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Francestown

Francestown is a town in New Hampshire. The 2010 census put the population at 1562.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Francestown


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Franceville

Franceville is a city in the Jungle Interior region of Gabon.

By plane
There are flights from Libreville on Air Service and Air Nationale every day of the week except Tuesdays and Thursdays.

By train
The Trans-Gabon railway, running from the coast has its terminus here. There are several overnight trains from Owendo, just south of the capital Libreville, per week. Journey time is about 12 hours. is located southwest of the city centre, next to the football stadium.

By car
The road from Libreville to Franceville is paved for most of the way, but sections are still dirt road. The paved sections have many potholes, a 4x4 is recommended.

By taxi
From the airport a taxi to town costs 5000 CFA. Around town a "course" (full trip) costs 1000 CFA, and a "demi-course" (half trip) costs 500 CFA. If you get in a taxi with other people, each should pay 100 CFA.

Hiking

 * Carrefour du Centre, hiking area.

 * Carrefour Tribunal, hiking area.

 * Carrefour Magoungou, hiking area.

Eat
In the downtown area the Bord de Mer restaurant serves good food quickly at a reasonable price. The three course menu of the day costs 7000 CFA, while an entree will cost 5000 CFA.

The outdoor poolside restaurant at the Hotel Poubara is a very nice setting, though the food is expensive. A french style breakfast of Croissants, Coffee and Fruit Salad costs 4500 CFA. Lunch is sandwiches or salad, costing from 4500-6500 CFA. The three course menu of the day, available after 7PM, costs 8000-8500 CFA. On Sundays from 1PM to 3PM a buffet is served for 12500 CFA. It has a large selection of salads, exotic meat dishes (such as gazelle and wild boar), a BBQ with brochettes and sausages, and a selection of desserts.

 * Hotel Joumas.

 * Hotel la Savane.

 * Hotel Heliconia.

 * Restaurant univeristaire.

Drink
The nightclubs will not be busy Friday and Saturday night until midnight, but will stay open until the early morning. Drinks are very expensive at both these clubs.

The bar and nightclub Cristal is one of the best nightclubs in town. If you sit outside on the patio drinks are much more affordable. The bar and nightclub at the Hotel Poubara has more foreigners but isn't as busy.

 * Le Mbayiste Bar.

 * Le Gourmet Restaurant Bar (formerly Ancien Piroguier).

Sleep

 * Oliannes.

 * Hotel Batiga.

 * Motel Imagine.

 * Motel chez Papa Clement.

title: Franceville


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Francistown

Francistown is a city in the east of Botswana, near the border with Zimbabwe. In our division of Botswana into regions, it is in Southeast Botswana.

Get in
Francistown is a major transportation hub in Northeastern Botswana and is the gateway to northern Botswana.

By car
A1: Connects Francistown to Gaborone in the south and to Zimbabwe in the north.

A3: Connects Francistown to Nata and Maun to the west.

By bus
Buses about every hour to/from Gaborone and the trip takes 5-7 hours. Buses to/from Kasane via Nata.

Because it is a transportation hub, Francistown connects to most other villages and towns in the northern part of the country. Direct buses travel to tourist destinations like Maun and Kasane.

There are also several buses that arrive daily from Bulawayo and Harare in Zimbabwe.

Khanda Express bus services to/from Francistown to Johannesburg in South Africa via Martins Drift border post.

By plane
Francistown has its own international airport which is undergoing a P500 million expansion.

The airport is only served commercially by Air Botswana.

Air Botswana offers two daily flights from Gaborone, and flights from Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

By train
Trains run nightly from Lobate, near the border with South Africa, via the capital Gaborone. Journey time is about 10 hours, arriving in Francistown early next morning. The formerly daily cross-border train from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe ended in 2020. Botswana Railways offers timetables and online booking. UPDATE (as of Mar 2024) all passenger services in country are suspended!

Get around
There is a daily night train each way between Francistown and Lobatse using refurbished trains from South Africa.

Buy
Prices are comparable to the U.S.
 * The "Hype" store and "Game" are similar to a Sam's Club or Costco and Wal-Mart.

Sleep
Camping with your own tent is the most low-cost way.

title: Francistown


text:
Francois

Francois (generally pronounced "Franceway", sometimes written François) is a small coastal village in Southern Newfoundland, at the end of a 2-km-long fiord. It is accessible by ferry. In 2016, it had a population of 89.

Understand
There is a general store, a post office and a small museum, accessed by concrete pathways and boardwalks.

There is no road to the village, which can only be accessed by boat and helicopter, and snowmobile in the winter.

History
The community was first settled around 1780, and resisted the government resettlement programs of the mid-20th century. It considered and rejected resettlement again in 2013.

During the Second World War, some handsome young strangers turned up at the community hall to dance with the local women. The next morning people asked around about the fun-loving strangers and assumed they were Basque fishermen, because their English was rather broken. It turns out they were sailors off a German submarine that had crept into the long fiord to stock up on fresh water from the waterfall.

Get in
Access to Francois is only by passenger ferry. If the winds are strong, you may end up staying in Francois a day or two longer than you planned. When the ferry is cancelled by weather or malfunction, a helicopter connects Francois to Burgeo.

It also may be possible to solicit a ride from a local fisherman headed that way.

Get around
There are no car roads in Francois, only narrow paved walkways which are also used by 4-wheelers.

See

 * Visits to the local museum can be arranged on request.

Do
The tallest mountain in the community is the 600-ft Friar, and there are several walking trails in the area.

 * There is a nice, fairly short hike up to a look out point just above the town, a good portion of which is boardwalked.
 * Hike through pristine wilderness to spectacular Chaleur Bay
 * Hike to the waterfall at Harbour Ruin
 * Take a boat trip to the lost whaling station
 * The cliffs of Devil's Bay are technically challenging climbs
 * Sea kayaking

Buy, eat and drink
There is a general store from which you can buy food and other amenities.

Sleep

 * Near the church in Francois, there is a simple camping site with picnic bench and outhouse.
 * Several residents also offer their homes for visitors to spend a few nights in. Nightly rates are available upon request and are very reasonable. It is best to arrange in advance.
 * Several residents also offer their homes for visitors to spend a few nights in. Nightly rates are available upon request and are very reasonable. It is best to arrange in advance.

Connect
There is a library with internet access.

Go next
On Thursdays, the Marine Services ferry leaves Francois for McCallum and Hermitage.

title: Francois


text:
Franconia

Franconia (Franken) is a region of northern Bavaria, a state of Germany. Within Franconia are the historically important city of Nuremberg, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Bamberg, and a huge range of outdoor activities in the Franconian Switzerland and Franconian lake district.

Franconia's history as an entity separate from Bavaria stretches back over a thousand years. It was a duchy in the Holy Roman Empire. This article only covers the parts of Franconia administered by the Bavarian government in Munich as the Regierungsbezirke of Oberfranken (Upper Franconia), Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) and Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) although the cultural boundary does not coincide with the administrative boundary and parts of the cultural region of Franconia are to be found across state lines. Culturally Franconians identify themselves as being different from Bavarians.

Cities

 * — the whole old town of Bamberg is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * — is famous as the host of the Richard Wagner Festival, furthermore the Markgräfliches Opernhaus (margavial opera house) is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * — it has been the household name for some royal dynasties in Europe, notably Queen Victoria was married to one of the Saxe Coburg Gotha-family
 * — site of Franconia's oldest university and a major Siemens division also known as a bicycle city
 * — medium-sized town, next to Nuremberg in the north, age-old rival of Nuremberg and Henry Kissinger's birthplace
 * — Franconia's film city with the popular Hof International Film Festival; main sites are the Theresienstein Park (Germany's most beautiful park 2003) and the lake Untreusee
 * (Nürnberg) — a city of toys, famous for its Christmas market, the infamous Nazi Party rallies were held there as well as the trials against the main Nazi war criminals
 * — famous for its intact medieval city center (Altstadt) encircled by 13th century town walls one of the best preserved German towns of this era
 * — former residence of the wealthy and powerful prince-bishops

Other destinations

 * — is arranged like a horseshoe around an inner hill-landscape; the highest mountain is the "Schneeberg (Snow Mountain)" with 1053 m above sealevel
 * (Fränkische Schweiz) — castle ruins, hiking, canoeing, climbing
 * (Fränkisches Seenland) — the Lake District comprises 7 lakes; The total expanse of water is about 20 square km

Understand
Franconia used to be comprised of many independent principalities and petty duchies and knighthoods until it became part of Bavaria around 1806 (different territories were annexed by the Wittelsbachs at different times but 1806 is the commonly accepted "overall" date) as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. This has two main consequences: first, the dialect and religious composition of two neighbouring villages may be notably different (which used to cause tensions but is now of mostly folkloric interest); second, there is still some resentment towards Bavaria and many people do not like to be lumped together with their "colonisers" down south. While you will not encounter open hostility, try to avoid calling Franconians Bavarian. Many people also include part(s) of adjacent Länder in Franconia as they are linguistically, culturally and historically more connected to Franconia than to the Länder to which they belong in terms of administration. Those regions include: Sonneberg and Thüringen south of the Rennsteig (in fact Sonneberg voted to join the Nuremberg Metropolregion and there are talks of switching Bundesland) and the region of Baden-Württemberg called Heilbronn-Franken. On the other hand places like Aschaffenburg are linguistically close to neighbouring regions. Coburg in turn was one of the several petty states that were considered "Thuringia" prior to its creation in early Weimar times, but decided in a 1920 referendum to join the state of Bavaria rather than Thuringia, in part due to feeling more Franconian than Thuringian. In short, the cultural borders are a bit fuzzy around the edges.

Talk
The local dialect ("Fränkisch") can sometimes be a bit hard for those familiar with standard German to understand, although it is not as different as Bavarian. People have a tendency to pronounce t like d, p like b and sometimes k like g. This is also often noticeable when they speak foreign languages. English prevalence is around the (West) German average with a high number of speakers in the big cities and university towns like Erlangen. Other foreign languages include French (the most common living second foreign language in high school) and to a lesser degree Italian and Spanish. Immigrant languages such as Turkish and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian can be found in some parts of the bigger cities, particularly Nuremberg.

By train
Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Würzburg all have frequent ICE service from most routes in Germany. There is less frequent service to Coburg. The Nuremberg-Munich railway is in excellent condition and one of the fastest in the country (even regional trains reach top speeds around 200 km/h without costing extra). The connection to Berlin via Leipzig/Halle and Erfurt opened for a big upgrade in December 2017 and now Erlangen is only three hours by train from Berlin. Erlangen also has some ICE service which often also stops in Nuremberg. The infrequent ICE service to Bayreuth has been stopped and there isn't any long distance train service forthcoming until the line gets electrified. From Dresden there is regional service to Hof with connecting services (scheduled to wait at the same platform to make changing trains easy) to Nuremberg. As this is regional travel the Ländertickets as well as the Quer durchs Land Ticket (€44 for one person €8 more for any additional person up to a group of five) apply.

