CityGuide Frankfurt/Main

Frankfurt on the Main is famous for its eminent finance centre and trade fair. Many banks including the European Central Bank and the German Central Bank have their main seat here. The skyline is reminiscent of an American city; indeed, many skyscrapers are some of the highest buildings in Europe. The cultural scene is just as metropolitan, Frankfurt featuring 60 exhibition spaces as well as the Museumsufer where the Städel is situated, an acclaimed art museum housing paintings from the Middle Ages though to the modern age as well as sculptures and graphics. Furthermore, the museum of architecture, the film museum and the Jewish museum are well worth visiting whilst numerous galleries and the Städel school add to the city’s vibrant art scene. Frankfurt also has 20 theatres in which 30 independent ensembles perform. The Frankfurt opera has been named “Opera of the Year” several times in the last years, the Frankfurt playhouse has become one of the most eminent Brecht theatres in Germany and the concert hall of the old opera is a popular venue for prominent conductors. Frankfurt’s book fair is the largest in the world with more than 7000 exhibiting companies and over 280,000 visitors annually, culminating in the bestowal of the Peace Prize of German Bookselling in the Paulskirche. Clearly, Frankfurt is not just a dull number crunching city, having much more to offer visitors both in terms of art and culture.