Wallanlagen – The Wallanlagen (former ramparts) relate to the former
ring-shaped city wall fortifications around the Altstadt and the Innenstadt
district (abolished 1804–1812), now a series of parks. Building is not
allowed, with a few exceptions, the most famous being the Alte Oper (built
1880) at the Opernplatz. The part between the northern Main riverbank
and the Opernplatz, referred to officially as Taunusanlage and
Gallusanlage, is locally known as "Central Park" (a reference to the famous
park in Manhattan), because of the skyscrapers which stand on both sides.
Nizza Park – At the juncture of the northern Main riverbank and the
Wallanlagen is a famous small park called Nizza. The name of the park
recalls Nice in southern France, because it is one of the warmest areas
with a nearly mediterranean climate. Numerous Mediterranean flora grow
there and can survive outside during the winter.
Garten des Himmlischen Friedens – "Garden of Heavenly Peace", named
after the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, is a Chinese-styled park in the
Nordend district and part of the larger Bethmannpark. It contains Chinese
buildings, with building materials imported from China and built by
Chinese workers in the 1980s. Hosts traditional Chinese plants and herbs.
Other parks – The largest parks are the Niddapark (168 ha), the Ostpark
(32 ha) and the Grüneburgpark (29 ha).
Culture
Museums
Main article: Museumsufer
The Städel
Senckenberg Natural History Museum
With more than 30 museums, Frankfurt has one of the largest variety of
museums in Europe. Most museums are part of the Museumsufer, located
on the front row of both sides of the Main riverbank or nearby, which was
created on an initiative by cultural politician Hilmar Hoffmann.[101]
Ten museums are located on the southern riverbank in Sachsenhausen
between the Eiserner Steg and the Friedensbrücke. The street itself,
Schaumainkai, is partially closed to traffic on Saturdays for Frankfurt's
largest flea market.
Deutsches Architekturmuseum (German Architecture Museum)
German Film Museum [de] (Deutsches Filmmuseum)[d]
Deutsches Romantik-Museum
Frankfurter Ikonenmuseum (Icon Museum Frankfurt)
Liebieghaus (Museum of sculptures)
Museum Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts)
Museum Giersch (Museum for Regional Art)
Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of Communications)
Museum der Weltkulturen (Museum of World Cultures)
Städel, one of the most famous art museums in Germany
Museum für elektronische Musik (Museum of Modern Electronic Music)
Bibelhaus Erlebnis Museum (Bible House Experience Museum)
Two museums are located on the northern riverbank:
Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt (Jewish Museum Frankfurt)
Historisches Museum Frankfurt (Historical Museum Frankfurt)
Not directly located on the northern riverbank in the Altstadt district are:
Museum für Moderne Kunst (Museum of Modern Art)
Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt (Schirn Art Gallery Frankfurt)
Frankfurter Kunstverein (Art Association Frankfurt)
Museum Judengasse (Jews' Alley Museum)
Goethe-Haus (Goethe House)
Archäologisches Museum Frankfurt (Archaeological Museum Frankfurt)
Caricatura Museum für Komische Kunst (Caricatura Museum of Comic Art)
Dommuseum Frankfurt (Frankfurt Cathedral Museum)
Another important museum is located in the Westend district:
Naturmuseum Senckenberg (Senckenberg Natural History Museum), the
second-largest natural history museum in Germany
Other museums are the Dialogmuseum (Dialogue Museum) in the Ostend
district, Eintracht Frankfurt Museum at Deutsche Bank Park, the
Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum (Light Railway Museum Frankfurt) in the
Gallus district, the Verkehrsmuseum Frankfurt (Transport Museum
Frankfurt) in the Schwanheim district, the Hammer Museum in the
Bahnhofsviertel district and the Geldmuseum der Deutschen Bundesbank
(Money Museum of the German Federal Bank) in the Ginnheim district.
The Explora Museum+Wissenschaft+Technik (Explora Museum of Science
and Engineering) in the Nordend district was closed in 2016. Most
museums open around 10:00 am local time, and it is possible to
comfortably visit four museums in one day, a fact many tourists take
advantage of.
