Frankfurt Travel Guide for Australians: More Than Just an Airport

Frankfurt is the German city most Australians transit through and fewest actually visit. For the majority of Australians flying to Germany, Frankfurt Airport is the arrival point — and the overwhelming majority collect their bags, join the ICE queue, and are in Munich or Berlin before they have spent a genuine hour in the city.

This is understandable. Frankfurt has a reputation problem — the financial capital of Germany, the city of banks and office towers, the place you go through rather than to. The reputation is not entirely undeserved, but it obscures a city with a fascinating dual identity: a glass and steel financial metropolis on the surface, and underneath it a deeply traditional Rhine-Main city with medieval lanes, apple wine taverns, a remarkable concentration of world-class museums, and a Sachsenhausen quarter that produces one of the most genuinely local neighbourhood experiences in Germany.

This guide is for Australians who have at least one night in Frankfurt — or who decide to give it two or three — and want to see what the city actually is.

Understanding Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt on the Main) is Germany's financial capital — the headquarters of the European Central Bank, the Deutsche Börse (stock exchange), and the German operations of virtually every major global bank. The skyscraper cluster (Bankenviertel) is visible from kilometres away and gives Frankfurt a distinctly un-European skyline — which locals nicknamed Mainhattan for the mid-20th century before it became ironic.

But Frankfurt is also a Goethe city. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — Germany's Shakespeare — was born here in 1749, and his birthplace is a museum still visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. Frankfurt was a Roman settlement (Nida), a Carolingian royal residence, and for centuries the city where Holy Roman Emperors were crowned. It hosted Germany's first attempt at a national parliament in 1848. Its medieval old town (Römerberg) was one of the most beautiful in Germany before destruction in 1944 — and the meticulous reconstruction completed in 2018, when the Neue Altstadt reopened, has returned something remarkable to the cityscape.

This layered identity — modern financial powerhouse over ancient cultural foundation — makes Frankfurt more interesting than its reputation suggests.

How to Get In from the Airport

Frankfurt Airport (Flughafen Frankfurt, FRA) is Germany's largest airport and Europe's third busiest. The connection to the city is exceptionally easy.

S-Bahn: S8 and S9 connect the Airport Regional Station directly to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in approximately 11 minutes. The most practical option. Covered by Deutschlandticket or included in day tickets.

ICE: The Airport Long-Distance Station (separate from the Regional Station — signs direct you) connects Frankfurt Airport directly to Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, and other major German cities. If your final destination is not Frankfurt city, you can bypass the city entirely — but give Frankfurt at least an overnight before doing so.

Taxi: Approximately €30–€40 to the city centre. S-Bahn is faster and significantly cheaper.

The Römerberg and the New Old Town (Neue Altstadt)

The Römerberg is Frankfurt's historic market square — the row of medieval guild houses (the Römer — three stepped-gable facades dating from the 14th–15th centuries forming the city hall complex) and the half-timbered houses of the south side framing a square that has been Frankfurt's civic heart for 600 years.

For most of the 20th century, the Römerberg's medieval buildings were surrounded by postwar reconstruction that bore no relationship to what was destroyed. In 2018, a seven-hectare section of the historic old town was rebuilt — the Neue Altstadt — using historical documentation of the original buildings to reconstruct 35 houses in authentic medieval style. The reconstruction is extraordinary: Gothic and Renaissance facades, timber-framing, oriel windows, and street patterns following the original medieval layout.

Australian perspective: The Neue Altstadt reconstruction is controversial among German architects and urban historians — is it authentic heritage or a "fake historic" environment? For Australians with no stake in the debate, the result is simply beautiful — a medieval urban environment that feels genuine and allows a conversation about what reconstruction means that abstract debates do not.

The Römer: The city hall complex — you can enter the Kaisersaal (Imperial Hall) where a portrait gallery of Holy Roman Emperors lines the walls. This was where German kings were celebrated after coronation in the adjacent Dom.

The Kaiserdom: Frankfurt's Cathedral (Dom St. Bartholomäus), where 10 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned between 1562 and 1792. The Gothic tower is climbable (approximately €3, 328 steps) for panoramic views over the Altstadt rooftops and the modern skyline beyond.

The Sachsenhausen Quarter and Apple Wine (Ebbelwoi)

Cross the Main River on the Eiserner Steg (Iron Bridge) — a pedestrian suspension bridge lined with love locks — and you enter Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt's most characterful neighbourhood. The streets around the Alt-Sachsenhausen core have been producing apple wine (Ebbelwoi in the local dialect, Apfelwein in standard German) since at least the 18th century and possibly earlier, and the traditional cider taverns (Apfelwein Wirtschaften) remain the most authentic Frankfurt dining and drinking experience.

Ebbelwoi: Frankfurt's traditional drink — fermented apple cider, tart and refreshing, served in a grey ceramic pitcher (Bembel) and traditional ribbed glass (Geripptes). Not sweet cider as Australians know it — closer in character to a dry, slightly sour wine. The traditional accompaniment is Handkäse mit Musik (hand cheese with music) — a pungent fresh cheese served with raw onion and caraway vinaigrette. The Musik refers to the digestive effects of the onion combination.

The traditional taverns: Wagner, Dauth-Schneider, and Zum Gemalten Haus are the most respected traditional Apfelwein pubs — long wooden tables, groups sharing pitchers, a social atmosphere that is entirely Frankfurterisch and unlike any other city in Germany.

The Museumsufer: Along the south bank of the Main, a row of museum buildings — the Museumsufer (Museum Embankment) — constitutes one of the world's densest concentrations of museums per kilometre. The Film Museum, the Communication Museum, the Jewish Museum, the German Architecture Museum, the Applied Arts Museum, and several others are all within walking distance along the river.

