Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Day 7 Frankfurt Germany

September 22 2015 - Frankfurt Germany

This is our only day to sightsee in Frankfurt. so we have a hop on hop off pass.

It is dull and gloomy and I snap these hotel lobby photos as John ran back to the room to get us some extra clothing.




The meeting point is St. Paul's Church/Römer a fifteen minute walk and we stop along the way for breakfast.












We find the spot and get our tickets. This is probably the worst hop on we've ever taken and overpriced. it lasts about an hour round trip. There is a German broadcasted recorded narration (that's fine) but then you are given ear piece for the language of your choice so you are hearing both at the same time. There is never any mention of stops for the various sights.
We would have been able to do this tour on our own as we ended up doing.


Italics are company descriptions.

Highlights

Drive through Frankfurt in an open-top double decker tour bus
See the beautiful St. Paul's Church it is where you get the bus
Experience the famous Goethe House supposedly around the corner
Learn all about Frankfurt's bustling financial district
Enjoy a glimpse into the unique Palmengarten a glimpse?? Not even.
Go for a stroll along the museum embankment
Drive through the Alt-Sachsenhausen district barely
Discover the impressive medieval Römer building we did - on our own in the afternoon
Marvel at the famous Senckenberg Museum


We had already seen a few of the sights on our way to the meeting place.


St. Catherine's Church in Frankfurt Germany is a protestant church that was consecrated in 1681. Among its most famous parishioners, was the great German writer, Goethe.


The Hauptwache was once Frankfurt Germany's grand train station. Built in 1671, the Hauptwache can be found near the Zeil pedestrian walkway in central Frankfurt. The historical building has now been transformed into popular cafe restaurant.





We actually got on the bus at the church so had seen it as we approached. It starts to rain as we board the bus.

St. Paul's Church (Paulskirche) is a historical church located in the heart of Frankfurt Germany. Consecrated in 1833, the building was once home to Germany's first National Assembly.No longer used as a place of worship, Paulskirche is often used as a venue for awards ceremonies and other such events.



Frankfurt's bustling financial district - The city of Frankfurt is renown for its high rise towers and modern architecture.
Photos from our hotel showcased the skyline more dramatically than these individual shots.




 Frankfurt TV Tower



Alt-Sachsenhausen district - where we had dinner last night. Bars and restaurants are jammed cheek-by-jowl into Old Sachsenhausen’s narrow, pedestrian-only streets, particularly around Grosse Rittergasse, Kleine Rittergasse and Paradiesgasse.


Randomness from the top of a bus.








Outside the natural History Museum



We disembark back at St. Paul's in the rain. So we duck into a few shops.


Loved this store - Pylone's.










Römer - "Old town" attractions include the Romer (collection of 15th to 18th century houses), the Ostzeile (half timbered houses) and St. Leonardkirke Church.

Due to the heavy bombing of Frankfurt in World War II with many timber-framed buildings, most of the city's old town was razed to the ground. The efforts to rebuild parts of it began in the 1950s with the Römer city hall and parts of the surrounding Römerberg square, and continued with the Ostzeile in the 1980s.

Little green people everywhere!  Click here for green men in Berlin.


The Frankfurt Römer is crowded—but not with the usual tourists. Hundreds of tiny green men are  on the cobblestones in front of city hall. But it’s not an alien invasion—it’s a public art installation called Overcoming Boundaries (Grenzen überwinden) by Ottmar Hörl celebrating 25 years of German Unity.



More strolling and then time for lunch.





It's just drizzling when we step back out. Wandering we came upon an area very close by that is called the Dom-Römer Project, a reconstruction project in the Altstadt (old town).

It aims to revitalize the old town quarter between the Römerberg square and the Frankfurt Cathedral (Dom), that was occupied by the Technisches Rathaus (Technical City Hall, built 1972-74) until its demolition in 2010/2011. In total, 35 buildings are projected until 2016, with 15 reconstructions of former old town buildings among them.

Raindrop on the Frankfurt Cathedral. The whole area is under massive construction including the Dom.










By now it is pouring down and we scurry back to the Square and take refuge in a very cozy bar.


People braving the on and off rain outside our window.


It stops raining and we venture back out.


Facade details showing (left to right):Friedrich Barbarossa, Ludwig I, Karl III, and Maximilian



Around the corner.



















heading back towards the hotel.


A spot of colour on a really grey day. Those wreaths are lovely.


The Zeil is a famous street that has been transformed into a long pedestrian mall (Fussgangerzone) called the "Fressgass". The main shopping area is located between the Hauptwache in the west and Konstablerwache in the east.

A very futuristic mall!



Why don't we have pedestrian malls like these?





Back at the hotel we relax and then decide to have dinner in the hotel as there are not a lot of choices in the area.













5 comments:

  1. St. Catherine's really draws my eye.

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  2. Thanks for the stroll around Frankfurt and the not so good hop on hop off. The little green men were fascinating.

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  3. Thanks Jackie and John .Dame about the Hop on/off tour. We did one in Salzburg and it was good . But after a while I preferred to walk. .Great post and photos. I haven't been to Frankfurt for about 30 years.

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  4. There are so many places to go in Frankfurt, and I am thinking to apply for Germany visa because I would like to see to the same places where you went. Hoping to go there as soon as possible.

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