A WEEKEND IN FRANKFURT – A Locals Travel Guide
what to do, see and eat

Frankfurt am Main – or how we call it sometimes – Mainhattan. Why? Because of its iconic skyline! (You’ll love the view!) German cities usually don’t rise up in the air, so such skyscrapers aren’t too usual here. I personally love skylines, so Frankfurt will always have my heart. A few years ago, I moved to Frankfurt for my first Airline and spent around one year in this beautiful city until I moved to Nuremberg. This post will show you my favorite attractions, restaurants, and things to do for a weekend in Frankfurt.
This is a quite long post, so make sure to use the navigation down below to skip to the topics you wanna know more about if you’re not up for reading the whole thing.
TOP SIGHTS FOR A WEEKEND IN FRANKFURT
1 | Frankfurt Airport
If you’re arriving by plane, you’re already inside one of my favorite places on earth. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the biggest airport in Germany and one of the most important turnstiles for international air traffic. With 70,5 Million passengers in 2019, the airport ranks high for the world’s biggest airports.
If you’re into Aviation and Airplanes, I’d recommend participating in one of the Airport tours to learn more about the airport and get some behind the scenes views. Another great thing to do here is watching the planes from one of many observation platforms—the most common one is the visitor’s terrace in Terminal 2 (3€ entrance fee). The “spotter “platforms like “Landebahn Nordwest “or the “Luftbrückendenkmal “are for free as they are outside of the Terminals near the highway.
Frankfurt Airpot is close to the city center – meaning the tram will get you to the main station in 15 minutes only. That’s amazing, especially when you’re only coming for a weekend in Frankfurt. Nobody likes long train rides to the hotel after the arrival, right?!
(ok this one already got quite long. I’ll keep it shorter from now on, promise!)

2 | Römer(berg)
The Römer is Frankfurts former city hall and is still the seat of the city’s Lord Major. Its iconic three-gabled roof looks absolutely stunning. The „Römerberg“ is the row of old, half-timbered houses across the city hall. Right in the middle of the historic city center, you’ll find the Fountain of Justice.

3 | Jewish Museum
This museum will guide you through Jewish culture from past to present. It houses history exhibitions and many digital programs focussing on education. If you’re in for culture and testimonies, you can’t miss this one. There are more permanent exhibitions in the Judengasse (focussing on Frankfurts former Jewish ghetto) and the Rothschild Palace. If you’re a foodie, try the “FLOWDELI” kosher deli-style restaurant attached to the museum.

4 | Eiserner Steg
This bridge is trendy, not only because of the great skyline view but also because of all the love locks hanging around. Eiserner Steg is a pedestrian bridge that connects the old town with Sachsenhausen. One of my personal highlights due to its amazing view of the skyscrapers.

5 | Maintower / Eurotower
The Main Tower is the skyscraper that’s opening its doors to the public. It has a rooftop observation platform I am still dying to visit (thanks to Covid, it was closed last time I went to Frankfurt) since it offers an incredible panoramic view at 200m height.
Being one of the more famous towers in Frankfurt, the Euro Tower has been home to the European Central Bank from 1993 to 2004. The most iconic view is from the front with the €-sign stating in front of the tower—one of Frankfurt’s most photographed places.
By the way… many parking garages offer a great view from their top floors, too. For FREE! 😉

6 | Alte Oper
The old opera house, the „Alte Oper, “is known for outstanding concerts across the borders. With its fountain in front of the historical facade, it doesn’t only offer a great view. The opera has been destroyed during WW2, and its restoration took almost four decades. Nowadays its modern concert halls offer various programs in many sections like classical music, jazz or even musicals. The halls and salons are housing balls and congresses.

7 | Museumsufer
The Museumsufer is a unique boulevard of museums. No matter what you’re most interested in, I’m sure the Museumsufer will offer a museum you’ll like. They range from Applied Arts, Film, History, antique sculptures, and much more. PLUS: you’ll have a decent view of the skyline.

What else to do on a weekend in Frankfurt?


These are just some of the many attractions in Frankfurt am Main. The city offers a lot more, especially when it comes to museums and churches.
THE TASTE OF FRANKFURT
If you would ask anyone born and raised in Frankfurt what a foreigner should try, they’ll probably tell you to drink some apple wine ASAP. And then get a nice german dish with „grüne Soße. “ This translates into „green sauce“ and consists out of many herbs. Traditionally, you’ll have it served cold with potatoes and eggs. A must-try for your Frankfurt weekend!
When it comes to apple wine, you might want to know those expressions:
(I’m pretty sure there are a lot more expressions I also don’t know)
Anyway – let’s get to some restaurants I loved most while living there. Maybe you’ll check some of them out during your weekend in Frankfurt. Make sure to make a reservation when going for dinner, especially on the weekends!
All restaurants are tagged on the map down below!
My favorite restaurants




GET OUT OF THE CITY
If you want to escape the big city for a while, here are some ideas for where you could go to either see another city or breath some fresh air in nature. The perfect weekend!


Nuremberg, our hometown and one of the most famous cities in Bavaria, isn’t too far from Frankfurt as well. If you’re in the area, make sure to read about my favorite Cafés in Nuremberg!
MAP

So this has been a lot, right? Frankfurt am Main has so much to offer. Make sure you do your research before heading for your trip to this city. I hope you’ll enjoy your time exploring the museums, admire the skyline, and indulge in the local food specialties.
As always, I hope you’re happy and healthy. Enjoy your weekend in Frankfurt!
See you soon,