If you’ve traveled at all through Central Europe, there’s a good chance you’ve had a connection through Frankfurt Airport (FRA), the fifth busiest airport in Europe. I had been through it a few times before, en route to other destinations like Rome and Vienna, but never left the airport. When I booked my getaway to Poland this past winter, I was only supposed to have about a five hour layover each way, but one of my flights ended up getting rescheduled for the day prior, leaving me with a full 24 hours in Frankfurt. This was no worry to me – I got to check a new destination off the list!
You can totally take in a good amount of Frankfurt in a day. Largely destroyed in the Second World War and later rebuilt, the city has a very modern feel and is primarily known as a center for commerce and major financial hub for Germany, being home to many European corporations.
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Stay: Moxy Frankfurt City Center
My flight arrived into Frankfurt around 8am, with my next flight leaving around noon the next day, which gave me a full 24 hours in Frankfurt taking into account travel and wait time at the airport. I decided for the overnight stay that it was worth it to stay in the city center rather than out near the airport, knowing that Frankfurt has convenient public transit options for getting to and from the airport quickly. I chose the Moxy Frankfurt City Center. I’m a huge fan of Marriott’s Moxy brand: compact, affordable rooms geared towards travelers who spend very little time in their hotel room and an emphasis on a fun, trendy lobby and bar area that you’ll want to hang out in. The Moxy City Center was in a great location walkable to public transit, restaurants, and all the downtown sites.
Getting Around
From the Frankfurt Airport, there are several trains that will take you into downtown Frankfurt. I took the S8 to the Frankfurt Hauptwache station near my hotel, which was a 20-minute ride. The S8 and S9 are two routes that service the airport to city center, so I was able to hop on either one of them for heading back to the airport the next morning too. Once in City Center, I didn’t need to take any other transportation. My hotel was within a 10-minute walk of the Römerberg, the city’s main square, so I spent the rest of the day on foot wandering that area.
How to Spend the Day in Frankfurt
As mentioned, the Römerberg is the city’s main focal point and a great starting point for exploring the city. The square is flanked on the west side by the Römer, the medieval building that houses the city government, and on the east side by a picturesque row of reconstructed houses in the quintessential half-timbered German style. As the main public square and seat of city government, the Römerberg has seen its share of history over the years, including a burning of books in 1933 by Nazi sympathizers, marked with a plaque on the ground in the square. If you’re visiting in late November or the month of December, the square will be bustling with activity as it’s also home to the heart of Frankfurt’s Christmas Market, which I got to experience while I was there.
Not far from the Römerberg is Kleinmarkthalle, an indoor marketplace full of goods, produce, and cuisines from Germany and beyond. The market is closed on public holidays and Sundays, which happened to be when I was visiting, so I didn’t get to experience it but it is on my list for the next time I find myself hungry in Frankfurt!
My next stop was the Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus, also known as the Frankfurt Cathedral, an iconic Gothic spire in the Frankfurt skyline. The cathedral dates back to the 13th century, though it’s since been rebuilt following an 1867 fire and damage during World War II. The cathedral is significant as the location of royal elections in the period from 1562 to 1792. There is a museum at the cathedral with access to climbing the tower, but I didn’t visit and instead just popped in briefly to see the cathedral’s interior. Being a Sunday, the cathedral had mass in progress so wasn’t fully open to sightseeing.
I stopped for lunch at Römer Pils Brunnen. This restaurant came recommended to me by a friend that’s spent time in Frankfurt before, and it was certainly the perfect restaurant for one day in Frankfurt. It serves up classic German dishes in a cozy tavern-like atmosphere. Sitting at the bar, I had the most delicious schnitzel, so large I couldn’t even finish it, and of course a tall refreshing glass of local beer.
After lunch I strolled down along the River Main, the longest tributary of the Rhine that cuts through central Germany. It was a rainy day, so the walk was peaceful and I captured the perfect moment of some rowers making their way up the river in front of the Dreikönigskirche across the way. I next took a walk across the Eiserner Steg, an iron footbridge that serves as Frankfurt’s own “Love Lock” bridge and offers great views of the city. It’s well worth the walk – even in the misty rain!
My next stop was the Goethe House & German Romanticism Museum. This 1618 house, rebuilt after the Second World War, is the birthplace and childhood home of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It was in this house that he wrote some of his greatest works, including the first drafts of Faust, considered to be one of the most prominent pieces of German literature. In the house, you can tour the period rooms that Goethe grew up in for a glimpse of life in 18th century Frankfurt. Connected to the museum is the German Romanticism Museum, the first museum in the world dedicated to the Romantic era in its entirety, with art and artifacts from the period.
I stopped back to my hotel for a bit after wandering the museum to take a rest, and change into some drier clothes after being out in the rain all day. Then I headed out to fully take in the magic of the Frankfurt Christmas Market. The heart of the market is at the Römerberg, but the market spans for blocks, with other key vendor areas at Paulsplatz, Hauptwache, and the Mainkai down along the river. I started at the Hauptwache end since that was closest to my hotel. By the time I got to the Römerberg section, I was ready for some food. I enjoyed a bratwurst and some Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes).
It being a weekend, the market was extremely crowded, so I headed down to the Mainkai market along the river. I got myself a mug of Glühwein (mulled wine) and posted up at a table for a bit and enjoyed the view of the river and the bridge, with lights glimmering on the water in the chilly late November evening. I next tried a glass of hot Apfelwein (sparkling apple wine). Delicious and enough to keep me warm!
After hanging out for a bit, I started making my way back to my hotel, but with one last stop at a vendor in the Hauptwache for Bethmännchen, a German treat that originated in the Frankfurt area. These little pastries made of marzipan, almond, powdered sugar, rosewater, flour and egg are a Christmastime favorite in Frankfurt. Not only were they tasty, but this part of my visit to the Christmas market is memorable because after a full day of bopping around Frankfurt, I finally felt confident enough in my German to order and pay for drei Stücke (three pieces) in German without having to switch back to English at all in my exchange with the cashier. Thanks, Duolingo!
After a lovely night’s slumber at the Moxy, I made one final stop near the Hauptwache station before catching a train to the airport. I stopped into Wacker’s Kaffee for a cappuccino and croissant to start my morning. There’s nothing like finding a good local coffee shop when you travel, and Wacker’s is a family business with high quality roasts for every taste and brews as warm as their hospitality. It’s truly a gem.
Happily caffeinated, I boarded the S9 to Frankfurt Airport and continued on my way to Gdansk, Poland, with a “bis bald” (bye for now) to Frankfurt. Normally a short stopover for me, I was glad I had some time to leave the airport and experience a little taste of Germany. A rescheduled flight turned into a day of rainy sidewalks, insightful museums, and the wonderful tastes and smells of an authentic German Christmas market. Downtown Frankfurt is well worth leaving the airport for, if your layover allows. I’m sure I’ll be back again to check out that Kleinmarkthalle – and of course get another giant schnitzel!
C to Shining C 
Booked my stay in May at Moxy! Grateful for the recco, I was feeling a little overwhelmed!
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Yay! Glad to have helped!
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