The Museums

Frankfurt's museum concentration is among the best in Germany — particularly the Städel and the Jewish Museum.

Städel Museum: One of Germany's finest art museums — 700 years of European painting from Botticelli to Rembrandt to Monet to Picasso. The modern and contemporary wing was added underground in 2012 with skylights embedded in the lawn above. Goethe's portrait by Tischbein, Vermeer's The Geographer, and an extraordinary collection of German Romanticism are the highlights. Allow 3–4 hours.

Jewish Museum Frankfurt (Jüdisches Museum): Frankfurt had one of Germany's most significant and long-established Jewish communities before the Holocaust. The main museum documents this history — from the medieval Judengasse (Jewish Lane) through to the Nazi period. The accompanying Rothschild Palais next door covers the history of the city's Jewish community from 1800 to the present. One of Germany's most comprehensive Jewish cultural history museums.

Museum of Modern Art (Museum für Moderne Kunst, MMK): Contemporary international art in a triangular building nicknamed Tortenstück (pie slice) by Frankfurters. Strong collection including Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, and significant German contemporary works.

Goethe House (Goethe-Haus): The house where Goethe was born in 1749 and grew up — restored to 18th-century conditions with original furniture and his childhood books. For visitors with any engagement with German literature, the immediate physical connection with Goethe's origin is affecting.

The Skyline and the Bankenviertel

Frankfurt's skyscraper district is unique in Germany — no other German city has anything comparable to the Commerzbank Tower (259m), the Messeturm, the Eurotower, and the dozen other towers that make Frankfurt's skyline look like Manhattan seen through a European lens.

Main Tower observation deck: The only Frankfurt skyscraper with a public observation deck (€10, open until midnight in summer). 200 metres up, 360-degree views across the city, the Main River, and on clear days the Taunus Hills to the north and the Odenwald forests to the south. Evening views across the illuminated skyline are genuinely spectacular.

The European Central Bank: The ECB's new headquarters (Europäische Zentralbank) — a soaring glass tower in the Ostend district, opened 2015. The building sits on the former Frankfurt wholesale market (the Großmarkthalle, a spectacular 1928 iron and concrete market hall now used as the ECB staff canteen — occasionally open for tours). The most physically significant building in European monetary history.

Practical Frankfurt

Getting around: Frankfurt's S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and tram network is excellent. The city centre is walkable — the Römerberg, the Museumsufer, and Sachsenhausen form a triangle accessible entirely on foot.

Where to stay: Sachsenhausen: Best neighbourhood character, excellent taverns, 15-minute walk to the Römerberg. Altstadt/Innenstadt: Maximum sightseeing convenience. Bahnhofsviertel (Station District): Immediately around the Hauptbahnhof — convenient but the area has rough edges, particularly at night. Fine for a one-night transit stay.

Where to eat: Traditional Frankfurt: Apfelwein taverns in Sachsenhausen (Wagner, Dauth-Schneider) Modern Frankfurt: The Berger Straße in Bornheim for independent restaurants Markets: Kleinmarkthalle — Frankfurt's covered daily food market, one of Germany's best

Frankfurt as a Day Trip Base

Frankfurt's ICE connections make it one of the best base cities in Germany for day trips:

• Heidelberg: 50 minutes
• Cologne: 1 hour
• Würzburg (Romantic Road): 1 hour
• Mainz and Rhine Valley: 35–40 minutes
• Luxembourg City: 2 hours
• Strasbourg, France: 2 hours

For Australians who fly into Frankfurt and need a base for exploring western and central Germany, it is genuinely one of Europe's best-positioned hub cities.

German Phrases for Frankfurt

Wo ist der Römerberg? — Where is the Römerberg? Ich möchte Ebbelwoi probieren. — I would like to try apple wine. Haben Sie einen Tisch im Freien? — Do you have an outdoor table? Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Ebbelwoi und normalem Wein? — What is the difference between apple wine and normal wine? Wann schließt die Städel? — When does the Städel close? Wie komme ich zum Sachsenhausen? — How do I get to Sachsenhausen? Gibt es eine Führung durch die Neue Altstadt? — Is there a guided tour of the New Old Town? Das Stadtbild von oben ist beeindruckend. — The cityscape from above is impressive. Wann fährt der S-Bahn zum Flughafen? — When does the S-Bahn to the airport run? Empfehlen Sie das Museum? — Do you recommend the museum?

When to Go

April–June: Frankfurt's most pleasant weather — outdoor dining on the Museumsufer, the Main riverside beaches beginning, the Römerberg in good light. Excellent timing.

August: The Museumsuferfest (Museum Embankment Festival) — Germany's largest cultural festival, held over three days with 3 million visitors, live music, and food stalls along both banks of the Main. Extraordinary atmosphere.

December: Frankfurt's Christmas market at Römerberg — one of Germany's oldest and most beautiful, running since the 14th century.

How Long Do You Need?

1 night (the transit option): Sachsenhausen apple wine evening, Römerberg morning. Minimum worthwhile. 2 days: Add the Städel, the Neue Altstadt properly, the Main Tower evening, and a museum. A proper Frankfurt visit. 3 days: Base for day trips to Heidelberg or Rhine Valley plus full city exploration.

Summary

Frankfurt deserves at least one genuine night and preferably two. The Neue Altstadt reconstruction is extraordinary, the Städel is one of Germany's finest art museums, the Sachsenhausen apple wine taverns offer an entirely local experience available nowhere else in Germany, and the city's ICE connections make it one of Europe's best day trip bases. The financial city reputation is real but it sits above a much more interesting Frankfurt that most Australians arrive and leave without ever finding.

Related reading: The Romantic Road Germany — Australian Guide | Rhine Valley Germany — Australian Guide | Getting Around Germany by Train