Connections due east to the Czech Republic are unfortunately in a bad state and none of them is electrified. You'll often be faster taking a bus, especially if your final destination is Prague. Cheb is however reachable relatively easily by train.

By plane
The only relevant airport within this region from a traveler's point of view is in Nuremberg with service to many destinations around Europe and connecting service via Frankfurt Airport all around the world. While the airport is not directly connected to the railway network, the Nuremberg main station can be reached via subway (U-Bahn) in about twelve minutes and there is a direct bus to Fürth and Erlangen main station respectively. The airport has seen a few carriers establish bases there in the mid to late 2010s and low cost carriers offer a pretty wide range of European destinations from NUE.

From Frankfurt airport there are direct ICE connections via Würzburg (1:25 hours, rates starting at €29 one way) or Nuremberg (2:25 hours) with connecting services to all places in Franconia. In many cases flying to Frankfurt and connecting by train is less hassle where no direct flight is available.

You might also consider flying into Munich airport and take either regional trains or the ICE to Nuremberg. Unfortunately the Munich airport is far away from town and you will have to first get into Munich (roughly half an hour to forty minutes travel time) before you can change onto a train to Nuremberg, unless you go by car or bus.

While Prague airport is geographically close the worse than average train connection (the bus is actually faster when going to Nuremberg) make this not the best option for most travellers.

By bus
Several bus companies operate throughout the region. They are usually slower than the train but often cheaper. An international bus operated by Deutsche Bahn also connects Nuremberg (leaving right in front of the main station) with Prague. For domestic buses within Germany see long distance bus travel in Germany

By boat
The Main Donau Kanal runs from Bamberg in the North through Nuremberg and onwards to Bavaria.

By public transport
A big chunk of Franconia and also some parts of the neighbouring regions are covered by the VGN tariff-union, which covers almost all trains, buses and the Nuremberg subway and tram (Straßenbahn). While single local tickets can be comparably expensive, group and day tickets can be a bargain, especially for longer distances.

See

 * Several old towns in Franconia are designated UNESCO world heritage sites, such as that of Bamberg. The opera house of Bayreuth (not Wagner's, another one) was declared a world heritage site in 2012.
 * Franconian Switzerland got its name when 19th century romanticists compared it to Swiss Switzerland. It has been a major tourist area since then.

Itineraries

 * Part of the Romantic road lies within Franconia
 * There are several long-distance hiking trails that pass through Franconia or are entirely within its borders.

Do

 * The Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz), along with the Saxonian Switzerland it is one of Germany's top destinations for rock climbing with many famous climbers either coming from here or having their "training-grounds" here
 * The Wagner festival in Bayreuth draws the rich and famous of Germany and some other European countries every year. Getting a ticket infamously used to require connections, years of patience or loads money, but has been much easier since the introduction of a web-based system in 2013.
 * There are numerous beer- and wine festivals all over Franconia, the most visited among which is the "Bergkirchweih" or simply "Berch" in Erlangen, that starts the Thursday before Pentecost (Pfingsten) and lasts twelve days. But almost every village has its own "Kirchweih" (often locally known as "Kärwa" "Kirwa" or other dialect terms) and Nuremberg (Volksfest) Bamberg (Sandkärwa) or Forchheim (Annafest) also have their well known festivities.
 * Spectator sports are popular with big soccer (1.FC Nürnberg and some international matches) and track & field events held in Nuremberg's Max Morlock Stadion. Other popular teams and sports include Basketball's Brose Baskets Bamberg (several times German champion), (team) Handball's HC Erlangen (play their 2016/2017 home games in Nuremberg) and Ice Hockey's Nuremberg Ice Tigers (two times German vice champion). The second most popular team of soccer in Franconia, enjoying a storied rivalry with Nuremberg is SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
 * Franconian Switzerland is a karst region and as such has several caves.

Eat
Schäufele is a traditional dish in Franconia. It is made from the pork's shoulder meat. Normally it is then served with potato dumpling (Kartoffelklöße), sauerkraut (or red cabbage, or savoy cabbage) and gravy.

Bratwurst most notably the small Nuremberg variety commonly served as drei im Weggla (three Bratwursts in a small bread roll) or sechs auf Graud (six Bratwursts with Sauerkraut and a slice of bread) and the various "Franconian" varieties that are usually bigger. Traditionally almost every city had its own slight variation on the basic recipe or how to prepare them, and Coburg is notable for roasting them on an open fire with conifer cones added to the fire for taste.

While Blaue Zipfel could be described as just another way to cook Bratwurst it is notably different in taste, as the sausages are cooked in an acidic liquid rather than fried.

Karpfen or carp is produced mainly around Höchstadt (Aisch) and several villages in that region have a carp in their coat of arms due to its historic (and continuing) importance as a foodstock and export-article. It is commonly eaten in the months "with r" (literally speaking that would be September–April) either blau (blue, that is cooked) or gebacken (that is fried, thus making even part of the fins edible) Legend has it that the Franconian carps owe their peculiar round shape to a medieval decree deeming anything "beyond the plate" to be the bishop's property, thus prompting medieval monks (then the principal producers and consumers of the fish) to breed for rounder carps. Make of that what you want.

Lebkuchen Nuremberg is justifiedly famous for its gingerbread-like sweet Lebkuchen and in fact the "echt Nürnberg Elisen-Lebkuchen" are a geographically protected specialty that may only be produced in or close to Nuremberg under a special recipe. They are traditionally eaten around Christmas, but nowadays can be found by mid-September and don't be surprised to find specialised stores in Nuremberg, selling them year-round. Many ice-cream parlors sell Lebkuchen instead during the winter "off-season".

Spargel (asparagus) is harvested from mid-April (depending on weather) until (traditionally) June 24th. It is commonly eaten white with sauce Hollandaise and ham, but there are variations and green asparagus, that used to be almost unheard of is gaining popularity. During the Spargel-season almost every self-respecting restaurant has at least one Spargel dish on offer and the devotion with which Spargel is consumed if not to say venerated might seem quasi-religious to outsiders.

Drink
Franconia is world-renowned for beer and is actually the region with the highest brewery density in the world. Many small breweries, especially in Oberfranken only produce small amounts for consumption in their attached brewery-restaurants. Even small rural villages often still have their own breweries, although the declining demand and increased competition with bigger brands and their marketing budgets have taken their toll especially in the 1970s and 80s. There is a slight resurgence with some craft-beer like start-ups reviving names and traditions of long gone brands as well as starting anew from scratch. Breweries in Franconia lists breweries, beer cellars, brewery museums.

Many Franconians like to point out that there is Bierfranken (beer-franconia, especially Oberfranken and big parts of Mittelfranken) and Weinfranken (wine-franconia, mostly Unterfranken and the area close to the Main river). While the latter is a comparatively small region in terms of area the wine of Franconia can certainly compete with most other German wines and the famous Bocksbeutel (a special form of bottle, that looks like a male goat's ... bag, hence the name) is an excellent souvenir.

Less of a souvenir is Federweißer, wine in various states of fermentation that is available only seasonally. Shortly after harvest it is very similar in taste and alcohol content to simple grape juice but the older it gets, the more alcohol it will contain. Be careful when storing the bottles as they are more or less open and will leak when not put with the tap facing upwards.

Stay safe
Apart from some neighbourhoods of Nuremberg that deal with the common big-city issues of all German towns that size, Franconia should not concern you security-wise.

When climbing in Franconian Switzerland make sure that your equipment is in a good state and of good quality and make sure you or your guides know what you are doing as accidents happen from time to time.

As everywhere soccer games can get a little out of hand and fans may become hostile when drunk or after a lost game. This is especially true for the Derby (local parlance for a rivalry game between close geographic neighbours) between Nuremberg and Fürth. Of course 99% of Fans are peaceful and only want to support their team, but there are always exceptions.

Go next

 * Bavaria proper, locally known as Altbayern
 * Saxony either with the ICE to Leipzig or with regional transport from Hof to Dresden
 * The Czech republic
 * Baden Württemberg
 * Thuringia; While there is a defined administrative boundary (which for forty years was identical to a section of the "iron curtain"), the cultural border is a lot more fluid with Sonneberg (already in Thüringen) often considering itself Franconian, culturally

title: Franconia


text:
Franconia (New Hampshire)

Franconia is in New Hampshire. It is the home of Franconia Notch and Cannon Mountain Ski Area. Franconia Notch is a mountain pass in northern NH with mountains rising 2,000-3,000 feet on each side. It is the location of the former "Old Man of the Mountains" which is featured on the New Hampshire quarter dollar coin.

Go next

 * Mount Washington State Park - Mount Washington is the highest mountain in the northeast. Visitors can walk or hike to the top, drive their car, or take the cog railway.

title: Franconia (New Hampshire)


text:
Franconian Lake District

The Franconian Lake District (German: Fränkisches Seenland) is to the south-west of Nuremberg in Germany.

Understand
The Lake District was created by an Act of the Bavarian Parliament (Landtag) in 1970 with the aim of transferring excess water from the rather "wet" Old Bavaria to the rather "dry" Franconia and as a secondary purpose for tourism, recreation and to boost the local economy. It would take several years until all lakes had reached their desired size and water level. The Lake District comprises 7 lakes and several “waters”. The total combined surface area of the lakes is about 20 km².

The Franconian Lake District is comparable in size and infrastructure to the Upper Bavarian Lake District: the Altmühlsee, for example, is the same size as the Königssee, and the Große Brombachsee has the same area as the Tegernsee.

The biggest lake of the district is the Great Brombach Lake, a storage lake of about 12.7 km², with about of shoreline. Its depth is about 32 m. The scenic Small Brombach Lake is situated in the Brombach and Igelsbach valley. Full beaches and the activity on the water show the highly attractive nature of the recreational Small Brombach Lake. With its 2.5 km², the lake invites to people to go swimming, surfing, sailing, fishing, and boating.

The biggest European Trimaran passenger ship, "MS Brombachsee", crosses the Lake daily. The coastline is unspoiled; there are bike paths and hiking trails around the lake. Four recreational establishments and 1,000 sailboat berths make this an ideal surf and sailing destination. A great viewpoint is the Two-Lake-Place in Enderndorf am See.

