18 Best Things to Do and See in Frankfurt am Main
Exploring Frankfurt am Main on foot is one of the best ways to feel the city’s atmosphere, connect its landmark places and discover its neighbourhoods at a more natural pace.
In this guide, you will find the attractions not to miss when planning a walking route in Frankfurt am Main, with simple reference points.
To go further, you can also enjoy a private guided tour in Frankfurt am Main. It is a smoother way to connect places, understand details you might miss on your own and enjoy a more human, personal discovery adapted to your trip.
1. Römerberg
In the heart of Frankfurt am Main, Römerberg is the old town's most iconic historic square. Discover a large cobbled plaza lined with reconstructed half-timbered houses, picturesque façades, and buildings that reflect the city's past. The square is also home to the Römer town hall, known for its traditional architecture. Popular with visitors, Römerberg offers a lively atmosphere, with terraces, walks, and a chance to explore Frankfurt's historic centre.
2. Iron Bridge
The Iron Bridge in Frankfurt am Main offers a beautiful crossing over the Main River and open views of the city center and river quays. This pedestrian bridge is loved for its panoramas and urban atmosphere, linking two lively banks where you can watch boats, walkers and the city’s modern buildings. It is also a pleasant place to stop, take photos and discover Frankfurt from a calmer perspective, blending heritage, river views and local life.
3. Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden in Frankfurt am Main is a pleasant place to discover a wide variety of plants in a peaceful setting in the heart of the city. This botanical garden invites visitors to stroll among flowerbeds, remarkable trees and carefully maintained plant collections. People come here both to admire the botanical diversity and to enjoy a relaxing green escape. Depending on the season, colors and blooms renew the experience and offer a beautiful glimpse into the richness of the plant world.
4. Städel Museum
Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main is one of Germany’s great art museums. Set on the banks of the Main River, it offers a rich journey through centuries of creativity, with paintings, drawings, sculptures and graphic art. Visitors can discover both old masters and modern and contemporary artists in bright, well-organized galleries. Its varied collection provides an engaging overview of European art history.
5. St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral of Frankfurt
St. Bartholomew's Cathedral, also known as the Kaiserdom, is one of Frankfurt am Main's most remarkable religious buildings. This Catholic church stands out for its Gothic silhouette, slender tower and solemn interior, with beautiful stained glass, high vaults and a peaceful atmosphere. Located in the heart of the historic center, it appeals to architecture lovers and travelers who want to discover the city's heritage. A must-see stop on a cultural visit to Frankfurt.
6. Goethe House
Goethe-Haus in Frankfurt am Main is a must-see for discovering Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s world in the house where he grew up. This museum features carefully reconstructed rooms, period furniture, and objects from bourgeois daily life, offering a vivid glimpse into the atmosphere of the 18th-century home. Visitors also explore spaces devoted to the famous writer’s work in an intimate setting that sheds light on his origins and family background. It is an ideal cultural stop for understanding the city and its literary heritage.
7. Senckenberg Museum
Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main is one of Germany's leading natural history museums, popular both as a tourist attraction and a research center. Discover extensive collections on biodiversity, fossils, dinosaurs, taxidermied animals, minerals and the evolution of life. Its halls offer an engaging journey through the natural world, from extinct life forms to living species. It is an excellent visit for families, science lovers and curious travelers of all ages.
8. Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt
The Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is one of Frankfurt am Main’s major art venues, dedicated to temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Visitors can discover a wide variety of projects, often focused on major artists, artistic movements, or dialogues between painting, photography, sculpture, and installations. Without a permanent collection, the Kunsthalle regularly renews its program, making every visit different and inspiring. Its contemporary architecture and central location in the heart of the city also make it a popular cultural stop for understanding today’s art scene.