Performing arts
Music
Eurodance and Trance music originated in Frankfurt. In 1989 German
producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (under the pseudonyms
Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III) formed the Snap! project.
Snap! songs combined Rap and Soul vocals adding rhythm by using
computer technology and mixing electronic sounds, bass and drums. By
doing so a new genre was born: Eurodance.[102] In the early 1990s, DJs
including Sven Väth and DJ DAG (of Dance 2 Trance) first played a harder,
deeper style of acid house that became popular worldwide over the next
decade as Trance music. Some of the early and most influential
Eurodance, Trance and Techno acts, e.g., La Bouche, Jam and Spoon,
Magic Affair, Culture Beat, Snap!, Dance 2 Trance, Oliver Lieb and
Hardfloor, and record labels such as Harthouse and Eye Q, were based in
the city in the early 1990s.
Venues
Festhalle Frankfurt
The English Theatre
Oper Frankfurt – A leading Germany opera company and one of Europe's
most important. It was elected Opera house of the year (of Germany,
Austria and German-speaking Switzerland) by German magazine
Opernwelt several times. It was also elected Best opera house in Germany
in 2010 and 2011. Its orchestra was voted Orchestra of the year in 2009,
2010 and 2011.[103] It is part of the Double System Städtische Bühnen
Frankfurt.
Schauspiel Frankfurt – Theater at Willy-Brandt-Platz in the financial district,
next to the Frankfurt Opera in the Double System Städtische Bühnen
Frankfurt.
Festhalle Frankfurt – Multi-purpose hall next to the Messeturm at the
grounds of the Frankfurt Trade Fair. It is mostly used for concerts,
exhibitions or sport events and can accommodate up to 13,500.
Deutsche Bank Park – Frankfurt's largest sports stadium and the seventh
largest in Germany. It is located in the Frankfurt City Forest near
Niederrad. It is primarily used for soccer and concerts with a capacity up
to 58,000. It opened in 1925 and underwent several major
reconstructions. Locals still prefer to call the stadium by its traditional
name, Waldstadion (Forest Stadium). Home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Alte Oper – A major concert hall. Venue of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony
(German: hr-Sinfonieorchester), the radio orchestra of the Hessischer
Rundfunk and the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester.
hr-Sendesaal – Venue of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony.
Jahrhunderthalle – Century Hall is a large concert and exhibition hall in
Unterliederbach district. Sometimes referred to as "Jahrhunderthalle
Höchst", because it was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
chemical company Hoechst AG in 1963.
The English Theatre – Located on the ground floor of the Gallileo high-rise
building, this is the largest English theater in continental Europe. It was
established in 1979.
Tigerpalast – Tiger Palace is a varieté near the Zeil. It was established in
1988 and houses the famous Tiger-Restaurant which was awarded a
Michelin star.
Künstlerhaus Mousonturm – House of Artists Mouson Tower has a smaller
budget than traditional theaters and uses more unconventional
performing methods. It is located in an old factory in the Ostend district.
Die Schmiere – The Grease is a cabaret operational since 1950 focusing on
satire.[104]
Die Komödie – The Comedy is a boulevard theater near downtown
Frankfurt's Willy-Brandt-Platz.
Botanical gardens
Greenhouse in the Palmengarten
Frankfurt is home to two major botanical gardens:
Palmengarten is located in the Westend district and is Hesse's largest
botanical garden, covering 22 ha (54 acres). It opened to the public in
1871.[105] Designed by the architect Heinrich Siesmayer the botanical
exhibits in free-air or in greenhouses include agave, succulents and
azaleas.[106]
Botanischer Garten der Goethe-Universität is arboretum. It contains about
5,000 species, with special collections of Rubus (45 species) and
indigenous plants of central Europe. It is organized into two major areas:
The geobotanical area contains an alpine garden, arboretum, meadows,
steppes, marsh, and a pond, as well as collections of plants from the
Canary Islands, Caucasus, East Asia, Mediterranean, and North America
and the systematic and ecological collection includes crop plants,
endangered species, ornamental plants, roses, and the Neuer
Senckenbergischer Arzneipflanzengarten (New Senckenberg Medicinal
Plant Garden), which measures 1,200 m2 (13,000 sq ft). The Botanical
Garden, Palmengarten, Grüneburgpark collectively form the largest inner-
city green area.