The Altmühl Lake, situated in the broad valley of the Altmühl, sits between single villages and meadows. It was created as the first lake in the lake district and has a length of and an area of roughly 4.5 km². The ship "Gunzenhausen" crosses the lake.

The Roth lake, which is 2.2 km², is divided into an economic part and a swimming area. Surfing and sailing are possible in most parts. In the north western corner there is a large nature reserve. The Roth Lake also has three recreational areas.

The Lake District besides its obvious tourism value also serves to move water from the relatively "wet" Old Bavaria to Franconia and was built in conjunction with the Main Donau Kanal

 * Cities, towns and villages

 * Gunzenhausen
 * Hilpoltstein
 * Pleinfeld
 * Roth
 * Spalt – the hops and beer town

Get in
While the region is comparatively rural there are a few train lines and buses run under the VGN Verkehrserbund (meaning you can get one ticket for both train and bus) can get you all the way to the lake or your lodgings.

By train
If you're arriving from further away, Nuremberg is the most likely point to change trains and the closest city with ICE service.

By bike
An easy way to get into the region is to follow the Main-Danube Canal (which has bike paths along its banks) right until you get to Hilpoltstein and then heading on towards the Rothsee.

By car
Autobahn A6 (Nuremberg–Heilbronn), exits Roth, Schwabach-West or Ansbach, or A9 (Nuremberg–Munich), exits Allersberg, Hilpoltstein or Greding; B2 from Augsburg, or B13 from Ingolstadt or Ansbach.

By plane
The closest airport to the Lake District is at Nuremberg

Water

 * Sailing and kite or windsurfing: freely accessible slipways, sailing harbors and boat berths; specially designated banks for surfers
 * Fishing: eel, carp, tench, pike, pikeperch, catfish or lake trout are part of the lakes stock, fishing permits are available at the tourist information offices and other issuing points
 * Fishing: eel, carp, tench, pike, pikeperch, catfish or lake trout are part of the lakes stock, fishing permits are available at the tourist information offices and other issuing points

Cycling
The Franconian Lake District offers cyclists a variety of options. Both regional cycle paths (1500 km in total) and long-distance cycle paths lead through the region. Many landlords in the Franconian Lake District have adapted to the special wishes and needs of cycling holidaymakers and are certified as bike-friendly accommodations according to the guidelines of the Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association. Cyclists are very welcome here and can also rent a room for just one night. In some cases, there are also additional offers especially for cyclists.

Bike paths surround the small and large Brombachsee and Igelsbachsee Franconian Lake District Path, a cycle path that connects the three largest lakes. It is 66 km long and leads from Ornbau am Altmühlsee to Allersberg an den Rothsee, over the Brombachsee (variation when returning by train: Muhr am See to Roth). Tore-Türme-Schlösser-Radweg, a cultural tour through the Franconian Lake District past historical monuments from Roman times, the Middle Ages and the Baroque
 * Altmühlsee: a circular route with a length of 12 km and 10 different cycle paths in the surrounding area between 18 and 42 km; *Storchenradwanderweg: "on the way with the stork in the Altmühltal" there are many stork nests along the route with 10 information boards about the white stork and its natural habitat.
 * Großer Brombachsee, Igelbachsee and Rothsee: easy to get around by bike (short and flat stretches)
 * Brombachsee to Altmühlsee: 11 km distance
 * Tour to the European watershed: 32 km through the Hilpoltstein area

Long-distance cycle paths

 * Limes cycle path - from the Rhine to the Danube
 * Altmühlweg and Altmühltal-Radweg - from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Kelheim
 * Burgenstrasse cycle path
 * SandAchse cycle path (180 km - Bamberg to Weißenburg)

Bike rental
Bicycles are available for hire at numerous locations. 7-speed bikes cost, for example, 2 hours €4, 4 hours €7, a whole day €9.

Hiking
Hikers will find over 1,500 km of marked hiking trails here, leading, for example, to the Spalter cherry and hops country, into the Weißenburg city and Mönchswald or around the lakes. The ridge of the Hahnenkamm around the Hahnenkammsee is also a particularly attractive hiking area.

Mühlenweg from Hilpoltstein to Roth. It leads past 17 different mills Sandbockelweg near Pleinfeld. Children can test their senses at various stations, relax on talking benches or make themselves comfortable in the tent.
 * Circular hiking trail “Fränkisches Seenland Rundwanderweg” near Pleinfeld - the hiking trail leads through the surroundings of the small town on Brombachsee and provides 19 km of interesting insights into the nature of the lake district
 * "All-Hi-Ro" trail on the Rothsee: connects Allersberg, Hilpoltstein and Roth with each other, the 31-km tour can also be hiked in several stages to see the sights along the way such as the castle in Hilpoltstein, Schloss Ratibor in Roth or the baroque Allersberg to visit
 * Altmühltal-Panoramaweg: also begins in the Franconian Lake District and leads from Gunzenhausen for 200 km to Kelheim in the Altmühltal Nature Park.
 * IVV hiking weeks Spalt - hikers can choose between two guided tours of 10 or 20 kilometers (there is also an IVV hiking trail about 10 kilometers long in Muhr am See)

Nordic walking
In the Franconian Lake District, Nordic walkers will find signposted Nordic walking routes for all levels. Guided tours are offered, for beginners and advanced skiers (for example from the Seehof beach hotel in Langlau, Absberg or Haundorf).
 * Gunzenhausen: In the footsteps of the Romans through the Burgstallwald with panels on gymnastics and technology
 * Roth: Five routes from 2.7 to 12 km, mainly on natural soil, 2 routes are even illuminated at night
 * Gap: six routes of different skill levels
 * Pleinfeld: Nordic walking park on the eastern shore of the Brombach lake

Eat
To the north of the Altmühlsee lies the Merkendorfer Krautland, which is known for its centuries-long cultivation of cabbage. There are many dishes with Merkendorfer sauerkraut in the restaurants around the town of Merkendorf.

Go next

 * Weißenburg in Bayern, 21 km southeast of Gunzenhausen
 * Ansbach, 28 km northwest of Gunzenhausen
 * Nuremberg, 30 km north of Roth
 * Dinkelsbühl, 35 km west of Gunzenhausen

title: Franconian Lake District


text:
Franconian Switzerland

The Franconian Switzerland (German: Fränkische Schweiz) is an upland in Franconia, northern Bavaria and a popular tourist retreat. Located between the Pegnitz River in the east and the south, the Regnitz River in the west and the Main River in the north, its relief reaches 600 m in height.

Understand
The Franconian Switzerland is one of the oldest and most popular holiday areas in Germany. It was given its name by Romantic artists and poets in the 19th century who compared its landscape to Switzerland.

The Franconian Switzerland is the region with the highest density of breweries in the world.

Talk
Overall, this is a rural area so many people might speak with an audible Franconian tinge to their German. However, hotels — and especially the bigger ones — will almost always have someone who can speak English, and generally people will be very helpful and open-minded if you try to speak German even if they themselves will switch to English immediately.

Fees and permits
There are no fees or permits needed to enter the area.

By train
Ebermannstadt is considered the "entrance to Franconian Switzerland", and regular trains from Forchheim connect to that city year round. Pegnitz and Bayreuth also have regular connections with regional trains. Other than that, this area is badly served by public transport.

From Ebermannstadt there is a tourist steam-railway to Behringersmühle going on most weekends in the summer and some special occasions in the winter.

By bicycle
Although the steep slopes can take their toll on untrained riders, the view of the scenery and the landscape more than make up for it.

By car
Especially during weekends in the summer, the small roads that go through this area often can't deal with the mass of people coming and going. As many roads are very curvy, it is also difficult to overtake anyone driving very slowly — which is quite common due to people enjoying the scenery from their car and only going in places where 100 km/h is allowed.

Get around
The area is surprisingly underserved by public transport and its roads are prone to congestion on weekends in the summer. There are however, good hiking and bike trails if you are fit enough to manage the steep slopes.

Cities

 * - record-holder for the greatest brewery density in the world
 * - a spa town with Bavaria's warmest thermal bath
 * - old Franconian timbered buildings and Feuerstein Castle (today also used as a youth hostel)
 * - with a castle and the wildlife park Hundshaupten
 * - a former Kaiserpfalz (temporary residence of the Holy Roman emperor) with the prince-bishop’s palace, 14th century
 * - Basilica Pilgrimage church of the Holy Trinity
 * - with the Tower Clock Museum and the Fünf Seidla Steig Hiking Trail
 * - river Wiesent and ruin Neideck
 * - old townhall from 1347
 * - with Cave Teufelshöhle and a Sommerrodelbahn (a kind of summer-only dry toboggan)
 * - Cave Binghöhle as well as a castle-ruin
 * - Castle Thurnau and St.-Laurentius-Church.
 * - river Wiesent and castles of Waischenfeld, Rabenstein and Rabeneck
 * - Sanspareil Rock Garden of Margravine Wilhelmine and Zwernitz Castle

See

 * There are numerous castles and castle ruins in this area dating from medieval to early modern times. They are in various states of use today. Some are merely ruins, hardly distinguishable from piles of stones, whereas others have been converted to hotels or can be visited in guided tours.

Canoeing
The River Wiesent is the only river for paddling, canoeing and kayaking in the Franconian Switzerland. The stretch of river, around 28 km, is especially recommended for fans of light white-water (Class I Easy and Class II Medium).

Caving
Franconian Switzerland has more than 1000 caves of every size.

Most caves are full of bizarre columns of limestone and stalagmites and stalactites of various shape and size. Guided tours telling you about the history of the caves and their discovery and pointing out particularly spectacular rock-formations are widely available and usually the only way to access the caves. Most parts of the cave will be around 4°C year round.

Rock climbing
Franconian Switzerland is a big draw for both German and other European rock climbers. Every climber has to come here once in his lifetime to have at least a look at the famous "Action Directe" climb. The limestone in this area is plentiful and the local scenery and breweries make it a nice weekend retreat. By German standards the safety (number and quality of rock-bolts) is really high here, though it does not reach French standards. See frankenjura.com for online topographical maps and access descriptions.

Buy
As this is a rural area in Germany, cash is the name of the game. While some places do accept credit or debit cards, do not rely on it. Apart from negligible exceptions, no currency other than the euro will do you much good, and even if you happen to get your US dollars accepted, the exchange rate you will most likely get will be abysmal. Don't even try with other currencies.

