When visiting pretty much any city or town in Europe, one of the main draws is the main square. Or…read moreone of several town squares. Römerberg is just that. It's a great place to start your exploration of Frankfurt. You'll be surrounded by beautiful architecture. There will be a statue for you to check out. It's a touristy area, sure (so I wouldn't have a meal in the area), but it's also a place locals go to congregate and hang out. With Germany getting bombed heavily during WWII, Römerberg still gives you the feeling of old school Germany. And while I wasn't there in December, if you are, you'll be able to check out the famous Christmas markets Germans are known for. Spend a little time here, walk around, and take it all in.

I had the incredible opportunity to visit Römerberg during the Christmas markets on December 1st…read moreand the plaza looked stunning. It was beautifully lit and super bright. I got to try so much food from multiple vendors. And even got to ride the carousel. And the center piece of the night is clearly the Christmas tree! Absolutely stunning! This is my second time visiting Römerberg. Outside of Christmas time this place is a beautiful plaza rich with history and it has plenty of restaurants and shops around. Definitely a must see while in Frankfurt

The great thing about this place is the way that it contrasts with the city around it. Basically it…read moreappears to be the old city gate (and the word Tor pretty much confirms that), however when you stand on the northern side the contrast between this old gate and the modern skyscrapers is amazing. In fact it seems to be what a lot of Europe is about - the old and the new sitting side by side, and in some ways actually complementing each other. There are a couple of bars around here as well, including a really good one (Bar Ohne Name as it used to be called but I can't remember the new name at this point in time). While I haven't actually been inside the tower, simply wandering around it and taking in its beauty is worth it.

After exploring the city to the fullest, we were looking for a spot to grab a drink. I had done a…read morelittle research on the most reviewed bars in town (with good ratings) and Eschenheimer Turm Cafe was one of the ones that I jotted down. It was also close to where we were so we walked over for happy hour. Ambiance (3.5/5): This bar and restaurant is known for it's tower. From doing a little research, I found that there's limited seating in the tower. Unfortunately, this wasn't a possibility when we were there, so we sat out on their spacious patio. A bit of a bummer, but we made the most of it. The weather was nice so the patio wasn't a bad consolation prize. Al fresco dining is the way to go in Europe. Service (3/5): Pretty much your standard European service. Not terribly attentive, not terribly efficient, but it does the job. You'll have to track down your waiter here and there, but that's pretty much the standard in Germany and Europe as a whole. Food (N/A): We only stopped by for drinks so I can't comment on the food. Drinks (3/5): They have a pretty extensive cocktail list, and it was happy hour, so we were able to get a good deal on their adult beverages. The cocktails are pretty much standard cocktails, not a lot on the inventive side of things. I'm talking things like margaritas, mojitos, Hugos, etc. Eschenheimer Turn Cafe made for a nice break during a day of exploring. It just would have been fun to sit in the tower as it's their most distinctive feature.

What a delightful experience!…read more I was a little surprised when we got here to find out that we wouldn't be dining inside the tower, which was what I had previously expected, but we had a great time nonetheless! You can make a reservation ahead of time online, but we found it didn't do anything special for us as we were told to just pick anywhere to sit and eat as it wasn't very crowded when we arrived. There is SOME indoor dining, but sitting outside is much more pleasant, especially in the summer. They have VEGAN SCHNITZEL on the menu, which was very exciting for me as I am of German heritage but am now vegetarian, so I haven't eaten schnitzel since I stopped eating meat. It was delicious and very satisfying! Also, you CAN go up in the tower. The restrooms are actually up at the top of the tower, which I found very interesting as I wouldn't think it would be ideal to install plumbing at the top of a 15th castle tower. Be sure to go check it out, even if you don't have to pee! Tip: if you order extra sauce, they will charge you for it. We were unaware of this as extra sauce is usually at no charge where we're from (the U.S.), so this is a warning to any Americans who plan to come here.

We had a long layover in Frankfurt, and totally took advantage of this museum complex area. They…read morehave a 2 day pass available for only €18 which is brilliant...34 museums are included, and they are almost all located within a close walking distance. We had a great time popping into many of the museums...we definitely got our money's worth from the pass!! The museums cover a wide range of interesting topics, and even if you only stay 30 minutes or so in each, you'll learn a lot about Frankfurt's culture and history. And although we don't have children, we were impressed by how family-friendly all of the museums were...lots of hands-on activities for kids (and okay, I'll admit...we may have done 1 or 2 puzzles and games!). Highly recommend this pass, and taking time to visit a variety of the museums during your stay.

What's more fun than watching unsuspecting tourists get spat on?! Not much! On the South bank of…read morethe Main river, right in the city center, is Sachsenhausen. It is a quaint historic area full of traditional apple wine pubs. Apple wine is the traditional drink of Frankfurt and MOST Frankfurters will choose it over a pint of beer. Rauscher Brunnen, the sterile looking lady statue, spits at irregular intervals at pedestrians walking by. I was in hysterics when I witnessed an older man get soaked as he posed with the statue for photos. He yelled and ran freakishly as if he was shot! It was one of those cases where you had to be there. The statue was named after an old song and "Rauscher" means "partly fermented cider" in German. The surrounding narrow brick streets, old homes, and wet pants, make this statue a worthwhile stop.

Very cool area of bars, bars, and more bars…read more Ran into a bartender in Chicago....who recognized me....and he used to work at the English Pub in this area....small world ! Kinda touristy....but looking beyond the young drunks and pseudo mofa staerks.... If you can...enjoy the architecture during the day...and come back for the partying at night.. Well worth checking out...Frankfurt has some cool stuff to do.... I won't share my "where to park" secrets here ! One of the best Doner Kebab places across from Hard Rock on the Grosse Rittergasse..(sp?)

Pure awesomeness! This was my favorite place to go when I lived out there. The underground videoke…read morebar and the Irish pub were my 2 favs. Doner Kebabs accross the street after bar hopping are a must.

Whenever visiting a city for the first time, if there's an observation deck, I think it's a…read morefantastic way to begin to explore your surroundings. Seeing a city from a helicopter-level view puts the whole city into perspective. So we did just that upon arriving at Frankfurt. Located in the financial district of Frankfurt, finding this large skyscraper was a little confusing but we realized we were at the right place when we saw a small line outside. Depending on the time of day you visit, and whether it's a weekend, you may have to wait a little while. The line went by fast for us. Once you get inside, and you pay a reasonable fee (less than 10 euros), you'll take an elevator to the top to reach the observation deck. Take a couple of pics, enjoy the views, and you'll be on your way. It's a quick attraction that you can get out of the way in 30 minutes or so unless there's a long line. Main Tower is the third most popular attraction in Frankfurt according to TripAdvisor. And the 4th tallest building in Germany. Enjoy the views!

Not a bad way to see the city. Logistics are a bit unorganized but not overly challenging to…read morenavigate. View is decent. Good way to get a sense of the city. Family pricing is reasonable. I wouldn't go out of my way to do, but not a bad stop if in area.