Frankfurt Activities: Cider, Art, Skyline
Frankfurt Activities: Cider, Art, Skyline
A good Frankfurt day follows the order in which the city rewards you: a market breakfast, a world-class painting by lunchtime, a skyscraper at dusk and a jug of cider after dark. Everything below is priced in euros and sits within a short tram ride of the next stop.
Morning: Kleinmarkthalle
The Kleinmarkthalle at Hasengasse 5 to 7, between Zeil and the Altstadt, has been trading since 1954. Its two floors hold about 63 stalls. The queue at Metzgerei Schreiber for a Frankfurter Fleischwurst in a crusty roll, around €3.50 with mustard, is the local ritual. The hall opens Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 16:00, and it is shut on Sundays. Many stalls prefer cash, so keep €20 to €40 in your pocket.
Midday: the Städel
The Städel Museum at Schaumainkai 63 is the one museum to pick if you only have time for one. Adult entry is about €17 to €19, and the museum is closed on Mondays. The collection runs from Jan van Eyck’s Lucca Madonna and Vermeer’s The Geographer to Monet, Beckmann and Richter. Tuesday afternoons from 15:00 cost €10, and on Thursdays the doors stay open until 21:00. Current ticket types are listed at staedelmuseum.de .
Dusk: Main Tower
Main Tower at Neue Mainzer Straße 52 sells the skyline view most visitors want: €9 for adults and €6 reduced, with a lower price when cloud limits the view. Part of the platform is an open terrace and part is enclosed. Hours are longer in summer, with Friday and Saturday open until 23:00, and shorter in winter, when Sunday to Thursday closes at 19:00. The last ascent leaves 45 minutes before closing. Check the day’s hours at maintower.de before you queue.
Evening: Apfelwein in Alt-Sachsenhausen
Cross the Eiserner Steg to the south bank and the cider taverns around Große Rittergasse. Apfelwein arrives in a grey-and-blue Bembel jug and is poured into a diamond-cut Gerippt glass. Ask for it pur (straight) or sauergespritzt (with sparkling water). Daheim im Lorsbacher Thal has poured since 1803, and Zur Sonne, Atschel and Wagner are other long-standing names. Order Handkäs mit Musik for €6 to €8, or schnitzel with green sauce for roughly €16 to €22. Several taverns take cash only.
A green hour at the Palmengarten
If the day needs a slower stretch, the Palmengarten at Siesmayerstraße 61 covers 22 hectares of glasshouses and lawns. Adults pay €9 and anyone under 18 enters free. The 1869 Palmenhaus and the Tropicarium take about two hours together. Details are on palmengarten.de .
Getting between them
A single city ticket on the RMV network costs €3.80 and a day ticket €7.75. The Frankfurt Card, at €13 for one day or €21 for two, covers transport and trims some entry prices, including 20% off Main Tower. Pickpockets work the Hauptbahnhof and crowded trams, so keep bags zipped. If you would like a guide for the skyline and old town, you can compare Frankfurt city tours on GetYourGuide . For routes on foot, see the walking tours page , and the sightseeing page covers the Römerberg and the cathedral.
Tip: on a Thursday, do the Städel late and eat afterwards, because the museum is open until 21:00 and Sachsenhausen is a short walk away.