Frankfurt Germany -- 12 Insider Tips By Marcus Hochstadt

In the city with its international airport 650,000 humans live. It is a very modern large city and became the ' turntable of Europe '. In Frankfurt important industrial enterprises and wholesale dealer are resident like also many banks. Not only the German Federal Bank, but also the European Central Bank (ECB) resides here.

Famous ‘Kaiserdom’ (emperor cathedral), which documents loved 'Roemerberg’ (Roman mountain) and the historical ' Paulskirche ', in which the first freely selected German parliament met, besides the political meaning of this fascinating city.

Yes, Frankfurt is a metropolis and full surprises as well as contrasts. Skyscrapers are directly apart from half timbered houses; culture and commerce form here a unit. In addition, Frankfurt is a fair city, a literature city and above all a culture city: here the cradle of the German jazz scene with many small music taverns, in which you cannot only ease, is appropriate but also into the night much fun to have canned. The moreover one you find many museums.

Frankfurt, because of its skyline also ' Mainhattan ' mentioned, is a large city in the country, between the mountain courses by ‘Taunus’ and ‘Spessart’ and surrounded by a wreath/ring of world-well-known health resorts, popular holidays areas and trip goals.

In the following I will give you 12 insider tips. Before I do it however you do the following: print out this side, so that you have it immediately available, if you come to Frankfurt. It is nearly impossible, everything that I wrote here to keep in the head and it would be unfortunate, if you are in Frankfurt and get to face only the 'normal' points of interest.

Besides that after your arrival you should go immediately to the tourist information. It is in downtown, near the 'Roemer'. The road calls itself 'Auf dem Roemerberg' (on the Rome mountain) and the telephone number is: +49-69-21238800. Ask them for a city map. Without a city map you will lose yourself in this big city, and with the city map you will find everything I mention here.

Bars and restaurants

1. One of the best cocktail bars in Frankfurt is the ‘Strandperle’ (beach bead). Particularly the Caipirinha is unique! In the summer the bar surface expands to a terrace café high over to the river 'Main'.

2. The smallest jazz restaurant of Germany is the 'Mampf'. Since more than 30 years there are free concerts to German meals. Apart from jazz also Blues, Swing, Latin and Flamenco are played. Simply enjoy the good mood and fun inheres.

3. One of the few popular apple wine restaurants with yard garden is the 'Lorsbacher Tal'. It is in the quarter 'Alt-Sachsenhausen’ (old axle living) and has a very cosy ambience and solid German meals.

4. The restaurant 'Pilar' is at the same time a bar. Fine noodles, salads and original Mediterranean creations will be served. On the side panels of the restaurant hang sumptuous baroque paintings, which offer an interesting contrast to the simple Design of bar, leather seat and wood table.

5. In the elevated ‘Villa Merton' (Mansion Merton) you find meals of the all-finest. If it permits your travel budget, go here. The employees speak English and recommend to you gladly the specialities of the house.

Sightseeing and culture

6. In the Goethe house and Goethe museum Goethe was born in the year 1749. He lived here until 1775. The house was outstanding reconstructed and contains paintings, handwriting and diagrams of the large German poet.

7. On the 'Roemerberg’ (Roman mountain) regularly highlights and meetings take place. It is a long stretched, five-angular place and is gladly visited by humans. At this place is the 'Frankfurter Roemer’ (Frankfurt Romans), the famous city hall of the city. It was reconstructed after the war. In the festival room of the Roemer pictures of German emperors are to be admired.

8. In the 'Pauluskirche' (Paulus church), which was established between 1787 and 1833, the first German national assembly met in 1848. It is a place of historical building method and historiography.

9. The 'Senckenberg Museum’ is the largest scientific museum in Germany. You find here a descriptive collection of approximately 500,000 exhibits, which arrange for you an overview of the development of our animated nature over millions of years. It is simply impressing.

10. The 'Palmengarten’ (palm garden) shows a domestic, tropical and subtropical Flora. The emphases of the 20 hectares large park are over 300 orchids, ‘Bromelien’ and about 1,600 different cactus species. Concerts also often take place here.