9. Frankfurter Römer
The Frankfurter Römer is one of Frankfurt am Main’s most iconic sights. In the heart of the old town, this gabled building complex forms a historic square loved by visitors. Discover traditional architecture, picturesque façades, and a lively atmosphere that reflects the city’s historic center. It is also a perfect starting point to explore nearby streets, shops, cafés, and other heritage sites in Frankfurt, in a highly photogenic setting.
10. German Film Museum
The German Film Museum in Frankfurt am Main offers a fascinating dive into the world of cinema, from its origins to its most contemporary forms. Discover collections devoted to film history, shooting techniques, visual effects, editing and filmmaking professions. The venue also houses archives and photo and video resources, making it a rich cultural center for curious visitors and film lovers alike. The exhibitions explore how moving images are created, preserved and shared.
11. Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt am Main is dedicated to modern art and showcases major works from the 20th century and more recent creation. Visitors can discover paintings, sculptures, installations, and other forms of expression that reflect the diversity of artistic languages. The whole experience highlights the dialogue between the works and the exhibition spaces, in a museum that is a key part of Frankfurt’s cultural landscape. Located at Domstraße 10, the MMK is an important stop among the city’s art institutions.
12. New Old Town
New Old Town offers a walk through a reconstructed historic quarter in the heart of Frankfurt am Main. Discover narrow lanes, facades inspired by old architecture and newer buildings integrated into the traditional street plan. Near the cathedral and Römerberg, it offers a pedestrian-scale view of how old Frankfurt has been reimagined today.
13. Deutsches Romantik Museum (DRM)
The Deutsches Romantik-Museum in Frankfurt am Main offers an immersion into German Romanticism through manuscripts, objects and period documents. The museum highlights the movement's major themes, including sensibility, imagination, nature and the role of the individual. Its exhibition also explores the links between literature, the arts and ideas. Located on Großer Hirschgraben, it plays an important role in presenting Frankfurt's cultural heritage and in understanding a major current in German culture.
14. Museum Judengasse
Museum Judengasse reveals the history of Frankfurt am Main’s former Jewish quarter through archaeological remains and historical displays. Visitors can explore traces of a vanished urban area and understand how the Jewish community lived, organized itself, and shaped the city. The museum brings together objects, foundations, and documents to restore the memory of a key place in Frankfurt’s heritage.
15. Frankfurt Feldbahnmuseum e.V.
Frankfurt Feldbahnmuseum e.V. offers a chance to discover a specialist railway heritage focused on the narrow-gauge lines used in industrial activities. Visitors can see locomotives, wagons, and track equipment that reflect an internal transport system essential to construction sites, quarries, and workshops. In Frankfurt am Main, this museum provides a precise look at a technical side of local history, far from the classic mainline railways.
16. Frankfurter Kunstverein
Frankfurter Kunstverein is a contemporary art space showcasing temporary exhibitions focused on current creation. Located at Markt 44 in central Frankfurt am Main, it is a key part of the city’s cultural life.
17. TOWER MMK
TOWER MMK offers a distinctive take on modern and contemporary art in Frankfurt am Main, in a building that stands out immediately for its vertical presence in the heart of the city. The venue is linked to Museum MMK and its focus on 20th- and 21st-century art. Visitors discover a dialogue between the works on display, the architectural space, and the surrounding urban landscape. This setting creates a museum experience different from a classic gallery, with special attention to the city context and the identity of central Frankfurt.
18. ZOLLAMT MMK
ZOLLAMT MMK is an exhibition space linked to Frankfurt am Main’s Museum of Modern Art. Located at Domstraße 3, it occupies a building whose former administrative use still shapes its identity. Visitors can discover temporary exhibitions and contemporary art in a more intimate setting than a large museum. It offers a focused way to experience the MMK program, with works in dialogue with the space and Frankfurt’s city-center cultural setting.
Antony M
During my travels, I looked for guides who spoke my language. This search turned out to be long and tedious. That is why I created MYTOGU (My Tourist Guide): a matching site between tourists and professional tourist guides.
