48 hours in Frankfurt

When I went to Germany to volunteer on an Englischhausen English Camp (read about that here) I decided to go a couple days early to get in a whirlwind tour of Frankfurt.
Frankfurt is primarily a business city, think the square mile of London, so there isn't a huge amount of stuff to do in terms of tourism, but there is definitely enough to fill a few days! Here's my run down of what I did in the 2 days I spent in Frankfurt.

Day 1 - Dom , Römer, and the Main River

I arrived at Frankfurt airport at 1 pm, so decided to make the most of the time I had and head straight from the airport to the tourist hotspots of the city. After some brief confusion between the S-bahn and U-bahn I found my way onto a train and, with minimal effort, arrived at Dom/Römer U-bahn station to tick three of the big things off my Frankfurt check-list: the Dom (cathedral), the Römer and surrounding square, and the river Main.

The Square where the Römer sits

The Römer is actually the town hall of Frankfurt and is a lovely building set in a picturesque square that has the feeling of old world Germany. I was lucky that it was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for wandering around and listening to the buskers in the square. After circumnavigating the square I spotted the tower of the Dom, or cathedral, and decided to take the plunge and climb the 324 stairs in the bell tower to get the panoramic views over the city. My biggest mistake was climbing all those stairs with my backpack on! Tiny spiral staircase and big backpack don't mix particularly well, especially with the added pressure of someone walking behind you! But the struggle was definitely worth it and the views over Frankfurt were lovely, despite the many building cranes in the foreground. Seeing Frankfurt from 90-ish meters up really highlighted one of my favourite things about the city; the contrast between the old and the new. The old buildings of the Römer set against the towering skyscrapers really remind me of London, where the Roman walls sit next to the ultra-modern buildings, and it's always nice when somewhere reminds you of home!

Panoramic views over the river from the Dom bell tower

After tottering back down the bell tower I decided to head towards the river, to check out what I'd seen from above closer up. Luckily the warm weather held, and it was lovely walking down the river in the sunshine. From the river I took the side roads back through to the old town area and sort of wandered aimlessly, in the way only a tourist can do. The architecture around the old town area is exactly what I expect Germany of days-gone-by to look like, and I think I got a little camera happy walking around. Before heading to my hotel to (finally) check in I grabbed a quick dinner of bratwurst and German-style potato salad from a little window shop next to the Römer. Eating my sausage in the sun listening to a busker playing the flute was the perfect end to my first day in Frankfurt.

Day 2 - The Städel Museum

In Frankfurt, the area alongside the south bank of the Main river is known as Museumsufer because of the unusually large concentration of museums in the small area. I always knew that this was going to be a stop on my short-but-sweet Frankfurt visit, and for me the decision of which museum to go to was an easy one.
On TripAdvisor the number one recommend attraction in Frankfurt is the Städel Museum, which is basically a giant art gallery and hosts an impressive collections of the Old Masters work. For an art lover it is paradise. I am a true art lover. That's why I decided to dedicate the whole of day 2 to the Städel Museum. Yes, the whole day. Not just a couple hours but all the hours I could spare. I was a little sceptical about how long I could really stay in an art gallery but I wasn't disappointed; I arrived for 10 am (when the doors open) and was forced to leave at 4:15 pm, so that I wouldn't be late for the welcome dinner with my fellow Diverbo volunteers. So yes, I did spend over 6 hours in a gallery and it was amazing. 

The entrance to the Stadel Institute

I surprised myself when I found that my favourite part of the whole museum was an exhibition about the backs of paintings (rooms 19 and 20, for those who are intrigued). When I first went into the exhibition I wasn't really sure what I was meant to be looking at but when I read the attached cards I was amazed how much fascinating information could be uncovered from the back of a painting! Hidden family crests, abandoned paintings on the backs of canvases; it was genuinely a really interesting perspective of art history that we usually wouldn't get to see.

Conrad Faber von Creuznach (Gilbrecht und Anna von Holzhausen)

But, apart from of the backs of paintings, the Städel Museum has an impressive range of artwork. The museum is split into three main areas: Old Masters, Modern Art, and Contemporary Art and I would 100% recommend the splashing out on the €4 for the audio guide. It spans the whole collection and gives a fascinating insight into the collection, it's acquisition and it's ongoing maintenance.
After squeezing every minute I could out of the Städel Museum I reluctantly left and headed back to my hotel via another stroll down the river. That evening was the start of the Diverbo program, and we left Frankfurt early the next morning, so I didn't had any more time for exploring Frankfurt.

Although my stay in Frankfurt was short I found it a great city for a weekend (but probably didn't need any longer than that); the tourist area really is tiny, but the things you can see are worth the time if you're already in the region. My advice? It may not be high up on your travel list, but if the opportunity arises give Frankfurt a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised!


Airport: Frankfurt Au Maim
Hotel: Bristol Hotel (click here) Great hotel, comfy with an excellent buffet breakfast and incredibly helpful staff, 5 minutes from the main station (Frankfurt Hbf).

Pub sign in the Old Town