Eat
For some other regional foods see Franconia
 * Baked carp is perhaps best eaten in early autumn from one of the village restaurants that have their own pools so there is no doubt the fish is fresh. As autumn turns to winter, the carp may well have been imported from further east where there is also a tradition of eating carp for Christmas. Some recipes call for the fish to be stewed in beer or cooking wine rather than baked. If the fish is locally sourced, it is more likely than not to be of the local Aischgründer mirror carp variety which has been raised locally for many centuries but is more expensive to buy.
 * Franconian Switzerland is also one of the biggest cherry growing regions in Europe. During the season, cherries can be had at almost every roadside for very affordable prices.

Drink
Beer-drinking could easily be put in our "Do" section as a thing to do in Franconian Switzerland. The density of breweries is the highest in the world and literally every village has its own pub serving home brewed yeast juice at very reasonable prices, along with hefty local Franconian cuisine. See also Breweries in Franconia lists breweries, beer cellars, brewery museums.

Stay safe
The biggest hazards in this region are natural. When climbing or canoeing you should apply general rules of safety to minimize any risk of injury or accident. Other than that, this region is as safe as it can get.

Go next
Visit Bamberg to see the medieval town and try the local smoked beer (Rauchbier) or to Bayreuth, is famous as the host of the Richard Wagner Festival, furthermore the Markgräfliches Opernhaus is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nürnberg and Erlangen are also reasonably close for a day trip.

title: Franconian Switzerland


text:
Franeker

Franeker (or Frjentsjer in the Frisian language) is a city in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. It is most notable for its Eise Eisenga Planetarium, the oldest still in operation, and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2023.

Understand
The history of Franeker goes back to early medieval times. The old centre is still surrounded by a canal, but most of the associated defensive structures have been demolished in the 19th century.

Get in
Franeker lies about 20 km to the west of Friesland's capital, Leeuwarden.

By car
From Leeuwarden, take the A31.

By train
A direct train service connects Franeker with Leeuwarden and Harlingen.

See

Go next

 * Leeuwarden

title: Franeker


text:
Frankenmuth

Frankenmuth is a city of about 5,500 people (2019) in southeastern Michigan, which was settled in 1845 by 15 Lutheran Germans who intended to spread the Christian religion to the Native American population in the area. The town today capitalizes on this German background, billing itself as "Michigan's Little Bavaria", and styling its downtown after an idealized image of a 19th-century Germany village. Visitors may find it to be unbearably kitschy, but there's a great sense of fun and an almost theme-park-like feel about the downtown area.

By car
Frankenmuth is situated close to I-75, between Flint and Saginaw. Coming north from Detroit, take exit 136 and travel east on M-54, then north on M-83. Coming south from Mackinaw City, take exit 149 and travel east on M-46, then south on M-83.

Get around
You'll need a car to reach the downtown area; fortunately, parking is abundant and free, even during heavy tourist periods. Most of the main attractions downtown are easily reached by walking, but you might want to pull the car back out to get to some of the more far-flung locations.

See

 * Downtown Frankenmuth spans several blocks of shops in Franconian (not Bavarian)-style buildings, starting from Frankenmuth River Place and continuing uphill. It's easily walkable and very pedestrian-friendly. The Cass River runs alongside the downtown area, and there are some very pleasant swathes of grassy tree-dotted hills if you want to take a riverside picnic break.

Do
Frankenmuth plays host to several festivals throughout the year:

 * Bavarian Festival, early June. Bavarian music, two parades, a midway with rides and games, and of course German food.
 * Oktoberfest, mid-September. Bavarian music, Dachshund races, German food and lots of beer.

Eat
One of the main attractions in Frankenmuth is its famous all-you-can-eat chicken dinners, offered at both the Bavarian Inn and Zehnder's, its two largest downtown restaurants. For $25 per person, diners are served all-you-can-eat homemade breads (including stollen), butter, preserves, chicken noodle soup, salad, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, hot vegetables, and homemade ice cream. The centrepiece, of course, is the mouth-wateringly juicy fried chicken. If you're a non-vegetarian visiting Frankenmuth, don't miss it.

Many other German dishes can be found in town as well, including wienerschnitzel, sauerbraten, and a variety of German sausages.

Other spots to try:

Sleep
There are multiple hotels in Frankenmuth to choose from, with more only a few miles away in Birch Run.

Go next

 * Birch Run, about 15 minutes south on M-83. Locally renowned for its abundance of outlet stores.
 * Saginaw, about 20 minutes west on I-75.
 * Flint, about 30 minutes south on I-75.
 * Bay City, about 30 minutes north on M-83.

title: Frankenmuth


text:
Frankfort (Disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Frankfort:

Germany
There are two cities in Germany with similar sounding and spelled names:
 * Frankfurt - A huge city in Hesse, Germany. Frankfurt am Main is the location of Frankfurt Airport, the largest international airport in Germany.
 * Frankfurt an der Oder - A large city on the German-Polish border, in Brandenburg, Germany.

South Africa

 * Frankfort (South Africa) - A town in South Africa.

United States of America

 * Frankfort (Illinois) - A village in Illinois.
 * Frankfort (Indiana) - A town in Clinton County in central Indiana.
 * Frankfort (Kansas) - A town in Kansas.
 * Frankfort (Kentucky) - The capital of Kentucky.
 * Frankfort (Michigan) - A town in Benzie County, Michigan on Lake Michigan.
 * Frankfort (New York) - A town in Herkimer County, New York on the Erie Canal.
 * Frankfort (Ohio) - A village in Ross County in Ohio.
 * Frankfort (Marathon County, Wisconsin) - A town in central Wisconsin.
 * Frankfort (Pepin County, Wisconsin) - A town in western Wisconsin.

title: Frankfort (Disambiguation)


text:
Frankfort (Kentucky)

Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky. Downtown Frankfort is characterized by charismatic, old-fashioned, antebellum style buildings holding shops, cafes, restaurants and museums. A small city of about 25,000 residents, it is in the Bluegrass Region about 50 miles (80 km) from the state's largest city of Louisville and 25 miles (40 km) from Lexington.

Understand
The historic core of Frankfort is hidden in the deep valley of the Kentucky River, completely invisible to travellers on Interstate 64. Author William Least Heat-Moon once wrote about the city, "If you're ever looking for the most hidden statehouse in America, look no farther than Frankfort." The river, whose main course runs from southeast to northwest, makes a rough S-curve through the city, dividing it into four major parts:
 * Downtown — The historic business district, in the valley and north of the river (which flows east-west at this point).
 * South Frankfort — Home to the State Capitol, in the valley and south of the river; mostly residential apart from the Capitol. The governor's mansion and capitol are surrounded by floral gardens and lawns.
 * East Side and West Side (also "East Frankfort" and "West Frankfort") — The more modern areas on either side of the valley, with more shopping options.The "West side" of town has traditionally had the most concentration of modern stores, restaurants and hotels. However, companies have started to put more focus on the East side, with new shopping complexes, restaurants and attractions being completed monthly. The East side is also home to many traditional Mexican restaurants.

Tourist information

 * Visit Frankfort website

By car
I-64 connects Frankfort with Lexington to the east and Louisville to the west. US 60 (which connects to Versailles) parallels I-64 along most of its route through Kentucky. US 127 South connects Frankfort with the Blue Grass Pkwy and Harrodsburg to the south. US 127 North, a winding road, is the shortest route to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. US 460 offers a short route to Georgetown (the Toyota plant) and I-75.

By plane

 * Capital City Airport (FFT), US 60 West, +1 502 564-3714. General Aviation.
 * Blue Grass Airport(LEX), Man'O War Blvd. at Versailles Rd., Lexington, +1 859 425-3114. Passenger jet service.
 * Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport(SDF), I-264 at Exit 11 (past I-65), Louisville, +1 502 368-6524. Passenger jet service.

By train
There is no Amtrak service to Frankfort.

Car rental

 * Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 220 Versailles Rd., +1 502 695-5542.

Bus

 * Frankfort Transit, +1 502 875-8565.

Taxi

 * Blue Grass Cab, +1 502 803-1140.

Cemeteries

 * Greenhill Cemetery, Corner of East Main & US 60, +1 502 564-7005. Features the only monument in the state honoring Kentucky's African American Civil War Soldiers. It is one of only four monuments in the country dedicated to African American Civil War Soldiers. The 14-ft monument was erected by the Colored Women's Relief Corps in 1924.
 * Greenhill Cemetery, Corner of East Main & US 60, +1 502 564-7005. Features the only monument in the state honoring Kentucky's African American Civil War Soldiers. It is one of only four monuments in the country dedicated to African American Civil War Soldiers. The 14-ft monument was erected by the Colored Women's Relief Corps in 1924.

Covered bridge

 * Switzer Covered Bridge, KY 1261 Switzer off US 460 East. Built in 1855, this covered bridge is the only example of a Howe Trussed bridge in the state of Kentucky. It has been restored from major flood damage, which occurred in 1997. An area by the bridge offers a peaceful place to picnic.

Government Buildings

 * Executive Mansion, +1 502 564-8004. Located across from the Capitol building and overlooking the Kentucky River is the Governor's mansion, constructed of native limestone, was modeled after the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's summer villa. Tour includes the state dining room, ballroom, reception room and formal salon.
 * Floral Clock, +1 502 564-3449. Located on the West Lawn of the Capitol Grounds and planted with thousands of colorful flowering plants, the face of this clock is 34 feet in diameter.
 * Old State Capitol, Broadway and Lewis St., +1 502 564-1792. This national landmark was Kentucky's seat of government from 1831 - 1910. Greek Revival structure includes a unique, self-supporting staircase held together by precision and pressure.
 * Old State Capitol, Broadway and Lewis St., +1 502 564-1792. This national landmark was Kentucky's seat of government from 1831 - 1910. Greek Revival structure includes a unique, self-supporting staircase held together by precision and pressure.
 * Old State Capitol, Broadway and Lewis St., +1 502 564-1792. This national landmark was Kentucky's seat of government from 1831 - 1910. Greek Revival structure includes a unique, self-supporting staircase held together by precision and pressure.
 * Old State Capitol, Broadway and Lewis St., +1 502 564-1792. This national landmark was Kentucky's seat of government from 1831 - 1910. Greek Revival structure includes a unique, self-supporting staircase held together by precision and pressure.

Movies

 * Franklin Square Cinema 6, Franklin Square Shopping Center, US 127 South, +1 502 875-9000.

Scenic views

 * Scenic Overlook, Louisville Rd., US 60 West. Scenic overlook allows visitors a panoramic view of the city of Frankfort and the State Capitol, nestled in the Kentucky River valley.

