Frankfurt Travel Guide — Römerberg, Mainhattan and Apple Wine Nights

Is Frankfurt just the city you change planes in? It deserves better. Half-timbered houses ring the Römerberg, skyscrapers and a Gothic cathedral share a single skyline, and after dark the taverns pour apple wine — this guide covers how to reach Frankfurt’s core in half a day, and how to spend the evening in Sachsenhausen.

The short version — old town by day, apple wine by night

1. The sightseeing core takes half a day: the Römerberg, the reconstructed new old town (DomRömer), the cathedral and the Main riverbank sit packed within walking distance
2. Spend the evening on apple wine in Sachsenhausen: a working-class drink at around €2.50 for a 0.3L glass — and, since 2022, part of Germany’s intangible cultural heritage. This is Frankfurt’s soul
3. On weekends, ride the apple wine tram “Ebbelwei-Express”: €8 buys a roughly one-hour loop of the city with a drink and a pretzel. Cash only, so bring coins
4. The city’s real weapon is its reach: the Rhine Valley (cruise day trip) and Cologne are both within ICE range. “Half a day of sights + day-trip base” is how to make the most of Frankfurt

Römerberg — half-timbered houses and the city hall that is “the face of Germany”

Start at the Römerberg. The stepped gables of the “Römer” — the city hall since 1405 — and the half-timbered houses around the square are a medieval scene that defies every expectation of a banking city (the square is free; the Kaisersaal on the Römer’s upper floor is €3). The block between the square and the cathedral is the new old town (DomRömer quarter), rebuilt in 2018 on the lanes the war erased. “Brand-new medieval” is a strange streetscape to walk — and, controversy included, one of Frankfurt’s sights. In the Christmas season, one of Germany’s great Christmas markets fills this very square.

The cathedral and “Mainhattan” — imperial coronations and a banking skyline

Two minutes’ walk from the square, the cathedral (Kaiserdom) is the “church of the Empire,” where Holy Roman Emperors were elected and crowned. The interior is free, and from April to October you can climb the tower (€3, 328 steps) — from the viewing platform at 66 meters, the red-sandstone Gothic spire stands directly against a forest of bank towers: the double skyline they call “Mainhattan.” With time to spare, drop down to the Main and frame the old town and the high-rises in a single shot from the Eiserner Steg footbridge — the classic photo spot.

Sachsenhausen after dark — apple wine poured from the Bembel

When the light fades, cross the Main into the Sachsenhausen district. This is the home ground of apple wine (Apfelwein, “Ebbelwoi” in the local dialect), where traditional taverns line up long tables in plane-tree courtyards. Order, and it arrives in a blue-grey stoneware jug called a Bembel with diamond-cut Geripptes glasses. The sharply sour taste divides opinion — and at around €2.50 for 0.3L, the price is part of the charm — this is the flavor of everyday Frankfurt (German intangible cultural heritage since 2022; as of July 2026). For food, the fixed pairing is schnitzel with Grüne Sosse, the green sauce of seven chopped herbs. In the courtyard of one old tavern we were seated with a group of locals, who ended up teaching us the proper way to pour.

The weekend treat — the Ebbelwei-Express apple wine tram

On weekends there is one more option: the Ebbelwei-Express, a brightly painted vintage tram. €8 buys a bottle of apple wine (or juice) and a pretzel, and the tram takes about an hour to loop the city’s main sights (weekends and holidays only; cash only on board; as of July 2026). You can board at any of the 23 stops, but note that getting off invalidates the ticket — an hour of “sightseeing with a drink in hand” that could not be more Frankfurt.

Frankfurt practical notes

• Airport to town — about 15 minutes to the central station by S-Bahn. One of Europe’s biggest hub airports, with direct long-haul flights from across the world
• The circuit — the Römerberg, the new old town, the cathedral and the riverbank are all walkable. Budget half a day of sights plus the evening in Sachsenhausen: one full day covers it
• Entry fees — Kaisersaal in the Römer €3; cathedral interior free, tower €3 (328 steps, April–October) (as of July 2026)
• Safety — parts of the station district (Bahnhofsviertel) change character at night. Keep to the main streets and mind valuables as usual
• Day-trip network — the Rhine cruise, Rüdesheim, Cologne and Heidelberg are all within day-trip range. A city made for a multi-night base

Frequently asked questions

Where to go from here

• Plan the whole route → Cologne and the Rhine Valley — a 3-night itinerary
• Castles and the Loreley by boat → Rhine river cruise guide
• The country at a glance → Germany Travel Guide
• Pick a destination by food → Food travel destinations