Albeit better known for its financial services and international expos, Frankfurt is one of those cities that have a little something for every type of traveller, with any lifestyle or budget. From opera to traditional music, from flea markets to designer boutiques, and from contemporary hotels to characterful holiday homes, there is a variety in entertainment, amusement and accommodation that makes the city attractive to all visitors.

If you wonder what to do during your stay in Frankfurt, it might help you to ask yourself first what types of activities you enjoy the most, or in other words what type of traveller you are?

 

A foodie: try out apple cider and Frankfurt cuisine

Apple wine (or apfelwein in German) is the most popular beverage in Frankfurt and a must try. Tart, slightly sour and with an alcoholic content of 4% to 9% it is a refreshing drink that can be had with any meal but the best thing is to try out some of the hearty local fares.

Frankfurter Würstchen, the popular local sausages, grilled pork with sauerkraut, or Green Sauce, a mix of spiced yoghurt served with eggs and potatoes, are all yummy meals you can wash down with a glass of apple wine.

Plenty of taverns throughout Frankfurt serve traditional local dishes and more often than not their very own house brew. However, the quaint Sachsenhausen neighbourhood, with its numerous traditional taverns, pubs and restaurants serving local fare, is one of the most popular places for wining and dining.

A culture vulture: go on a museum crawl

Frankfurt boasts some of the finest and richest museum collections in Germany and with half of the city museums located along the banks of the river Main on what has come to be known as the Museumsufer (or Museum

embankment), a museum crawl is not only easy but also quite pleasant. In a short stroll, you can see a range of different exhibitions and enjoy the riverside all at the same time.

 

Nearly a dozen museums are dedicated to different art forms – modern and ancient, fine and applied, visual and film, Jewish and German – there is a museum for every form of art in Frankfurt. Art connoisseurs will be delighted

but visitors with other interests will also find plenty to see. The Nature Museum boasts a collection of dinosaur skeletons that is a hit with both young and old, while the Dialogue Museum offers a rare chance to experience life in

the shoes of a blind person. And if you want to see where the nation’s greatest writer was born, raised and created some of his works, check out the Goethe House and Museum.

 

A lazy traveller: admire the Mainhattan skyline

Mainhattan, or the Manhattan of Frankfurt, is the city’s financial district and the banking heart of Germany. This area built up with magnificent glassy office towers is what makes the Frankfurt skyline such a magnificent view to behold at both day- and nighttime. There are many different ways to admire the Mainhattan skyline.

Take a boat tour on the river Main and you will experience the city from an entirely different viewpoint or for a truly magnificent view climb up the Main Tower. This glassy twin structure is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Frankfurt and the only one with not just one but two public observation decks. Both are accessible for a modest fee of a few euros and if you don’t feel like leaving you can linger in the top floor restaurant with a nice meal and a drink.

 

The shopaholic: go on a shopping spree on Zeil street

Zeil street is to Frankfurt what is Oxford street to London – a bustling shopper’s paradise where one can find anything from high-street labels to luxury goodies.

The main draws are the huge department stores and the mammoth shopping centre Zeilgalerie, which has more than 70 shops spread over 10 floors.

The smaller malls, Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt, are also worth checking out, while the newly opened MyZeil impresses with its futuristic glass architecture. The maze of streets near Zeil street is also filled with exciting boutiques and a range of high-end shopping outlets.

 

An outdoor lover: stroll the green belt

Even in highly modern Frankfurt, not all is skyscrapers and museums. The Green Belt, Frankfurt’s green lung, forms a meandering belt of parks, gardens, meadows and orchards around the city that spans 80 sq km and offers dozens of kilometres of hiking and cycling trails. You can engage in a range of outdoor activities and sports right in the heart of the city without having to go to the countryside.

 

The variety of sights and terrains is truly stunning. Untamed meadows, orchards and vineyards abut exquisitely landscaped gardens, all of which have their own unique character. The Nizza garden has a distinctly Mediterranean feel with its cedars, cypresses, palms and citrus trees, while the Chinese garden, with its traditional architecture and romantic features, transports you to the far east.

if you are planning a family day out, you’d be pleased to find children’s amenities, like playgrounds and waterslides, where your kids can romp safely. So, if you still wonder what would be the best thing to do while visiting Frankfurt, start by asking yourself what type of a traveller you are and you are bound to find the answer and your entertainment.