The other face of the German economic capital
1. THE CULTURAL SKYSCRAPER
Frankfurt sums up in total a whopping 72 big messy towers that never end up forming a homogeneous community of giant robots, but rather they are watering the city and alternating with office buildings and homes. But despite not being a Manhattan or a Chicago, yes that is the biggest megalomaniac tribute to aluminum in continental Europe . And they are enjoyable, more and more with the after work that are slowly proliferating on their feet. But what is expected of a good skyscraper is its views, and here the Main Tower , the great tourist attraction above the clouds. Or well, the only one that you can go up to, with its great viewpoint (eye, 200 meters high) and its fleeting elevator. But it also has some other secret.
And the fact is that whoever only goes up, photographs and comes down will miss his amazing art collection that floods the hall, starting with the great mural mosaic in which the most recognized children of the city appear ( look for anne frank ) and which serves as an entrance to the office elevators. Other surprising works are the video installation by Bill Viola called the world of appearances and winks and remnants of other artists such as David Hockney either Richard Hamilton . The most accessible and legal way to get to know this entire collection is with the Guided visits that they carry out on weekdays after work (at 5:00 p.m., what envy...) .
two. TO THE OPERA AND TO BRUNCH
The majestic opera house is one of the few monuments that were completely rebuilt after the bombing . What in its day was the glory of the city, look crouched today with a little suspicion the rest of the modernities that surround it. While its room continues to host major concerts and operas, the restaurant - a mythical space for closing contracts and asking for the hand of Frau Feigenbaum - has been rejuvenated a bit thanks to the Brunch of the Cafe Rosso . Or what is the same, it has lowered its prices, opened its terrace and has been taken over by hipsters with Mac. Resulton.
the frankfurt opera
3. THE CENTER IS FOR THE ARTISTS
Whoever is looking for the typical center of half-timbered houses, children dressed as in the Grimm brothers' tales and flowery balconies look for another city . Frankfurt has not given many opportunities to its past, just three walls of the Romer square they contribute the medievalism demanded by the guiris. But this abandonment and oblivion has been filled with art, artists and surprises. And is that the gallery schirn rises as the space for exhibitions most impressive in town . The contrast of its walls with the towers of the cathedral and the medieval beams are a perfect metaphor for this city. But it also acts as the epicenter of art with a spirit that spreads the magnificent FKV cafe , an oasis in the thick of it where you can find yourself a work of art when going to the bathroom.
Schirn, the most impressive exhibition space in the city
Four. THE LONGEST COMMERCIAL ESCALATOR IN EUROPE
The fact that Frankfurt and its airport are just 15 minutes away by train means that many intercontinental travelers spend their hours in transit shopping in the city. Here Zeil Street appears like a crazy artery where the rate of plastic bags per square meter is very high. And ruling the boulevard appears the spectacular MyZeil , the quintessential shopping center that has earned a place in visits to the city for its fun architecture. Here, the Italian designer Massimiliano Fuksas managed to create a new icon thanks to the black hole that it simulates with its exterior glass. Walking it becomes a joy without the need to buy since it includes an extra: upload the 46 meters which has the longest escalator located in a shopping center in Europe.
MyZeil: where the rate of plastic bag per square meter is very high
5. OF OYSTERS AND SAUSAGES
Leisure in this city is not always a waste of minimalism and sophistication. The proof is in the kleinmarkthalle , a charming market that has been 60 years claiming the good products and the most natural ways. Among all the stalls, the queues that are assembled in the window of Schreiber , where few people give up the temptation to try their famous sausages with mustard. The other great attraction is the oysters Franco's Austernbar , where its small benches and tables offer the best seafood in the city accompanied by the most expensive champagne. And it is that here you come to eat.
6. THE TERRACE OF THE KAUFHOF GALLERY
The top floor of these department store It's the perfect place to watch the sun go down behind the skyscrapers, flooding everything with orange. A natural attraction that is accompanied by a self-service that democratizes, supplies and cheapens one of the best views of the city.
The Kaufhof gallery one of the best views of the city
7. GO TO THE MUSEUM... TO EAT
At the other side of river main it lines the spectacular shore of the museums. Starting to list them all is a tiresome torture since here is a building dedicated to any discipline and style: architecture, fine arts, communications... To enter you have to enter **the magnificent Städel gallery ** to discover, for example, the Frankfurt pre-war and horny that Max Beckmann painted . And the rest? Well, they deserve a little stop…gastro! And it is here that the museums have become perfect containers for kitchens such as that of Holbein's Café and its master itamae (in the Städel itself), the DAM café, or the bistro of the Museum of Decorative Arts. Who's afraid of museums He has run out of excuses...
8. WHEN THE CITY DRESSES UP AS NEW YORK
Frankfurt, like all of Germany, smile to the bone as soon as the sun rises . On warm Sundays, the right bank of the Main (the one that precedes the museums) becomes the perfect place for picnics, cuddles and bike rides . From here lying down, Frankfurt has a New York image with its old iron bridge in the foreground and the skyscrapers in the background. And suddenly, she puts on makeup like the prettiest at the dance.
9. CIDER, YOU HAVE HEARD CIDER!!
But of all the surprises that Frankfurt has in store, the most traditional and authentic is its tradition of Apfelwein . Apple wine (which we would call cider) is the quintessential residential district's official drink: Sachenhausen . And it is that Schweizer street alternates trendy shops with old cider houses like Wagner where you can sit down to eat and enjoy a typical dish of carnaza ( don't miss the knuckle ) washed down with this drink and accompanied by parishioners who share the long wooden tables. The little cider neighborhood is the other great attraction of this district. It barely has five streets, but they are the only ones that have overcome the changes in the city in recent years. A charming area, which returns to the past and allows you to imagine what it was like Frankfurt before the Euro , the skyscrapers and the bombs. A pity that their little houses are now home to swaggering nightclubs.
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*** You may also be interested in...**
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Apple wine is the official drink of the residential district par excellence: Sachenhausen.