Frankfurt the Mainhattan of Germany

Frankfurt is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Is the 5th largest city of Germany and is also known as ‘Mainhattan’, since it is located along the river Maine and has some striking skyscrapers. The actual meaning is “fort of the Franks” was given the name by Charlemagne, who was the King of the Franks, he ruled over parts of modern France and Germany in the middle ages. After winning the battle between the Saxons, he decided to commemorate his victory and named the place the ‘Fort of the Franks’ or Frankfurt.

Things to do:

1. Walk next to the Rhine River. One of the major European rivers, and has its sources in Switzerland and flows in a mostly northerly direction through Germany and the Netherlands, emptying into the North Sea.

2. Cross the Eiserner Steg, Frankfurt’s iron Footbridge which connects the Römerberg and Sachsenhausen. As my main language is Greek I was surprised to see an inscription written in ancient Greek, The inscription reads “ΠΛΕΩΝ ΕΠΙ ΟΙΝΟΠΑ ΠΟΝΤΟΝ ΕΠ ΑΛΛΟΘΡΟΟΥΣ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥΣ” (Pleon epi ynopa ponton ep alothrous) which translates to “while sailing over the wine-dark sea to men of strange speech”. The bridge has been rebuilt twice, the first time in 1912 when the Main was made navigable to larger boats, and again after the Nazis blew it up in the last days of the Second World War.

3. The Eiserner Steg has also been taken over by the fashion for love locks, which are fastened to every available surface.

4. Visit the MAIN Tower, you can go up to the 55th floor highest vantage point.

5. Did you know that Frankfurt is the capital of Hot Dog? YES, it is! You should definitely try!

6. Bartholomew's Cathedral (Dom Sankt Bartholomäus) is a Gothic building that was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries. The cathedral has been faithfully rebuilt twice: Once after a fire in 1867 and then in the 1950s after the war.

7. The Old Opera House (Alte Oper) was built in 1880. Until the late 1970s, it was nicknamed ‘Germany's Most Beautiful Ruin’. Due to public pressure, it was finally fully reconstructed and reopened in 1981. Today it functions as a concert hall.

8. You can’t go to Frankfurt without visiting the Römerberg. Despite extensive damage from bombardment during World War II, Römerberg’s unique architecture has been painstakingly restored. This iconic square is home to a host of delights, from picturesque medieval buildings to historic markets. At the heart of the Altstadt - Frankfurt’s old town - you'll find the Römerberg, one of the city's most familiar attractions.

9. If you enjoy nature you should visit the botanical garden “Palmengarten” which opened in 1871, sweeps across 22 hectares, where plant species from all parts of the globe are displayed in greenhouses or the open-air.

10. The New - Old Town is the center of the old town of Frankfurt. Due to the heavy bombing of Frankfurt in World War II with many timber-framed buildings, most of the city's old town was destroyed. The efforts to rebuild parts of it began in the 1950s.