13.10.2005 - Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem neuen Blog!

At first sight, Frankfurt-am-Main seems a bustling international metropolis. Thousands of traveler's pass through its airport daily, one of Europe's busiest, yet, Frankfurt is steeped in history, tradition, and the arts.

Since the Middle Ages, Frankfurt am Main, which is located on the banks of the River Main, has been a crossroads for European trade and commerce and the official venue for imperial coronations.

It has now developed into Europe's second largest financial center after London and in June of 1998, the European Central Bank chose Frankfurt as the site for its headquarters. However, business and trade is only one side of Frankfurt's amazing diversity, its story is just as impressive. Karl the Great resided here and this city is also

the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous poet.

This 1200-year-old city originally founded during the 1st century BC by Celtic and Germanic tribes were once a vital inland port in the heart of the Rhine-Main region. Now, Frankfurt's modern skyscrapers form a part of the city's identity. The skyline is truly unique; thanks to its extraordinary architectural blend of tradition and modern buildings and the city plays host to Europe's largest skyscraper. .

The city is home to beautiful cathedrals, art galleries and many museums, many of which dot the river's banks. Frankfurt am Main also displays its own distinct style of contemporary and historical art and culture, ranging from antique sculptures to the Museum of Modern Art's semi-annual Change of Scenery exhibitions.

It is also home to one of the world's finest ballet ensembles and hosts international guest performances of the highest order on a regular basis. The city's numerous theatres and the concert house Alte Oper offer Frankfurt's stage aficionados and lovers of fine arts a comprehensive and diverse program of events. At the same time, Frankfurt am Main is a metropolis for techno and dance-floor music.

The Römer, Frankfurt's town hall and enduring symbol, displays full-length portraits of all 52 emperors of the Holy Roman Empire in a hall with a spectacular hand-carved wooden ceiling. Traditional half-timbered houses in the Romerberg Square look dramatic against the 21st-century skyline of the new Frankfurt, which now surrounds the Square. .

The center with its shopping streets, cafes, bars and market stalls makes it a fun place to relax and stroll. Just across the bridge, on the Southern side of the Main River, you will find Sachsenhausen with its renowned South-bank museums and famous Apple-Wine pubs, making it the part of Frankfurt most visitors remember best.

Sachsenhausen, believed to be the most elegant district of Frankfurt, boasts many charming cafes; wine bars, boutiques and vibrancy found nowhere else in the city. Sachsenhausen boasts the best and most entertaining flea market in Frankfurt, the banks of the river are covered with market stalls every Saturday morning offering the best bargains around
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The banks of the river, streets and squares of Frankfurt make ideal places for open-air events and over 100 folk festivals and street celebrations take place each year. Many of these traditional festivals can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages and have gained recognition well outside of Frankfurt's city districts. The array of festivals attracts over 20 million people annually and these numbers are increasing continuously.

Frankfurt also has many excellent restaurants, especially along the Grosser Bockenheimer Strasse, with its cafés, delis, and restaurants, makes deciding difficult! You can enjoy everything from traditional specialties like Tafelspitz (boiled beef), sausage, and potato dumplings to nouvelle cuisine.

Along the Zeil, one of Germany's busiest retail streets, you'll find great shopping and in the evening dance clubs, and music bars galore, the possibilities for nightlife are endless. Frankfurters love jazz, and the city offers more jazz clubs than many cities in America.

Because of its central location, Frankfurt makes for an ideal place to be based for excursions to places of interest outside of the city, including Heidelberg, Wiesbaden, Königstein, Kloster Eberbach, a monastery surrounded by vineyards, countless castles. Dusseldorf, Bonn and Koln are only two hours away by train. Frankfurt is truly an ideal place to study the language and if you wish, you can combine this program with a "split city" program with our school in Dusseldorf.

Sights

Alte Oper: ("Old Opera House"): Concert hall and conference centre, top cultural venue
Commerzbank building: Built in 1997 by star architect Sir Norman Foster
Goethe House: Birthplace of Germany's greatest poet
Hauptwache: Baroque guardhouse and prison of the former City Guard

Historischer Garten: Historical garden and Roman excavations from the 1C AD
Judengasse/Börneplatz: The excavations in "Jews Alley” have revealed the typical buildings of the former ghetto, incl. a mikvah ritual bath
Kaiserdom: Imperial cathedral where ten German emperors and kings were crowned
Kaisersaal: Banqueting hall of the German emperors and kings in the Römer complex
Paulskirche ("St Paul's"): In 1848 the site of Germany's first democratically-elected parliament
Römer: The city's Town Hall since the 15C
Römerberg: Frankfurt's historical city centre
Saalgasse: In 1986 a group of leading architects refurbished a medieval block of houses in the 80s style, creating an outstanding and acclaimed example of post-modernist architecture.
Sachsenhausen: District on the south side of the Main, famous for its traditional cider pubs