Things to Do in Frankfurt: Itineraries, Costs and Food

The medieval-looking old town square was rebuilt after wartime destruction, most of what you're seeing is reconstruction rather than surviving original architecture. Still worth the hour.

One of Germany's strongest art collections, spanning medieval to contemporary. The Thursday evening extended hours are a good way to avoid daytime crowds.

Modest compared to Cologne's cathedral, but its tower is one of the few spots to see the old town and the skyscraper skyline in the same frame.

A cluster of museums along the south bank of the Main, the Städel is the standout but the Liebieghaus sculpture collection and German Film Museum are worth a stop if you have the afternoon.

One of the few skyscrapers in the financial district with public rooftop access. The view over Mainhattan is the reason to go up, not the exhibits inside.

Frankfurt's answer to a beer garden district, but with apple wine instead. Go for dinner and stay for a drink rather than treating it as a sightseeing stop.

Old-town district south of the Main built around apple wine, known locally as Ebbelwei or Äppler, served from a grey-blue ceramic Bembel jug into ridged glasses called Gerippte. A genuine local tradition rather than a tourist invention, though a few taverns closest to the main strip lean into the tourist crowd. Worth doing once regardless.

A cluster of museums along the Main riverbank including the Städel art museum, with a collection spanning seven centuries, and the Senckenberg Natural History Museum with fossils and dinosaur skeletons. An established, reliably good cluster rather than a trendy pick, and noticeably less crowded than equivalent museum districts in bigger European cities.

An open-air observation deck on the 56th floor of a central skyscraper, giving a panoramic view of Frankfurt's skyline, unusual for a German city, and the Main river below. A legitimately good view for the price. It occasionally closes for private events, so check opening status for the day before planning around it.

One of Germany's largest botanical gardens, opened in 1871, with more than 13,000 plant species arranged by geographic origin. A calm break from the financial-district skyline. Also runs a winter lights display in the cold months, though that's outside a September visit window.

An annual market spread across Römerberg, Paulsplatz, the Mainkai riverbank, Hauptwache, Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz and Roßmarkt, with over 200 stalls and more than 3 million visitors a year, running November 23 to December 22, 2026. One of Germany's oldest and largest Christmas markets, a real recurring fixture and not a pop-up, but it will not be running for a September visit. Included as a heads-up for anyone planning a return trip later in the year.

A museum on the riverbank covering centuries of Jewish history in the city, with exhibitions drawing on Frankfurt's long-standing Jewish community. A solid, substantive stop if you want more than architecture and shopping streets, less known to casual tourists than the Städel.

A tart, still cider that is Frankfurt's answer to beer, traditionally mixed with sparkling water. Ask for it gespritzt if you want it diluted, pur if you do not.

A cold sauce of seven fresh herbs, sour cream and boiled egg, served over boiled potatoes and beef. Goethe reportedly loved it; it remains a genuine local staple rather than a marketing line.

A pungent, translucent cheese marinated in vinegar, oil and onions, served with dark bread. The name, cheese with music, refers to the digestive aftermath; order it if you are curious rather than squeamish.

The original, legally defined Frankfurter, a thin pork sausage boiled rather than grilled, distinct from the American hot dog it inspired. Order it with mustard and bread, not a bun.

Cured pork ribs served with sauerkraut, a heartier counterpart to the vinegary Grune Sosse dishes that dominate the same apple wine tavern menus across Sachsenhausen.

A covered market hall with butchers, cheesemongers and small international food stalls, good for a fast lunch between meetings in the city's finance district.

Halal ramen, wok and matcha spot in the city center, self service, described as Frankfurt's only dedicated halal ramen restaurant. Solid, not just hype. A real differentiator if you want ramen and care about halal, less essential otherwise.

Frankfurt's station district, now a mixed food neighborhood: Middle Eastern, Israeli, Indian, Eritrean, alongside old German taverns, cheaper than the tourist core. More durable than any single shop. Built up over years, not a one season spike.

Low waste vegetarian and vegan fine dining in a former pharmacy, capped at 25 guests, open since early 2026. The best reviewed Frankfurt opening of the year and a sustainability pitch the FAZ took seriously. Small room, so book well ahead.

Levantine restaurant inside the Kennedy 89 hotel in Sachsenhausen, opened spring 2026 alongside a rooftop bar. Hotel restaurants are usually forgettable. This one got covered on its cooking rather than its view, which is a good sign.

First German branch of a hand pulled noodle soup shop, opened February 2026 and hyped before it served a bowl. Coverage has thinned since the opening rush, so treat the buzz with some caution. The noodles are the draw and the room is not.

Sushi counter that opened June 2026 serving a 25 course omakase with no printed menu, chef decides everything. Frankfurt didn't have a proper omakase counter before this. Expect a long sitting and no ability to skip courses you dislike.