Frankfurt - 5 hr. layover
#2
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5 hours isn't a lot since you'll have to go back through security. One possibility: If you have any interest in Holocaust memorials and it's a nice day, there is a Holocaust memorial wood about a 10-minute cab ride from the airport--on the northern edge of the town of Walldorf. The town borders the southern side of airport.
It was a workcamp for Hungarian Jewish women. They were assigned to upgrade the airport's runways for use by the jet aircraft Germany produced at the end of the war.
There is not much left of the camp itself--a few foundations and steps. Some schoolchildren from Walldorf found the site several years ago and researched it as a class project. It ended up being turned into a memorial wood.
There is a walking path through the woods with numbered markers along the way telling the story of the women, where they came from, what they did at the airport, where they ended up as they were moved around at the very end of the war (most died). There are copies of women's letters, quotes from interviews with survivors, etc.
It's not as visually impressive as more well preserved camps, but my wife and I were both moved to tears as we followed the story of these women and the horrors they experienced in what is now a peaceful and pleasant little wood.
It's accessed via Nordendstrasse in northern Walldorf. Just a few feet east of the intersection with Farmstrasse, there's a little road that goes north into the woods. That's where the memorial starts.
Doesn't take long to see, but if you've got some time left over at the airport, it's not a bad way to spend it.
It was a workcamp for Hungarian Jewish women. They were assigned to upgrade the airport's runways for use by the jet aircraft Germany produced at the end of the war.
There is not much left of the camp itself--a few foundations and steps. Some schoolchildren from Walldorf found the site several years ago and researched it as a class project. It ended up being turned into a memorial wood.
There is a walking path through the woods with numbered markers along the way telling the story of the women, where they came from, what they did at the airport, where they ended up as they were moved around at the very end of the war (most died). There are copies of women's letters, quotes from interviews with survivors, etc.
It's not as visually impressive as more well preserved camps, but my wife and I were both moved to tears as we followed the story of these women and the horrors they experienced in what is now a peaceful and pleasant little wood.
It's accessed via Nordendstrasse in northern Walldorf. Just a few feet east of the intersection with Farmstrasse, there's a little road that goes north into the woods. That's where the memorial starts.
Doesn't take long to see, but if you've got some time left over at the airport, it's not a bad way to spend it.
#3
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If your flight does get to Frankfurt on time you will have a 5 hour layover. Many flights are so delayed now that having that buffer of a few hours is desirable. A 5 hour layover seems to turn out to be much shorter than the 5 hours. We had long layovers and we were very thankful because of our flight arriving lte, the different routings through the airports, finding something to eat and getting ready to board again.
#4
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Be sure that it is really a full five hours, and even then there are several Ifs.
FRA is a huge airport, if you get in at an outer gate on one of those endless concourses, it can take ages just to walk into the main terminal, Then there is the line for the passport check (Grenzpolizei), it can be quick, or it can be excruciatingly slow.
Then the walk downstairs to lugage carousels/customs (not usually a problem), and the long walk to the local train into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (central station).
Still, once there, you can certainly walk out the front of the station and stroll around the old part of town (Altstadt) and down by the river (the Main). It is not spectacular in any way, but if it involves no stress about time constraints, it can be a nice leg stretch.
Google Kaiserstrasse Frankfurt am Main on googlemaps and see how it leads to the Willy Brandt square and beyond into the old part of town.
Trains are frequent, but getting back, and going through security and finding your gate can eat up time, so allow for lots of cushion.
Good luck!
FRA is a huge airport, if you get in at an outer gate on one of those endless concourses, it can take ages just to walk into the main terminal, Then there is the line for the passport check (Grenzpolizei), it can be quick, or it can be excruciatingly slow.
Then the walk downstairs to lugage carousels/customs (not usually a problem), and the long walk to the local train into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (central station).
Still, once there, you can certainly walk out the front of the station and stroll around the old part of town (Altstadt) and down by the river (the Main). It is not spectacular in any way, but if it involves no stress about time constraints, it can be a nice leg stretch.
Google Kaiserstrasse Frankfurt am Main on googlemaps and see how it leads to the Willy Brandt square and beyond into the old part of town.
Trains are frequent, but getting back, and going through security and finding your gate can eat up time, so allow for lots of cushion.
Good luck!
#5
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>local train into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof
If you want to see Frankfurt, it does not make sense to get off at Hauptbahnhof. Stay on the train until Konstablerwache and you are right in the city center.
If you want to see Frankfurt, it does not make sense to get off at Hauptbahnhof. Stay on the train until Konstablerwache and you are right in the city center.
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I would recommend taking the S bahn (S8 direction Offenbach, S9 direction Hanau) from the local train track Regio 1 and get off in the Hauptwache station which is just a coupem station beyond the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). I would avoid the main train station area because it is not an attractive area with some seedy parts. The Hauptwache is a nice renovated baroque style building where the shopping street Zeil starts all the way to the Konstablerwache (the next S bahn station). If you want to see a reconstructed old Frankfurt square then head to Roemer by taking the U4 underground (3 minute ride) or street trams # 11 or 12 (4 - 8 minute ride) to Roemer/Paulskirche. Lots of places to eat in both areas.
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Apr 22nd, 2005 03:31 AM