FRANKFURT HOTELS

The most glamorous venue for classical music concerts, conferences and top cultural events. The world's greatest artists and orchestras appear at the restored old opera house, while ballet, opera and theater are presented at the new Opera Hall, just 2 minutes away from here. Built between 1873 and 1880 and gutted in World War II, Frankfurt's Old Opera House has been beautifully reconstructed. The new building is faithful to the classical proportions and style of the original. Even if you don't go to a performance, it's worth having a look at the ponderous and ornate lobby.

Further along there's Frankfurt's Borse, Europe's largest stock exchange, complete with an observation deck for would-be movers and shakers. In the past, the trading on the dealers' floor was hectic. These days, computerized networks and international telephone systems have removed some of the drama, but it is still an exciting scene to watch from the visitors' gallery.

The house where Germany's most famous poet was born in 1749. It was here that he penned his ode to suicide, The Sorrows of Young Werther, and began work on Faust. The rooms are nicely decorated with a mix of reproduction and original furniture, offering a glimpse of 18th-century domestic life. Don't miss Goethe's original writing desk and the library on the top floor. The adjoining Goethemuseum contains works of art that inspired Goethe (he was an amateur painter) and works associated with his literary contemporaries who were members of the Sturm und Drang (Storm and Rush) movement.

The provocative Museum fur Moderne Kunst hangs intriguing modern art in intriguing spaces - Warhols in cupboards, Lichtensteins in stairwells, Beuys on balconies....Austrian architect Hans Hollein designed this distinctive triangular building, shaped like a slice of wedding cake. The collection features American pop art (i.e: George Segal, with his ‘Jazz Combo’) and works by such German artists as Gerhard Richter, Joseph Beuys... Modern German artists include George Flintzer, Inge Rambow, August Sambe, Gerhard Richter, and others.

The old quarter of Sachsenhausen, on the south bank of the Main River, revels in old-world charm. Its cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and beer gardens make it one of the most attractive destinations in Frankfurt. Sachsenhausen's two big attractions are the famous Ebbelwoi (apple-wine or cider) taverns around the Rittergasse pedestrian area and the Museumufer (Museum Riverbank), which has seven museums almost next door to one another, including the most known Stadel Art Institute and Municipal Gallery. Here you will find one of Germany's important art collections, with paintings by Durer, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet, Renoir, and other masters. The section on German expressionism is particularly strong, with representative works by Frankfurt artist Max Beckmann. Neighbouring Museum fur Kommunikation (Communications Museum) entertains kids with its hands-on exhibits and invisible ink, and the Cold War espionage equipment will bring out the 007 in adults.

Romer’s gabled Gothic facade with an ornate balcony is widely known as the city's official emblem. The mercantile-minded Frankfurt burghers used the complex of three patrician buildings not only for political and ceremonial purposes but also for trade fairs and other commercial ventures. The beautiful Kaisersaal (Imperial Hall) inside was the site of the coronations of Holy Roman emperors. Portraits of all 52 German emperors and kings are still hanging there. Just south of the Romer is Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church). Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church), on Paulsplatz to the north, is fondly remembered for hosting the short-lived National Assembly of 1848.

The dominant feature of the Altstadt is the 15th-century, red-sandstone tower of the Dom St. Bartholomaus in whose chapels the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were elected and crowned for nearly 300 years. The church is also known as the Kaiserdom (Imperial Cathedral).

The cathedral was rebuilt several times over the years: after a devastating fire in 1867 and after World War II. The only parts of the original interior which survived are the frieze of St. Bartholemeo, the choir stalls and the Maria-Schlaf altar. The tower contains a masterpiece of the early Renaissance period - a sculpture by Hans Backoffen portraying a scene from the crucifiction. The view from the top is an exciting panorama. In the cloister of the church is the Dom Museum, which exhibits sumptuous robes, worned at coronation ceremonies. If you walk west of the cathedral you'll discover a little Historischer Garten (Archaeological garden), with ruins of a Carolingian imperial palace and a Roman settlement.

Historiches Museum encompassing all aspects of the city's history over the past eight centuries is just about. It contains a scale model of historic Frankfurt, complete with every street, house, and church. There is also an astonishing display of silver in addition to exhibits covering all aspects of the city's life from the 16th through the 20th centuries.

Founded in 1858, this is one of the oldest in Germany, with many of the animals and birds living in a natural environment. The zoo is linked closely with the name of the famous animal expert and researcher Bernhard Grzimek, who took care of rebuilding the wrecked buildings and purchasing animals after the War. Zoo’s remarkable collection includes some 5,000 animals of 600 different species, a bears' castle, an exotarium (aquarium plus reptiles), and an aviary, reputedly the largest in Europe. The special attractions today are the tigers, lions and leopards, the snakes and spiders, and the so-called ‘day and night house’ which simulates the night-time - so that visitors can see what animals get up to after dark!

With more than 16 of the world's leading fairs held in Frankfurt, including the Motor Show, the Textile Fair, the Chemical Industries Fair, the Cookery Fair and the most famous International Book Fair, the Messe Frankfurt GmbH is a major player in global trade fair business. Linking the traditional with the modern, the Frankfurt Trade Fair site offers every imaginable facility for many different event and trade fair concepts. Ten multifunctional exhibition halls form the core of the exhibition site: Messeturm, the 256 m high skyscraper, - a symbol of the Frankfurter Trade Fair, the Forum, an elegant glass construction with a striking ellipsoid facade and natural lighting through all four levels, providing direct access to the Festhalle, Congress Center and all other exhibition halls with the Via Mobile moving walkway. There are plenty of parking spaces on the trade fair site as well as on the nearby Rebstock site.

Frankfurt's main rail station, the Hauptbahnhof, the busiest in Europe, is the arrival point for some 1,600 trains per day carrying about 255,000 passengers. A train arrives from most major cities of Germany every hour until 8pm. Many other European cities also have direct rail links with Frankfurt.

Frankfurt Airport has become one of Europe's busiest and most important airports. Passengers from all over the world arrive, depart or change planes here. Around 45 million people pass through the airport every year. Around 108 airlines from 114 countries have their offices here. As well as the usual airport amenities such as shops and a multitude of restaurants and bars, there is also an airport clinic, a prayer room and dog kennels. At the moment, a heated debate is taking place about a further extension which was given the go-ahead in 1999.

Frankfurt/Main Airport has two railway stations and one bus terminal. The long-distance long-distance railway station ‘AIRail Terminal’, right next to Terminal 1, links the airport to destinations throughout Germany and neighbouring countries. Regional and local trains for S-Bahn lines operate from the regional station in Terminal 1. The bus terminal is right in front of Terminal 1 Arrivals Hall. Airport’s Terminal 2 is linked to Terminal 1 via buses and the Sky Line. Many hotels provide a free shuttle service to and from the airport.