Foreign culture
Instituto Cervantes – Named after Miguel de Cervantes, one of the most
important Spanish authors, this is the world's largest organization for
promoting the study and teaching of Spanish language and culture. 54
such Centros Cervantes across the world offer Spanish language and
history courses. The Frankfurt branch was officially opened in September
2008 by Felipe, Prince of Asturias and his wife Letizia, Princess of Asturias.
It is located in the so-called Amerika-Haus.
Institut Français – A French public industrial and commercial organization
(EPIC), started in 1907 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting
French, francophone as well as local cultures around the world. The French
Institute works closely with the French cultural network abroad consisting
of more than 150 branches and nearly 1,000 branches of the Alliance
française around the world.
Istituto Italiano di Cultura – A worldwide non-profit organization created by
the Italian government. It promotes Italian culture and is involved in the
teaching of the Italian language; there are 83 Italian Cultural Institutes
throughout major cities around the world.
Confucius Institute – A non-profit public educational organization affiliated
with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, whose
aim is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese
teaching internationally, and facilitate cultural exchanges. There are over
480 Confucius Institutes worldwide.
Central and Eastern European Online Library – CEEOL is an online archive
providing access to full-text articles from humanities and social science
scholarly journals on Central, Eastern and South-Eastern European topics.
Subject areas include anthropology, culture and society, economy, gender
studies, history, Judaic studies, fine arts, literature, linguistics, political
sciences and social sciences, philosophy and religion. CEEOL is operated
by Questa.Soft GmbH.
Festivals
The Museumsuferfest in 2005
Museumsuferfest – Museums Riverbank Festival is one of Germany's
biggest cultural festivals, attracting more than 3 million visitors over three
days at the end of August along the Main riverbank downtown. The 20
museums there open far into the night. It offers live music, dance shows,
booths for crafts, jewelry, clothes and food stands from around the world.
Dippemess – Frankfurt's oldest folk festival is the Festival of Stoneware,
which takes place semi-annually around Easter and the end of September
in the eastern area. "Dippe" is a regional Hessian dialect word meaning
"pot" or "jar" which would not be understood in most other German
regions. Mentioned for the first time in the 14th century as an annual
marketplace it is now more of an amusement park. The name of the
festival derives from its original purpose when it was a fair where
traditionally crafted jars, pots and other stoneware were on offer.
"OVO" at Luminale 2012
Luminale — The "festival of light" has taken place biannually since 2000,
parallel to the Light + building exhibition at the trade fair. Many buildings
are specially lit for the event. In 2008, more than 220 light installations
could be seen, attracting 100,000 visitors.
Wäldchestag – Day of the forest is known as a regional holiday because
until the 1990s it was common that Frankfurt's shops were closed on this
day. The festival takes place over four days after Pentecost with the formal
Wäldchestag on Tuesday. Its unique location is in the Frankfurt City Forest,
south-west of downtown in Niederrad. "Wäldches" is a regional dialect of
the German word "Wäldchen", meaning "small forest".
Nacht der Museen – Night of the museums takes place every year in April
or May. 50 museums in Frankfurt and in the neighboring city of Offenbach
am Main are open until 2:00 am surrounded by special music events,
dance performances, readings and guided tours. A free shuttle operates
between the museums. In 2010, approximately 40,000 visitors attended.
Nacht der Clubs – Night of the clubs is an event similar to Nacht der
Museen: On one night as many as 20 clubs can be visited with a single
ticket for €12. Usually, club-door policies are loosened to attract new
customers. A free shuttle runs between the clubs. 15,000 people
participated in 2008.
Wolkenkratzer Festival — The Skyscraper Festival is unique in Germany. It
takes place irregularly, lately in May 2013, and attracted around 1.2
million visitors. For two days most skyscrapers are open to the public. Sky-
divers, base jumpers, fireworks and laser shows are extra attractions.
Nightlife
Frankfurt offers a variety of restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs. Clubs
concentrate in and around downtownand in the Ostend district, mainly
close to Hanauer Landstraße. Restaurants, bars and pubs concentrate in
Sachsenhausen, Nordend, Bornheim and Bockenheim.