Golf

 * Lakeview Park, US 460, Steadmantown Rd. & Georgetown Rd., +1 502 695-8431. 9-hole, Par 3 family golf course.
 * Lakeview Park, US 460, Steadmantown Rd. & Georgetown Rd., +1 502 695-8431. 9-hole, Par 3 family golf course.

Horseback riding

 * A Little Bit of Heaven, US 127 North, +1 502 223-8925. Guided trail rides and horse rentals for all levels. Picnic sites, hayrides, indoor classroom and restroom facilities. Cold drinks and snacks available. Various lesson packages for children and adults. 8 miles north of Frankfort. Come have fun.

Downtown

 * Gibby's, 212 W. Broadway, +1 502 223-4429.
 * Serafini, 243 W Broadway, +1 502 875-5599.
 * Serafini, 243 W Broadway, +1 502 875-5599.

South Frankfort

 * Capital Annex Cafeteria, Capital Annex Bldg., +1 502 564-3142. M-F, 7AM-2:15PM.
 * Cliffside Diner, 175 Old Lawrenceburg Rd, +1 502 352-2454.

West Side

 * China Buffet, 1300 US 127 South, Ste 8, +1 502 226-3400.
 * Thai Smile, 19 Century Plaza, +1 502 227-9934.
 * China Buffet, 1300 US 127 South, Ste 8, +1 502 226-3400.
 * Thai Smile, 19 Century Plaza, +1 502 227-9934.

Pubs

 * Office Pub & Deli, 614 Comanche Trl., +1 502 227-9585.
 * Office Pub & Deli, 614 Comanche Trl., +1 502 227-9585.

Campgrounds

 * Kentucky River Campground, 1489 Steele Branch Rd. off US 127 North (6 miles north of Frankfort), +1 502 227-2465. Features electric and water hookups, primitive camping, and bathhouse, 25-ft barbecue pit, two shelter houses, cable TV, RV supplies, propane gas, sewer hookups to all campsites, Kentucky River boat ramp, fishing, playground and laundry facilities.
 * Kentucky River Campground, 1489 Steele Branch Rd. off US 127 North (6 miles north of Frankfort), +1 502 227-2465. Features electric and water hookups, primitive camping, and bathhouse, 25-ft barbecue pit, two shelter houses, cable TV, RV supplies, propane gas, sewer hookups to all campsites, Kentucky River boat ramp, fishing, playground and laundry facilities.
 * Kentucky River Campground, 1489 Steele Branch Rd. off US 127 North (6 miles north of Frankfort), +1 502 227-2465. Features electric and water hookups, primitive camping, and bathhouse, 25-ft barbecue pit, two shelter houses, cable TV, RV supplies, propane gas, sewer hookups to all campsites, Kentucky River boat ramp, fishing, playground and laundry facilities.

title: Frankfort (Kentucky)


text:
Frankfort (Michigan)

Frankfort lies on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in Benzie County in the Grand Traverse Bay Area of Michigan.

Understand
The Frankfort and Elberta communities encompass beautiful Betsie Bay, a historic sailing harbor. Frankfort offers unique and friendly shops, restaurants, and accommodation. Seven full-service marinas line the harbor, providing over 400 slips.

See

 * Beaches Frankfort and Elberta both have public beaches, and you can walk in either direction for as long as your legs hold-out. Start at Elberta Beach park and then walk south for access to lonely and beautiful beaches for miles.
 * Beaches Frankfort and Elberta both have public beaches, and you can walk in either direction for as long as your legs hold-out. Start at Elberta Beach park and then walk south for access to lonely and beautiful beaches for miles.

Buy

 * Gwen Frostic Prints, 5140 River Rd, Benzonia, +1 231 882-5505, M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Featuring the artwork of Gwen Frostic. Located on River Road with art, library, duck pond, and lots of cool and inexpensive gifts.

Eat

 * Rhonda's Wharfside, Main St. (overlooking Betsie Bay) +1 231 352-5300. Casual fun dining. Specialties: pasta, steaks, seafood. Fresh whitefish daily. Open all year.
 * Rhonda's Wharfside, Main St. (overlooking Betsie Bay) +1 231 352-5300. Casual fun dining. Specialties: pasta, steaks, seafood. Fresh whitefish daily. Open all year.
 * Rhonda's Wharfside, Main St. (overlooking Betsie Bay) +1 231 352-5300. Casual fun dining. Specialties: pasta, steaks, seafood. Fresh whitefish daily. Open all year.

Drink

 * Cabbage Shed in Elberta.
 * Roadhouse in Benzonia.
 * Roadhouse in Benzonia.

Go next
Point Betsie is a dynamic mosaic of shifting sand dunes, interdunal wetlands, boreal forest and sandy Lake Michigan beaches. Hike a path or volunteer to pick baby's breath (or just help out!) by emailing: [mailto:michigan@tnc.org]. Directions From Frankfort, Michigan: Point Betsie Preserve is located approximately 4.5 miles north of Frankfort off of M-22. At Point Betsie Road, turn left (west). Follow Point Betsie Road for 0.5 miles, to the wooden preserve sign on the south side of the road. You can park on the roadside by the sign, or drive to the end of the road near the lighthouse and walk back to the preserve sign. A trail starts near the sign.
 * Spirit of the Woods Music Association, . An annual music festival, the Spirit of the Woods Folk Festival, held at the Dickson Township Park in Brethren, Michigan, the third Saturday in June. The festival features a day full of music on two stages, arts and crafts vendors, children's activities, great food, and a closing square dance.
 * Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies just to the north. It encompasses a 35-mi (60-km) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou Islands. The park was established primarily for its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena.
 * Zetterberg Preserve at Point Betsie,

title: Frankfort (Michigan)


text:
Frankfurt

Frankfurt (German: Frankfurt am Main) is the largest city in the German state of Hesse, and is considered the business and financial centre of Germany. It is the fifth largest city in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. The city is known for its modern skyline, and for hosting the headquarters of the European Central Bank, the Deutsche Börse stock exchange and numerous German financial services companies. Furthermore, it hosts some of the world's most important trade shows, such as the Frankfurt Auto Show and the Frankfurt Book Fair. It is on the river Main at a crossroad of the German Autobahn system and connected to several high-speed rail lines, with Germany's busiest airport on its outskirts, Frankfurt is one of the most important transportation hubs of Europe.

Understand
Frankfurt is a city of contrasts. Wealthy bankers, students and hippie drop-outs coexist in a city that has some of the highest, most avant-garde skyscrapers of Europe next to well maintained old buildings. The downtown area, especially Römer square and the museums at the River Main, draw millions of tourists every year. On the other hand, many off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods, such as Bockenheim, Bornheim, Nordend and Sachsenhausen, with their intact beautiful 19th-century streets and parks are often overlooked by visitors.

It's the heart of the Rhine-Main region, spanning from Mainz and Wiesbaden in the west to Hanau in the east and Gießen in the north to Darmstadt in the south and has some 5.6 million inhabitants (2019) in the whole surrounding metropolitan area.

Frankfurt is the place where Germany's major autobahns and railways intersect. About 650,000 people commute to the city each day, not counting some 763,000 people who live here (2019). With a huge airport — the third-largest in Europe — it is the gateway to Germany and for many people also the first point of arrival in Europe. Further, it is a prime hub for interconnections within Europe and for intercontinental flights.

In the years following 1968, especially in the late 1970s and up to the early 1980s, Frankfurt was a centre of the left wing Sponti-Szene, which frequently clashed with police and local authorities over politics and urban design issues (specifically whether or not old buildings should be torn down). Several members of these radical groups went on to have quite respectable careers in politics, among them Daniel Cohn-Bendit (long time leading MEP for the Greens) and Joschka Fischer (Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor 1998-2005), though their erstwhile radical and violent antics did hurt them in their later political careers.

Frankfurt has one of the highest percentage of immigrants in Germany: about 25% of Frankfurt's people have no German passport and another 10% are naturalized German citizens. With about 35% immigrants, Frankfurt is one of the most diverse of German cities.

Frankfurt is home to many museums, theatres and a world-class opera.

Territorial subdivisions
Frankfurt is divided into 16 Ortsbezirke, which are further subdivided into 46 Stadtteile. As Frankfurt is an expansive city with a large area given its population, most of those are of little interest to a tourist, with most attractions concentrated in the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I (there are four Ortsbezirke starting with Innenstadt ("inner city"), distinguished by Roman numerals). Some Stadtteile of particular note are:
 * Altstadt (Dom-Römer Quarter) – the heart of Frankfurt's old town, largely rebuilt after the Second World War, particularly, as part of a major urban development project, from 2012 to 2018
 * Innenstadt – named confusingly (sharing its name with the larger Ortsbezirk) is the part embracing the Altstadt up until the old city fortifications, still visible as a green belt on the city map. The home to the most of Frankfurt's skyscrapers
 * Bahnhofsviertel – the densely-built part of the city immediately facing the Hauptbahnhof, hosting the most hotels in town and its red light district
 * Gutleutviertel – the area south of the tracks leading up to the Hauptbahnhof, with a modern residential quarter on the Main
 * Gallus – the area north of the Hauptbahnhof tracks known most for the past-2010 Europaviertel development (a new city quarter with apartment blocks and offices built around the wide Europaallee next to the fairgrounds)
 * Bockenheim
 * Westend – the most expensive part of Frankfurt by land values, mostly covered with low-rise residential buildings and villas, but also several skyscrapers on its edges
 * Nordend
 * Bornheim – Popular area with small shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as historic taverns and half-timbered houses. See listing below.
 * Sachsenhausen – the historic southern bank of the river Main, which preserved its typical 19th-century character, very different from the modern northern bank punctured by skyscrapers. Includes the Museumsufer museum collection directly at the riverbank. See listing below for further details.
 * Höchst – Formerly a separate small town, now a suburb. The small Altstadt, around the Schloss, is one of the closest places to central Frankfurt that you can see large numbers of traditional timber-framed buildings that didn't get destroyed in the war. The square by the Schloss has some very nice traditional Gaststätte to eat or drink in. See listing below for further details.

When to visit
The best times for Frankfurt are late spring to early autumn. The summers tend to be sunny and warm around 25°C (77°F). Be prepared, however, for very hot summer days around 35°C (95°F) as well as for light rain. The winters can be cold and rainy (usually not lower than -10°C/14°F). It rarely snows in Frankfurt itself.

If you intend to stay overnight, you may wish to avoid times when trade fairs are held, as this will make finding affordable accommodation a challenging task. The biggest is the Book Fair (Buchmesse) yearly in mid-October; see Fairs for details.

Tourist information
There are two offices for tourism information:

Get in
Frankfurt is the heart of central Germany and as such, it is one of the most important transportation hubs. It has excellent connections by rail, road and air. Reaching and leaving Frankfurt is easy.

