About Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment and culture. There are quite some famous attraction. Attractions that are certainly worth seeing are:
Goethehaus
This is the house where Goethe was born on 28th August 1749. It is a typical example of how people lived in the late baroque period. The house was completely destroyed in the Second World War but it was restored to its original condition between 1946-51. Most of the objects that are on display didn't belong to the Goethe family, but they are from the same period. It's also worth taking a trip to the adjoining Goethe Museum, which was recently renovated and contains both a library and a bookshop.
Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church) The Paulskirche became famous as an important meeting place. Built to replace the Barfüßerkirche (Church of the Barefooted), it was opened in 1833, the construction work began in 1789. The first freely-elected German parliament sat there in 1848. Destroyed in an air-raid in 1944, the church was rebuilt in 1947/48 as a memorial to the horrors of war. The simple hall now provides a venue for important events such as the annual German Peace Prize ceremony and the City of Frankfurt's Goethepreis awards. Both are dedicated to civil rights. Henninger Turm This white, 120 metre-high silo was built in 1961 by the Henninger brewery to store barley. As such, it is the tallest brewery in Germany. 761 steps lead up to the viewing platform which offers fine views of the city and the surrounding countryside. A restaurant is located in the tower along with a small museum devoted to the history of brewing. The Henninger Turm is also known for the yearly cycling event in May, the name of this contest is Rund um den Henninger Turm and top cyclists participate.
Alte Oper The Old Opera House still looks as magnificent and imposing as it did in 1880, when it was inaugurated in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm I. The building was financed by wealthy Frankfurt citizens and was built in Italian Renaissance style by Richard Lucae. It was completely destroyed in an air raid in 1944. It was rebuilt between 1964 and 1981, and was renamed 'Old Opera Concert and Conference Centre'. The rebuilding of the opera house was again financed by the citizens of Frankfurt. The main hall has seating for about 2,500 people. This is the central part of the building and is used for concerts, conferences or smaller events. There are also other rooms, these rooms enable a number of functions to take place at the same time.
Frankfurter Börse
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE) is the world's third largest stock market. It is also the largest stock exchange in Germany. The forerunner of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was established in the 16th century. The current stock exchange stems from 1879 when it was built to replace the old building next to the Paulskirche.
Main Tower
Main Tower is one of Frankfurt's most famous buildings. It is 200 meters high. You can visit the Main Tower's spectacular observation platform, from where guests are presented with a fascinating bird's eye view of Frankfurt. It is the first bank skyscraper to open its doors to the citizens of Frankfurt and visitors to the city.
Frankfurt Zoo (Zoologischer Garten Frankfurt/Main)
Situated on just 13 hectares, Frankfurt's typical city zoo shows a variety of very rare and special species, and some unique buildings. Frankfurt zoo today presents some 4500 animals from 560 species and is attended by 800.000 visitors annually. Frankfurt zoo is amongst the oldest in the world, being founded in 1858. It was founded by citizens of the then fast growing city of Frankfurt. All was destroyed in a single night on 18 March 1944. All buildings, except for the bear castle, were bombed to the basement, as was most of Frankfurt. After the Second World War the Zoo was slowly rebuilt. Restricted by space and money, Frankfurt Zoo had to pass the status of a pioneer zoo on to parks with better possibilities of development. The zoo is limited in its possibilities of development in terms of space and funding, but it is still one of the most important zoos in Europe.