In electronic music, Frankfurt was a pioneering city in the late 1980s and
early 1990s, with renowned DJs including Sven Väth, Marc Trauner, Scot
Project and Kai Tracid. One of the main venues of the early Trance music
sound was the Omen nightclub [de] from 1988 to 1998. Another popular
disco club of the 1980s–1990s and a hotspot for Techno/Trance music was
the Dorian Gray, which was located within Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport
from 1978 to 2000. Further popular venues were the U60311 [de] (1998–
2012) and the Coocoon Club in Fechenheim (2004–2012). Notable live
music venues of the past include the Sinkkasten Arts Club [de] (1971–
2011) and the King Kamehameha Club [de] (1999–2013).
Among the most popular active rock and pop concert venues is the
Batschkapp in Seckbach, which opened in 1976 as a center for
autonomous and left-wing counterculture.
Domestic culture
A Frankfurt kitchen in the version of 1926 in an Austrian museum
Frankfurt kitchen – Designed originally in 1926 by Margarete Schütte-
Lihotzky this kitchen is now recognized as one of the most influential
designs in history and was mass produced. In 1920s Weimar republic
Germany 10,000 modules of the Frankfurt kitchen where produced in
Frankfurt.[107]
Frankfurt cupboard – The Baroque Frankfurt-style cupboards were used to
store the family linen, one of them by Goethe's father, who took one
cupboard to Rome. The most luxurious versions have wave-shaped parts,
some are made of solid cherry wood inlaid with plumwood.
Culinary specialties
See also: Hessian cuisine
"Bembel" (jug) and "Geripptes" (glass)
Original Frankfurter Würstchen served with potato salad
Apfelwein – Apple wine or hard cider is regionally known as "Ebbelwoi",
"Äppler" or "Stöffsche". It has an alcohol content of 5.5%–7% and a tart,
sour taste. It is traditionally served in a glass, typically decorated with
lozenges, called "Geripptes", a full glass is then called "Schoppen".
Apfelwein is also available in a stoneware jar locally known as "Bembel". A
group normally orders a "Bembel" and shares the contents. Apfelwein can
be ordered as "sauergespritzer", which is apfelwein blended with 30%
mineral water or as "süssgespritzer", which is Apfelwein blended with
lemon soda, orange soda or fresh-pressed apple juice (lemon soda being
the most common). Most of the pubs which serve Apfelwein are located in
Sachsenhausen, which is therefore known as "Ebbelwoi district". Due to its
national drink Frankfurt is sometimes called "Big Ebbel" (pronunciation
with Hessian dialect), an homage to Big Apple, the famous nickname of
New York City.
Grüne Soße – Green sauce is a sauce made with hard-boiled eggs, oil,
vinegar, salt and a generous amount of seven fresh herbs, namely borage,
sorrel, garden cress, chervil, chives, parsley and salad burnet. Variants,
often due to seasonal availability include dill, lovage, lemon balm and
spinach. Original green sauce Frankfurt-style is made of herbs that were
gathered only on fields within the city limits.
Frankfurter Würstchen – "short Frankfurter" is a small sausage made of
smoked pork. They are similar to hot dogs. The name Frankfurter
Würstchen has been trademarked since 1860.
Frankfurter Rindswurst – Sausage made of pure beef.
Frankfurter Rippchen – Also known as Rippchen mit Kraut, this is a
traditional dish which consists of cured pork cutlets, slowly heated in
sauerkraut or meat broth, and usually served with sauerkraut, mashed
potatoes and yellow mustard.
Handkäs mit Musik – German regional sour milk cheese (similar to Harzer)
and a culinary specialty in the Rhine Main Region. The traditional way of
producing it is by hand. When it is topped with chopped onions it becomes
"Handkäs mit Musik" (with music) because the onions are supposed to
stimulate flatulence.
Frankfurter Kranz – Cake speciality believed to originate from Frankfurt.
Bethmännchen – "A little Bethmann" is a pastry made from marzipan with
almond, powdered sugar, rosewater, flour, and egg. It is usually baked for
Christmas.
