danon

I am thinking about another summer visit to Berlin.
This time, I would like to spend a few days in another German city.
Have visited Munich, Dresden and Hamburg in the past.
Would Frankfurt be an interesting spot for 2-3 days days ?
I like big cities, museums, galleries, outdoor life..
Where to stay..? central 4 star hotel?
thanks.

PalenQ

Would Frankfurt be an interesting spot for 2-3 days days ?
I like big cities, museums, galleries, outdoor life.>

Yup excellent on all of those IME and I always love big cities and all their energies and eclectic offerings

Frankfurt of course has world-class museums - neatly gathered together lining the river bank.

Sachenhausen is a nightlife place known for its intoxicating apple booze made on the premises - and Frankfurt has oodles of outdoor beer gardens to boot.

Some really nice parks including one with a ornate tropical glasshouse.

Some neat day trips like to the nearby Rhine Gorge, Heidelberg, Worms, Speyer and Marburg to mention just a few.

danon

Thanks, it really helps.

Is Sachenhausen the location to stay in?

texasbookworm

This past summer I spent almost 3 weeks in the Frankfurt area and enjoyed it greatly. There's much to see and do in Frankfurt itself. I can't recommend highly enough an English language walking tour of Frankfurt—Frankfurt-on-Foot—which meets daily near the TI at the Römer area at 10:30. Definitely put that on your agenda. Can't recommend a specific hotel. I know Sachenhausen has gotten ...more reputable and safer in last decade.

You can read my trip report if you want to see what I enjoyed both in Frankfurt and on the many day-trips I (via trains) or my husband and I (with rental car) took while we were there. Click on my name and then on "Daytripping from Frankfurt..."

danon

Thanks tex.
Great info.

PalenQ

I'm not sure Sachenhausen is a good place to stay in or not - seemed OK but can be loud on the main street at night with youthful revelers - I only know it as a famous place to go at night and to taste the local apple wine.

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detai...alt%5D=5021012.

danon

thanks, I have already looked at some hotels in the area...
I like lively place at night....

lavandula

Sachsenhausen is a pretty neighbourhood, elegant and safe. It's all 19th century buildings. But it's a little way away from the rest of the city (i.e. the shopping street the Zeil, or the Römer, for instance) as it's across the river. It is however convenient for the Museumsufer (the river bank where all the museums are). Frankfurt also has excellent public transport and there is the U-Bahn and S-Bahn (underground and light rail) linking Sachsenhausen. If walking is an issue for you and if you are planning to see the rest of the city then you might like to check that your hotel is near to transport.

Lavandula

danon

thanks Lavandula....
I am traveling alone, so it is important to be in an area
of the city where I can walk out of the hotel( at night) and there are cafes , restaurants and people around.
What part of the city would you suggest?

lavandula

I would think Sachsenhausen would be fine, it has plenty of people around, although I have no personal experience of staying there in a hotel. Most of the restaurants are around Grosse Rittergasse (busy nightlife) and nearby streets, and a few pubs in or around Textorgasse. The city apparently also runs a special tram service, the Ebbelwei Express, that takes people from Sachsenhausen to the city and vice versa and does the sights. I would think you'd possibly feel much safer there than in the city, parts of which have in the past had a dodgy reputation, but which has cleaned up significantly now. I am not a big fan of the area around the railway station, although I did once stay in a hotel there. It was a bit ghastly but that's going back some 15 years now and I think it's nowadays better than it used to be. If you were wanting something more central then pick something near the Zeil, which feels safe and is very busy, or the old city, the Römerberg, which is the only pocket left of what was once a major medieval city. You are within walking distance of the old city near the Zeil. Those are areas I would consider safe.

Lavandula

danon

thanks, very helpful !

Mainhattengirl

I really don't recommend staying in the Applewine Pub area of Sachsenhausen. There are lovely neighborhoods to stay in, but not really in this area. The Applewine Express is a special tram that runs only on weekends and holidays, and does a circle around the city. It is not a hop-on hop-off kind of tour, and they don't tell you anything on this ride, you just get a little bottle of applewine and a bag of pretzels.

For hotels, I would check out the Adina, the Hilton, Flemings City Deluxe, NH City, Beethoven Hotel, Villa Florentina, Hamburger Hof, Hotel am Berg, Alexander am Zoo.

Public transportation is easy, and you can get a day ticket for 6.40 euro. Buy yourself a museum ticket good for 2 days. At 15 euro, it is a huge bargain.
http://www.kultur-frankfurt.de/porta.../0/0/1441.aspx

Recommended museums: the Städel, the Schirn, Liebieg Haus, Judengasse, Museums of Modern Art, Applied Arts Museum, Film Museum, Architecture Museum, Giersch Museum, Archeology Museum, Jewish Museum, Icon Museum, Historic Museum.

The Palmengarten is lovely and there are sure to be fests going on when you are here. Visit some of the local farmers markets at the Konstablerwache (Thur. & Sat.), Schiller Strasse (Fri) Berger Str. (Wed. & Sat) go through the Klein Markt Halle. Take some time and visit the neighborhood of Höchst if you want to see one of the oldest churches in Germany.

Frankfurt does not have any beer gardens that I know of, only Applewine Gardens, and tons of outdoor cafes. Check out Dauth-Schneider or Atschel in Sachsenhausen, or Zur Sonne and Apfelwein Solzer on the Berger Str. in Bornheim.

danon

thanks Mgirl.
great info.

spaarne

I'm not much of a fan of Frankfurt. I lived nearby in Aschaffenburg for two years.

I suggest Düsseldorf and Köln. The Altstadt of Düsseldorf has some of the liveliest night fun in all of Europe.

danon

thanks for the suggestion, spaarne
I have not decided yet....your input is appreciated.

texasbookworm

Listen to Mainhattengirl.

I found the museum pass an absolute bargain.

And I reiterate my Frankfurt-on-Foot-tour suggestion.

ottotoo

I also reiterate the Frankfurt-On-Tour suggestion.

While Frankfurt really pales in comparison to say, Berlin (sorry biased), I recommend one museum which has provided me an experience I haven't been able to replicate in Berlin, the Dialog Museum (http://www.germany-travel.org/dialogmuseum-frankfurt). While there, I got a glimpse of life as a blind person, while a blind person guided me in the dark. I don't know, it's just one of those things that left a mark. Keep it in mind if you end up in Frankfurt! If you need Berlin tips too, just holler.

Vttraveler

If you spend a few days in Frankfurt, it is very easy to see the sights in Mainz, on the S-bahn system. It has a major Romanesque cathedral, the Gutenberg museum, St. Steven's church with windows by Chagall and a pleasant Altstadt. it is known as a wine center