Frankfurt Airport
is among the busiest in Europe — fourth in passenger traffic after London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Frankfurt is the banking centre of Germany and hosts numerous international trade fairs. Therefore all major airlines and all airline alliances fly frequently to Frankfurt and connect it to every inhabited continent and all major cities in the world. The German flag carrier Lufthansa is the main airline in Frankfurt and offers most connections. Lufthansa also has several domestic feeder flights to and from Frankfurt that also serve business travelers.

The airport is connected to downtown Frankfurt by taxi, bus (line 61 to Frankfurt Süd(bahnhof) (Frankfurt South Station), and most easily by S-Bahn (fast commuter trains).

To get to the city by S-Bahn, take lines or  in the direction of Offenbach Ost or Hanau at the regional train station,, on the lowest level of Terminal 1 (entrances in section A and B). If your plane lands or departs from Terminal 2, count in another 15 minutes as you need to move between the terminals with either the shuttle bus or the monorail Skytrain (both are free of charge, just follow the signs). If you want to go downtown, get off at Frankfurt Taunusanlage, Frankfurt Hauptwache or Frankfurt Konstablerwache, which are in the heart of the city. If you want to change to long-distance trains get off at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Frankfurt Central Station). The ride from the airport to the central station takes about 20 minutes. You have to purchase a ticket at the vending machines in the train station before boarding the train. The adult ticket costs €5.80, and €3.40 for children (April 2023).

If you want to go to the airport by S-Bahn, take the or  in the direction of Wiesbaden. Don't take the, since it does not stop at the airport.

Regional trains RB and RE to Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Hanau stop at the same place as the S-Bahn to Frankfurt.

Connections outside the Frankfurt region have a separate long-distance train station,. Here, you can board high-speed long-distance trains (Inter-City and ICE) to Cologne, Munich and other national and international destinations. Local train tickets are not valid on ICE or IC.

Hahn Airport
The smaller airport called Frankfurt/Hahn, mostly used by budget airlines, advertises proximity to Frankfurt. However, Hahn is far away from Frankfurt and it takes about 90 minutes to drive there from downtown to cover the distance. For that airport, if you have to use it at all, allow more time in your travel plans and budget. A bus from Frankfurt/Hahn to Frankfurt Main airport and on to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Frankfurt Central Station) costs about €17.99 and leaves roughly every hour. Tickets are available from the kiosk outside in front of the main entrance.

Frankfurt/Hahn is not far (9 km) from Traben-Trarbach, which lies by the Mosel river and has a train station. The streets between the airport and Traben-Trarbach are not lit at night and have no sidewalk.

By train

Frankfurt has three major train stations:, and the above-mentioned one at the airport (Flughafen Fernbahnhof). However, several inter-city trains that stop at the airport do not stop at Hauptbahnhof. Long-distance trains leaving from Hauptbahnhof do not stop at Südbahnhof, while a few long-distance trains pass by Hauptbahnhof and only stop at Südbahnhof. Check the timetable to make sure you are going to the right station!

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is one of the biggest and busiest train stations in Europe, so it's definitely worth a visit. Frankfurt has connections to most German cities - and neighbouring countries especially to the south and west - via InterCity and high-speed InterCity Express trains. There is no problem to get a connection to any train destination from Frankfurt.

Frankfurt train stations are very large, confusing, labyrinth-like places for newcomers. Allow extra time to locate the boarding area for your train. Don't hesitate to ask someone for help the first time. There is a large departures signboard above the main exit/entrance with destination and platform information, and you can also get information from the railway travel office in the station.

From the main ticket office at Frankfurt you can buy 5- and 10-day rail travel cards which allow you to travel around Germany using all train services, including the Intercity ones. These are a significant saving on individual train fares. The 5-day ticket costs €189 and the 10-day ticket €289. You cannot buy these tickets from regional train stations.

In addition to regular Deutsche Bahn trains and regional trains on which DB tickets are valid, Frankfurt is also served by Flixtrain. Tickets can be bought through Flixbus, but DB tickets are not valid and there is no BahnCard discount. That said, Flixtrain tickets are usually considerably cheaper than comparable DB tickets.

By car
Frankfurt is connected to several autobahns and can be easily reached by car. Try to avoid rush-hour and especially snowy days, as car traffic can easily break down. Parking is definitely a problem in most areas. Especially during big conventions—such the Internationale Automobilausstellung (International Automobile Exhibition) in September, or the Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt Book Fair) in mid-October—you should consider using the well designed park-and-ride system If you intend to stay mostly in Frankfurt and only make day-trips to the bigger cities in the surrounding area, consider leaving the car altogether and arriving by train, as Frankfurt has a superb public transport system (see below).

By public transport

Frankfurt has a good, co-ordinated public transport system of Underground (U-Bahn), tram (Straßenbahn) and bus. Public transit nerds will be quick to point out, that the "U-Bahn" is actually a bit of a misnomer, given the fact that it has moved traffic sections in the outskirts, more in line with systems called "Stadtbahn" in other German cities. The RMV site has basic information and timetable information available in English and other languages. The U-Bahn (metro) stations are signed with a white capital "U" on a blue background. For connections to the suburbs or airport, use the S-Bahn, signed with a white "S" on green background. Almost all S-Bahn lines and two U-Bahn lines come together in the city-tunnel in central Frankfurt ( and ), besides line, which ends at Central Station. If you want to go to the old city take the U-Bahn to or tram line 11 or 12.

The S-Bahn, run by Deutsche Bahn, connects the downtown areas to outer-lying suburbs as well as other cities in the region, such as Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Darmstadt. Beware that the S-Bahn is notorious for its delays. If you need to get somewhere on time, allow for some buffer time. In the morning rush-hour, delays of 5–15 minutes are common. If you are catching a plane or have another similar time-critical appointment, allow an extra 30 minutes to be on the safe side. Other services (subway, tram and bus) are usually more punctual.

Tickets
You can get single trip, all-day and weekly tickets. You can get tickets for one person or a group of up to five people travelling together.

You must use a ticket machine to purchase a ticket before boarding. Ticket machines can be switched to English. You have to press Einzelfahrt Frankfurt for a single trip in the city and Tageskarte Frankfurt for a day ticket in the city. If you want to ride to the airport, you have to press Einzelfahrt Frankfurt Flughafen or Tageskarte Frankfurt Flughafen. If your destination is outside Frankfurt, you have to look up your destination on the list provided at the machine, enter this number with the numeric keypad, then press the button for the type of ticket you want (Einzelfahrt - single trip; Tageskarte - day ticket). Also, every station has some stations listed as "short distance" destinations (Kurzstrecke); tickets to those are cheaper. If you have the opportunity, ask a bystander to explain the vending machines to you the first time you want to buy a ticket. Unlike in other German cities, tickets purchased are valid immediately. You cannot purchase single trip tickets in advance, but time tickets (day, week, month) can be chosen according to the date, which you have to know in advance.

Fares are based on the zones you travel through. Central Frankfurt is all contained within a single zone (zone 50) so tickets (except short trip tickets) are all the one fare. In this central zone a single trip ticket costs €3.40 and a day ticket costs €7.20. For the central zone and the airport zone together a single trip ticket costs €5.80 and a day ticket costs €11.30. Group day-tickets (5 people: €11.30 / €19.10) cost less than two individual day-tickets, so are better value if you are travelling together and purchasing day-tickets. Discounts are available for children of age 14 and under.

If you are visiting attractions and museums then consider buying a Frankfurt Card. It allows unlimited travel on Frankfurt's public transport system (city zone and airport) and discounts in many museums. The Frankfurt Card is available as a one day and two day ticket, and for a single person or a group of up to five (1 person 1 day €11.50, 2 days €17.00; group (max. 5 persons) 1 day €24, 2 days €34) [updated 2023]. These tickets are not sold at the vending machines. You can buy the Frankfurt Card at the airport (arrival gate B, terminal 1), at travel agencies, railway stations, at the tourist information desk at Hauptbahnhof, at the tourist information desk at Römer, or in advance online. A one-day one-person Frankfurt card including airport transportation is cheaper than the equivalent public transport ticket that includes the airport.

A fine of €60 applies for riding without a valid ticket.

By e-hailing
Uber, Bolt and Free Now cover the city.

By taxi
Frankfurt has plenty of taxi drivers to service the many business travellers. The city is not too big, although fares tend to be expensive. Watch out for taxi drivers that take detours if they notice that you do not know the city. Still, for door-to-door transport, taxis are a way to go.

Most taxi drivers love to drive to the airport because it's longer than inner-city fares, but not all taxi drivers are licensed to go there. They tend to drive very fast because most German business travellers expect them to do this. If you feel uncomfortable, let the driver know and he will slow down.

Blacklane - offers an extensive fleet of vehicles for business travellers. An airport transfer service from city centre to Frankfurt Airport is about €30.

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In the main tourist areas downtown there are also human-powered bike taxis that convey one or two passengers. For those not too keen on walking this may be a convenient way of seeing the sights.

By car
Avoid using your car in the city, especially in tourist "hot spots" like Sachsenhausen (especially on a Saturday) because of congestion and a severe lack of parking spaces. It's very limited, and people tend to park in places they're not supposed to. This ends up costing a fair bit if your car gets towed, which it often will. If you want to enter the city, your best bet is to use a Parkhaus (parking garage, which charges a fee of €1 per hour or €8 for the whole day) and then either walk, or take public transport.

Many areas are reserved for local residents, in and outside the city. You will see the areas marked by parking signs that indicate a local permit is needed during certain hours during the day. The wording to be aware of is "Parkausweis Nr.X" (where X is a number). If you park in these spaces you risk a fine.

Even vehicles registered in countries other than Germany need a "low emissions" sticker (on the inside of the windscreen) to legally enter certain signposted environmental protection zones in Frankfurt. (The stickers are valid for all low emission zones in Germany.) Labelling a vehicle with these emission stickers, also often called "fine particle stickers", is voluntary, but vehicles without this sticker - even those with foreign number plates and even those that would otherwise meet the criteria - are not allowed into environmental zones without risking a fine of €40.

Also, remember that Germany has strict laws about driving under the influence of alcohol, only allowing 0.5mg of alcohol per mL of blood. That's just about one beer or glass of wine. Although there are Autobahns without speed limits, when there are speed limits, these are enforced rigorously. Radar traps are frequent. Heavy on-the-spot fines can be levied. The laws pertaining to tailgating have been sharpened, and the fines have gotten larger.