11. In the 'Frankfurt Zoo' approximately 6,000 animals (650 kinds) live together in extensive outdoor installations and houses. If animals interest you, you must go here. Plan however at least five hours for your attendance.

12. When it becomes evening, you absolutely MUST go to the 'Berger Strasse’ (Berger road)! On 2 km (1.3 miles) you find taverns, Bars, Cafés and restaurants for each taste! Here you surely will NOT become boring. If I am in Frankfurt, this road is a must for me, again and again.

Enjoy your trip!

Marcus Hochstadt has travelled extensively to countries and continents like the USA, Brazil, Thailand, Africa and, of course, Europe. In Germany itself he knows in almost each city the points of REAL interest and gives you insider shortcuts on his daily growing website http://www.smart-travel-germany.com. Watch out for his free valuable "Help-By-Step" System and its 6 uncovered secrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Hochstadt

September 7, 2001- We’re headed for Belgium this morning to Bouillon Castle which is an untouched medieval fortress. This castle passed through many hands- not all of them royal. Booty stripped from Bouillon fueled many crusades but was kept as prison and fortress for almost six centuries by Prince-Bishops.

Bouillon, I’ve discovered, is not a beauty but looking at the stonework and viewing its rugged appearance- plus its longevity is an awesome experience! It’s raining here which is adding to the somber feeling of the castle. I have taken a photo of the statue of Godefroid, situated just outside the entrance on a sloping hill and the Latin inscription above the archway at the real gate. I get the same feeling here that I felt at Mont St. Michel, even though Bouillon is dwarf-like in comparison. The local guide showed us through every bit of the interior- the shallow, narrow prison cells (tomb-like) and the torture chamber replete with the actual torture devices. I slid through those areas as fast as I could, my imagination works too well for that sort of dallying!!

We’re now headed for the capital of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, for a very brief foray. Lucy has said we’ll only be there for two hours which isn’t long but because the Grand Duchy was and is still seated there she probably felt that we should at least view some of the public structures there.

We went directly to the Cathedral of Our Lady (Notre Dame) Luxembourg after viewing the great gorge skirted by Alzette and Petrusse Rivers, beneath the sandstone Chemin de la Corniche, the city. I took a great photo of the gorge and Charlotte Bridge that spans across River Alzette. The cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was only a short walk away. We entered through a modern portal but the interior was a restored masterpiece. There are several crypts here which include the Grand-Ducal family, including John the Blind. Had we gone into the main portal, which is the north entrance on Notre Dame Street, we would’ve seen the oldest part of it (dating back to 1613-14) which is in an elaborate early baroque-Renaissance style. An art guide was offered for a donation which has great photos and detailed ground plans of the interior. The stained-glass, paintings and painted stellar vaulted ceilings were the most tasteful I’ve seen so far. It was well worth the visit.

After that we visited Old Town and Lucy and Collin briefly showed us the Palais Grand-Ducal (from the outside). We were left to our own whims for less than an hour. I took it upon myself to do a little souvenir and personal shopping, and encountered small shopkeepers who spoke Italian, German, French and English by turns! I found a great birthday card for Eva, my German pen-pal whom I plan to rendezvous with somewhere in Germany.

We’re back on the bus and headed for Trier, Germany which is where we will stay tonight. We’ll take in downtown Trier, which Collin says is the oldest town in Germany. In Trier, Collin has taken us to an old, old roman edifice which officially is Porta Nigra. It’s the most visited edifice in Trier although there are castles- one only a short distance away from Porta Nigra but we didn’t visit it.

Instead we were again given free reign on the Hauptmarkt. There was a church on one end (St. Gangolf) that some of the group went inside to tour. I have opted out of that and here I sit al fresco at one of the restaurants eating chicken schnitzel with herbal tea and fries. I was hungry- what can I say?!

At the Tulip Inn they had a fax waiting for me from Eva (my German pen-pal). She wrote, “It would be great if we could meet each other in Rothenburg on Sunday”, in part.

