure to buy its Welcome Card. With it you are going to receive FREE usage of public transport as well as one FREE beverage (in Maredo restaurants)! They actually have either a 1-day card for 7.80 EUR as well as a 2-day card for 11.50 EUR. For the public transport, the card is also valid for the railway from airport to the city. You get the card at the Tourist Information (main station), at the airport (Terminal 1, Hall B), or in many hotels.

It is the home of a number of major banks (e.g. Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank) and brokerages. It even has a district called Bankenviertel (banks district) that contains all the banks recognizable by the skyscrapers. That's why it's also lovely called Mainhattan following Manhattan in New York. However, quite honest, I've been to Manhattan. It's just comparable if you imagine Frankfurt as being its child.

Frankfurt Skyline

Large

By the way, it also contains the Business School of Finance and Management (of course, hugh?), as well as Europe's second-tallest skyscraper (Commerzbank-Tower). Despite the central concentration of tall buildings, the city has many open natural spaces and a spread-out city plan, which make some of the large buildings look a bit lonely in comparison to other global financial centers. (see picture)

Anyway, Frankfurt Germany has the large Frankfurt Stock Exchange as well, and it's Germany's largest and one of the world's most important trading centers. Suitable place for the European Central Bank was and is this city as well. It sets monetary policy for the Eurozone economy, and Deutsche Bundesbank (German Federal Bank). So money plays a big role here, and money set many dots in the past.

Frankfurt Germany and its International Airport has an excellent transportation infrastructure and has been maintained continuously. It's just amazing. Depending whether total passengers or flights are used to measure, it ranks as the second or third busiest in Europe alongside London Heathrow Airport and Paris' Charles de Gaulle.

Just drive the A5 (Autobahn No. 5) at Frankfurter Kreuz, where the airport is located. Each two minutes starts and lands an airplane. The amazing part is that those airplanes seem to scrape the motorway. It's quite funny. You will surely duck your head when one of the huge airplanes is above your car. So just do it — it's an unforgettable event!

Many large trade fairs take place in Frankfurt as well. One I have been to as well was the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show). Amazing. The Frankfurt Book Fair is worth seeing as well.

Also, Frankfurt Germany is home to many cultural and educational institutions. The Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität resides here as well as a whole bunch of museums, which schow you "facts and figures" of Frankfurt history. Most of them lined up along the Main river on Museumsufer (museum bank). The best known museums are the Städelsche Kunstinstitut, Städtische Galerie (briefly Städel), and the Senckenberg Natural History Museum. Others include the Museum for Modern Art and the Schirn Art Gallery.

The Palmengarten, which is a large botanical garden, is definitely worth seeing as well.

Go ahead and print&read my article Frankfurt Germany — 12 Insider Tips. In it, you will find even more interesting and awesome Insider Tips!

Now, enjoy walking through the City of Money using the Frankfurt City Tour navigation below or on top (or the links in the left hand side navigation). Next step? The History of Frankfurt!

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