By bicycle
Frankfurt is bike-friendly, featuring an expansive network of bike lanes. While there are various rental-bike companies in Frankfurt, they are relatively rare and situated in inconvenient areas of the city for travellers. A more convenient source of rental bikes may be Deutsche Bahn. Look out for their rental bikes, marked in the colours red and white and the letters "DB".

These bikes are available year-round and can be found pretty much anywhere in the city - especially at street corners, which are the major pick-up and drop-off points. You can rent these bikes 24/7 just using your cell-phone and your credit card. German citizens can also sign-up for direct debit from their checking account. For instructions on how to use this service, call the number on the bike or go their website.

Another service is offered by nextbike. Sign up (either online or via their hotline) and rent bicycles and return them at any station all over town. Rates are charged by the half-hour (€1) and are capped at €9 per day.
 * Bike Rental Outlets Frankfurt
 * Bike Rental Outlets Frankfurt
 * Bike Rental Outlets Frankfurt
 * Bike Rental Outlets Frankfurt

See
While most of the buildings in the inner town were destroyed during the second world war, many of them in Römerberg have been meticulously restored. The imposing town hall and the cathedral St Bartholomeus where emperors of the Holy Roman empire were crowned in the 17th and 18th centuries are among them. Walk on top of a tower or get to the Main for good views of the skyline.

Historical attractions

Skyline

Frankfurt has some of the tallest buildings in Germany (the Commerzbank Tower is the country's tallest office building). Its skyline is unique for the country, as the high rises are concentrated in a relatively small downtown area, giving Frankfurt the looks of a metropolis. One of the reasons for this are the lax zoning laws compared to the rest of Germany. Elsewhere, building such high rise buildings is almost - if not outright - impossible. The skyline is the reason why Frankfurt is sometimes called by the nickname Mainhattan.

 * For a view of the skyline try the Main river bridges. The eastern bridges offer the best view, in particular the Ignaz-Bubis-Brücke and also the Alte Brücke. For a great view including the new European Central Bank building, the train bridge in Ostend and the new bridge behind it provide excellent views. Also, when you approach the city from the airport via the subway, stay to the right side of the train. Just before the train approaches the Frankfurt central station it enters a big curve, and from here you will have a nice first glance of the skyline. For another good view of the skyscrapers take a walk from Schweizer Platz northwards.

Other attractions

Museums
Museums in Germany are generally closed on Mondays (there are exceptions); the exact opening hours on other days depend on the museum. If you want to visit a museum on a public holiday, check with them before to be sure they open on that day.

The museums in Frankfurt offer a wide range of exhibits. Many museums are clustered on both banks of the Main in a district called Museumsufer (Museum Riverbank). To get there, take the subway to Schweizer Platz (southern bank) or Willy-Brandt-Platz (northern bank), then walk towards the Main river. You can see the downtown skyscrapers when you leave the station Schweizer Platz, that's the direction you have to take. There are enough museums in Museumsufer to keep you occupied for a while, and it is especially suitable if you are staying in Frankfurt only for a short time.

The Museumsufer Ticket is valid for admission to all municipal museums on two consecutive days and is available at all Frankfurt museums. Individual visitors €18, concessions €10, families (2 adults and children) €28.

At the Museumsufer
All of the following museums are at the Museumsufer in Sachsenhausen. You have a number of options to get there, e.g. Schweizer Platz or Bus 46 (Museumsufer Linie) to "Städel". It is also just a 10 minute walk from Dom/Römer across the Eiserner Steg bridge, or 10 minutes from the main train station over the pedestrian bridge Holbeinsteg.

Other museums

Culture

 * Frankfurt Architectural Photo Tour, Free photography course of architectural fine arts

Fairs
Frankfurt's trade fairs are known to have taken place as early as in 1160. The Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's largest exhibition centres, hosting a continuous stream of exhibitions small, large and gargantuan — the Motor Show draws almost a million visitors. Most fairs are open to the public for at least part of the time, and can be a fascinating if somewhat overwhelming experience if you're interested in the theme. The Messe has its own S-Bahn train station, Messe, two stops away from the Central Railway Station (from platform 104, underground), and there's also the Festhalle/Messe subway stop. Advance tickets for fairs often allow free use of all RMV public transport. Trains to the trade fairs are announced in English.

Sports

 * Football:
 * Swimming at Titus-Thermen or Rebstockbad, which both also have whirlpools and sauna facilities. Or visit any of the other public indoor or outdoor pools in Frankfurt. The biggest outdoor pool is next to the Nidda in Rödelheim part of Frankfurt: Bretano bath. Some of the bigger complexes outside the city limits include Taunus-Therme in Bad Homburg and Rhein-Main-Therme in Hofheim.

Walks

 * In the summer, a walk along the river Main is a nice thing to do. A lot of people will spend a sunny afternoon walking or sitting there on a lawn or playing frisbee or football. It's a relatively quiet area, considering it's in the heart of the city. Nearby cafes and restaurants allow you to have a drink in between. The only disadvantage is that it can be quite crowded when the weather is nice; try going during business hours on a weekday unless you're looking for a crowd.
 * Go for a walk in the City Forest (Stadtwald) in the south of Frankfurt. With about 48 km², it is regarded as the largest inner-city forest in Germany. Six playgrounds and nine ponds make the forest a popular tourist attraction. The forest can be reached via tram line 17 direction Neu-Isenburg/Stadtgrenze from Frankfurt Main Station (Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof). Trams 12, 19, 20 and 21 also connect the Stadtwald with downtown Frankfurt.
 * Go on top of the Feldberg mountain, the highest mountain in the Taunus. Take a train from Frankfurt central to Königsstein and then go to the main bus place (Parkstraße). Buses via Feldberg depart every 2 hours. Get on top of the observation tower at the Feldberg. If it's cold, have a hot chocolate with cream (Heiße Schokolade mit Sahne) at the tower's kiosk.

Events

 * There are various fireworks displays throughout the year. Many major events - like the Museumsufer festival are ended with very well done fireworks. Check your local event schedule; if you are in the city these are always worth your time. The exception are the New Year fireworks, which are unorganized and less than spectacular. Good vantage points are the Main bridges, or the river banks.
 * There are various fireworks displays throughout the year. Many major events - like the Museumsufer festival are ended with very well done fireworks. Check your local event schedule; if you are in the city these are always worth your time. The exception are the New Year fireworks, which are unorganized and less than spectacular. Good vantage points are the Main bridges, or the river banks.
 * There are various fireworks displays throughout the year. Many major events - like the Museumsufer festival are ended with very well done fireworks. Check your local event schedule; if you are in the city these are always worth your time. The exception are the New Year fireworks, which are unorganized and less than spectacular. Good vantage points are the Main bridges, or the river banks.
 * There are various fireworks displays throughout the year. Many major events - like the Museumsufer festival are ended with very well done fireworks. Check your local event schedule; if you are in the city these are always worth your time. The exception are the New Year fireworks, which are unorganized and less than spectacular. Good vantage points are the Main bridges, or the river banks.
 * There are various fireworks displays throughout the year. Many major events - like the Museumsufer festival are ended with very well done fireworks. Check your local event schedule; if you are in the city these are always worth your time. The exception are the New Year fireworks, which are unorganized and less than spectacular. Good vantage points are the Main bridges, or the river banks.

Other activities

 * The RMV offers a tour of the city in the so-called Ebbelwei Express, a special tram that offers music, apple wine, and pretzels. Probably very stereotypical and more suited for people who do not mind "tacky" tourist traps.
 * About once a month, an old steam engine train rides along tracks on the northern riverbank of the Main. Prices vary, starting at €4 for an adult.

Work
Frankfurt is one of the better locations in Germany to start looking if you want to find a job. It is the centre of national and international banking/finance and there are also many high tech, chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the Rhine-Main area. All of these are more willing to accept people with no or less than adequate German skills if you can offer any other special skills.

Last but not least the airport and companies working for trade fairs, as well as several companies in the so called "Industriepark Hoechst" always need people who speak English and other (seldom spoken) languages. Especially low skilled and very high skilled jobs are available. Make sure you have the proper permits and papers; working illegally can get you into a lot of trouble.

Buy
Frankfurt is a great place for shopping, as it caters both to tourists and to the local population, so you can find anything from haute couture to ridiculously cheap, and most of the shopping possibilities are located in the centre. The majority of shops are open until 20:00, though some of the larger stores downtown may close at 21:00 or 22:00. In general, shops are closed on Sundays.

Shopping streets

 * The Zeil is the main shopping street in Frankfurt and in fact one of the most frequented shopping streets in Europe. This area caters to all sorts of shopping needs. There are big department stores such as Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt as well as numerous other larger shops along the Zeil. Head to the top floor of Galeria Kaufhof for a restaurant with amazing views of the city. The lower levels of both department stores sell food products from all of the world.  There are also shopping complexes like the Zeilgalerie and MyZeil, which is notable for its remarkable architecture, including the longest shopping mall escalator in Europe.  Some of the surrounding streets, e.g. Liebfrauenstraße, Schillerstraße, and Kaiserstraße, have a lot of interesting smaller shops. Head to the Goethestraße for upscale shopping.
 * Schweizer Straße: small, traditional shops with local specialties, take subway to Schweizer Platz.
 * Berger Straße: smaller trendy shops and cafés, take subway to Merianplatz or Höhenstraße.
 * Leipziger Straße: smaller shops, take subway to Leipziger Straße station.

Eat
There are of course restaurants all over Frankfurt. One notable area for dining may be what is locally known as the Fressgass (a literal translation would be "munching alley"). The correct name of this street is Große Bockenheimer Straße. As the nickname implies, the Fressgass features many cafés, restaurants, and deli food stores. It is a popular area to dine after going shopping. Take the subway to station Hauptwache or Alte Oper. In late May to early June (exact dates vary each year), the Fressgass Fest takes place with food stands, cheap beer and live music. The area also has a few notable historic buildings, such as the beautiful rococo style house at Große Bockenheimer Straße 31 built in 1760 and the two 18th century half-timbered houses at Kleine Bockenheimer Strasse 10 and 12.

If you are looking for an in-depth paper-based restaurant guide, a popular publication is Frankfurt Geht Aus (Frankfurt is going out), a magazine style dining guide of the city. It can be bought for €4.80 at many kiosks and book stores, or at the Tourism Information at the central station.