September 8, 2001- Our main destination today is to see Heidelberg Castle but we are currently headed for St. Goar, which is a half way point on the Rhine to take a boat cruise. Collin said this cruise will end at Bacharach Castle.

Rheinfels Castle was just above where we started and we had a brief shopping trip in a “Christmas” shop, many of which are rather plentiful and popular in Germany. I bought a hoodie there with the Germany coat-of-arms on it. At the top level of the boat they call out the different sights. The castles an sight we took in were Lorelei Rock, Burg Rheinfels, Schoenberg, Burg Gutenfels and Die Pfalz (which is on an island in the Rhine) and lastly Bacharach with Ruine Nollig on the other side. I think doing a full cruise down the Rhine would be the most fun.

After a brief stop for lunch at a simple rest-stop we are back on the tour bus. The youngest member of our group, Jamie, won a cuckoo-clock at St. Goar and everyone is trying to trick him out of it. Poor kid!

Heidelberg Castle is an architectural masterpiece- even though a good part of it is in ruins. Most of what tourists eyeball is restored. The city itself is very picturesque (the vaulted bridge that spans the river right next to the red-walled castle completes the ambient-looking atmosphere) and surprisingly serene.

In 1815 the Tsar of Russia, the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia met in Heidelberg and formed a ‘holy alliance’ against Napoleon because they believed he was the anti-christ. This was a very important stronghold, counting among its aristocracy, Prince Elector Otto Heinrich, Friedrich I, Ruprecht I among many others.

When we walked into the belvedere entrance of the courtyard I spied many different examples of architecture spanning medieval, renaissance and German baroque. Friedrichsbau- where sixteen statues of the princes decorate the face- was my favorite exterior. The different examples were in wings very much like the wings of Blois Castle in Loire Valley. I skipped the interior tour and checked out the exterior that one sees from the city, Scheffel (or Great Castle) terrace, and took a great photo of the town that takes in the Heiliggeistkirche which we checked out later. That area of Old Town dominates an outdoor market of fruit sellers and small item stalls. Tonight we’re staying at the Walkerhof here in Heidelberg.

September 9, 2001- Today we’re Rothenburg bound. I will meet up with Eva and Hans-Jurgen, also. We enter through the Siebers Tower to go to the large square at Fremdenverkehrsburo (Tourist info office), at Rathaus and Market Square. I met up with them in the square and we walked all around the city looking in the shops and restaurants and chatting all the way.

Eventually we chose a nice cozy restaurant and sat down to a good German meal. Eva and I have written to each other since we were teenagers but this was our first meeting and I think we were amazed that we could just sit and chat like old friends. Hans-Jurgen I think was also fascinated by it I’m sure. I haven’t corresponded with him although he had read my entire poetry book and apparently he was in awe that I could just sit and talk with his wife like he would himself. Perhaps it was a bit unnerving to him as well!

Rothenburg rather than being a castle in the traditional sense is a fortified, re-built medieval town which was destroyed in WWII but resurrected and completely reconstructed. Today it is a miraculous German treasure, surrounded by a wall and tall square towers. Roeder Gate and the White Tower are contrasting and magnificent. The inside of Kobolzell Gate is the most well-known view of Rothenburg. What you definitely shouldn’t miss- the German Christmas Museum and Doll and Toy Museum. Eva took me through them and I’ve never had my eyes dazzled like that ever. If Christmas has become a big humbug for you – these museums just might bring your old Christmas Spirit back.

I said farewells to Hans-Jurgen, Eva and Sina (their lovely German shepherd puppy!) at the square and rejoined my tour group. This was the most magical day I spent on the tour because the town is like a living, breathing fairytale and it was wonderful to meet Eva and her husband after writing for so many years. This day was history making, in which my dreams came true!

Next month: The Koenigschlosser of Bavaria, Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenschiemsee Castles

I hope you have enjoyed reading issue 21.

If you have any suggestions or comments about any part of the newsletter then please feel free to contact me.

As always, if you have a story,photos or questions you wish to ask or share with our readers then please email me and I will be happy to include them in our next edition.

All submissions should reach me by no later than the 20th of November