Traditional Hessian dishes
Typical specialities from the Hessian region are:
 * Handkäs mit Musik – A cheese from curdled milk.
 * Frankfurter Grüne Sauce (also known as Grie Soß) – A thick sauce made from eggs and 7-9 fresh herbs. Typically served with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or occasionally with a Schnitzel in a dish known as a Frankfurter Schnitzel.
 * Frankfurter sausages (Frankfurter Würstchen) are well-known internationally, but it is here that you can try the original kind, consisting of pork.
 * Frankfurter Rindswurst – another kind of sausage, quite different from Frankfurter Würstchen, that is very popular in this region. These consist of beef only, and were created in part to appeal to Frankfurt's large Jewish community. The ones from Metzgerei Gref-Völsings (at Hanauer Landstrasse 132) are the most well-known.
 * Sachsenhäuser Schneegestöber (also known as "Frankfurter Schneegestöber") – A dish consisting of Camembert cheese, cream cheese, onions and bell pepper powder. Available only in select restaurants.
 * Frankfurter Rippchen – Cured pork, slowly heated in sauerkraut or meat broth.
 * Bethmännchen – A pastry made mainly from marzipan and almonds. Popular during Christmas time.

Many of the above dishes are typically eaten while drinking Apfelwein (see Drink). Most restaurants in Frankfurt feature international food, so you have to specifically search for restaurants serving traditional dishes. For popular restaurants in Frankfurt, it is highly recommended to reserve in advance as the restaurant might otherwise not have any free tables left.

Drink
Frankfurt is a young city where socialising and parties are always high on the agenda. Sachsenhausen, Bockenheim, Bornheim, Nordend and the city centre are the main areas of action.

Due to Frankfurt's large financial industry and business travellers, parts of its nightlife cater to a more upscale audience. At some such venues, sneakers may not be acceptable. However, there are also plenty of bars and clubs for other kinds of audiences, including for students, hipsters, fans of R&B and Hip Hop, or of alternative rock music.

For a quick beverage on the go, there are also small shops all over the town called Trinkhalle, which are usually open well into the night. Most of the times one orders and buys directly from the street. Drinking alcohol on the street is legal in Germany.

Near the central train station there is a rather seedy red light district – heavily patrolled by police/Ordnungsamt – with large brothels, porn cinemas and bars. Strip clubs like the Golden Gate Frankfurt are popular for bachelor/bachelorette parties at the weekend and similar joints are in walking distance. Check pricing upfront to avoid problems with bouncers afterwards.

Bars
While mostly associated with Sachsenhausen, you will find good bars all over the city.

Cafes
There are few cafés on Großer Hirschgraben. Café Karin and Walden are very popular with the locals. During the summer, you can enjoy one of the open air rooftop bars.

Clubs
There are many clubs in Frankfurt that cater to business people and organise corporate events. The German favour for electronic music results in a wide variation of clubs that offer this music. Alternative music is a niche market that cater the roots of the migrants in Frankfurt.

Ebbelwoi
The "regional speciality" Ebbelwoi (literally "apple wine", sometimes spelled Ebbelwei, or listed as Apfelwein or Äppler in standard German) is an apple cider that tastes very different from other kinds of ciders. Most locals drink their ebbelwoi with a dash of sparkling water. Just order a glass by asking for a "Sauergespritzte" or simply a "Sauer". People who are not used to the taste may also prefer to order a sweeter version, a "Süßgespritzte", which is ebbelwoi with a dash of lemonade, though this might earn you some disapproving looks from locals. If you are in a group you can also order a Bembel. This is a traditional clay jug that comes in different sizes and keeps the apple wine cool (this is also a good souvenir that you can buy in some stores). Possmann is a well-known brand of ebbelwoi, while the "Frau Rauscher" edition has a pleasant natural taste with some yeast left into it.

Mispelchen are another more recent local specialty and tend to be available in the same kinds of traditional restaurants and taverns that serve ebbelwoi. A Mispelchen is served in a small glass and consists of apple brandy and a whole loquat fruit on a tooth pick as well as optionally some loquat syrup.

Alt-Sachsenhausen, a part of the suburb Sachsenhausen south of the Main river, is particularly famous for its bars and Kneipen (a German type of pub) serving ebbelwoi. However, these days, some parts of Sachsenhausen are mostly for tourists. Good options in Alt-Sachsenhausen are Dauth-Schneider, Struwwelpeter and Lorsbacher Thal. Another option in Sachsenhausen is along Textorstraße, a two minute walk south, where you can still find a row of authentic places catering to locals (Germania, Kanonensteppel, Feuerrādchen).

Not as famous as Alt-Sachsenhause, but also well known, is Bornheim (located in the north) which also some biergarden-like ebbelwoi establishments on 'Berger Straße' and the surrounding area. Some of the popular traditional ebbelwoi places in Bornheim are Solzer, Zur Sonne and Zur Schoenen Müllerin.

Sleep
Frankfurt has plenty of accommodation but during major trade fairs, prices at even the cheapest hotels will suddenly skyrocket with charges of over €300/night quite common. Plan well ahead and alternatively, consider staying in nearby cities like Darmstadt, Neu-Isenburg, Bad Homburg, Mainz or Wiesbaden which are under an hour away by S-Bahn. If none of these works then Mannheim might be a last resort as it is 30mins by ICE high-speed train (but the train ticket is rather expensive unless bought in advance).

Frankfurt is the banking capital of Germany so most people are business travellers with an expense account. If you intend to stay for longer periods, ask for discounts or corporate rates. If you need to depart early or arrive very late then hotels around the main station are a valid alternative to expensive airport hotels as it is just a 10-minute ride from Terminal 1 by local train. See the Frankfurt Airport article for accommodation options in the vicinity of the airport.

Many of the hotels in Frankfurt are located around the Hauptbahnhof, but this is also the red light district in Frankfurt and is also known for the many beggars and druggies who hang around. Although the area is well policed and quite safe, many tourists are often left with a somewhat negative impression of Frankfurt after staying in this area.

Mid-range
The mid-range segment is the main battle ground between privately owned/run hotels and the major chain hotels (Mercure, Courtyard, Meininger etc.). During the weekends and at non trade fair dates substantial discounts are possible but vice-versa during trade fairs prices at least triple!

Niederrad
Many hotels billed as "Frankfurt Airport" are in the district of Frankfurt-Niederrad between the airport and city proper. The Frankfurt-Niederrad S-Bahn is just one station away from the airport station. The hotels are within walking distance of the train station, but most at a distance you would not want to drag a suitcase.

Stay safe
Frankfurt has one of Germany's highest crime rates, though, in part, only for statistical reasons: smuggling and similar offences at the airport as well as anything concerning credit card fraud anywhere in Germany is registered in Frankfurt, since the main credit card clearing company is based in the city. Furthermore if you count crime per person, you don't include a good chunk of people working but not living in Frankfurt.

Physical crime is in general concentrated in the red-light district around the central train station, which is also the hangout of many drug dealers/junkies, although even there you are usually safe during the day and moderate evening hours. Frankfurt is safe and it is highly unlikely that you will face armed robbery or other violent crimes. Use your common sense and avoid drunken or aggressive people at night. In general, firearms are an uncommon sight in Germany and the police have a very no-nonsense approach to people wielding guns or even knives. If shots are fired, the police are never far away, as this very rarely happens.

If you have a problem or are being harassed, ask the police for help. The German police and the Frankfurt Ordnungsamt (City Enforcement Officers) are clean, competent and willing to help. Germany is very bureaucratic but structured; as long as you behave respectfully toward the police, you should have no problem. Don't consider buying and smuggling drugs, these are major offences with dire consequences. Lately, bogus police officers have been an issue. All real officers have a green card with photograph and number, and no officer will check cash. Ring 110 if you get in any trouble.

Drugs and beggars
The central station area (Hauptbahnhof) is known for being a centre for homeless people and drug users. The situation has improved, but you will still occasionally be bothered by beggars. The drug addicts generally don't bother people, and the beggars will ask for Kleingeld (small change), which by their definition is anything between €0.20 and two euro. One way to fend off beggars is just to say you do not speak German (and this might just be true for you anyway!). They will often switch to English then, so just pretend you can not speak that either (just shake your head, or say "No English").

Internet
There are a number of Internet cafés in Frankfurt of varying prices and quality. Free Wi-Fi at coffee shops is getting more and more common but most businesses require some purchases of food or the likes to get the code. La maison du pain offers Wi-Fi. Various other hotels offer Internet access but usually at a charge.

Burger King (corner Liebfrauenstraße / Holzgraben) near Hauptwache offers free Wi-Fi in its restaurant, as does Starbucks near Hauptwache (Börsenplatz).

Phone
Besides public pay phones and mobile phone services, a large number of stores sell prepaid telephone cards. This is especially useful for international calls. The PTT multi-media store - 65 Baseler Straße, offers competitive rates for international calls (10 cents per min to the UK) Some other stores also offer in house phone services. Another easy to reach store that seems reliable is in the Hauptwache subway station. You may also visit one of the plenty Internet cafés, since they almost all offer cheap phone calls via Internet.

Post offices
The postal service in Germany is Deutsche Post. The four easiest-to-reach full-service postal offices are easy to locate:
 * Inside Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (central station) by the long-distance ICE/IC trains; near McDonalds.
 * On Goetheplatz
 * At Frankfurt Süd (i.e., Südbahnhof, Southern Station), take exit Diesterwegplatz and cross the square; the post office is to the left.

Consulates

 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇫🇷 France

Go next

 * Mainz — Gutenberg's home on the Rhine, with a well-preserved old city, 45 min by S-Bahn
 * Wiesbaden — wealthy historic spa city and state capital, 45 minutes by S-Bahn, , or 35 min. by SE10 from Hauptbahnhof
 * Rüdesheim am Rhein — at the southern end of the Rhine Valley and the Rheingau, 73 min by SE10.
 * Darmstadt — former residence of the duchy of Hesse, picturesque old town, art nouveau architecture
 * Bad Homburg — spa town with close by old Roman fort Saalburg that is on the UNESCO heritage list
 * Oberursel — Small city with a picturesque medieval Altstadt (old town area).
 * Bad Nauheim — art nouveau buildings and place where Elvis Presley stayed while in the Army (1958-1960)
 * Heidelberg — with famous castle and charming old town, 55 min by IC.
 * Cologne — home to the Cologne Carnival and a famous cathedral, 1 hour by ICE
 * Middle Rhine Valley — famous section of the Rhine, 1 hr 50 min ICE via Mainz
 * Germersheim — a quiet town inside an impressive fort by the river Rhein, 130 km south of Frankfurt
 * Büdingen — medieval city centre
 * Taunus mountains — If you're keen on hiking, head out to the nearby Taunus mountains, which are laced with walking trails and guesthouses, the Vogelsberg (an extinct volcano), or the Odenwald

title: Frankfurt