The Deutsche Bank Twin Towers anchor Frankfurt’s skyline and rank among the most photographed silhouettes in the city, framed on clear days against the ridge of the Taunus.
The two towers have become a favorite subject for panoramic photography from rooftops, parks, and observation decks across the city. Locals nicknamed them “Soll und Haben”, or “debit and credit” in English, in reference to the bank that calls them home.
I took this photo a long time ago from one of the skyscrapers in Frankfurt, and I recently found it by accident on the hard drive. I wonder why I never processed it. Maybe I was always focusing on a different view? Maybe I got distracted by other, flashier skylines?
The thing is, I really like this composition. The sky has a beautiful color above the iconic Deutsche Bank Twin Towers in the foreground, with the Taunus Hill Range in the far distance. It’s not the typical, urban perspective of Frankfurt, but rather a revelation of how the city is also surrounded by pure nature.
Taunus: real nature surrounding the concrete jungle
The Taunus is a low mountain range that begins barely 30 minutes from Frankfurt city center by train. Sometimes it’s hard to grasp that closeness to nature when you are inside one of Europe’s densest financial districts, until you see it in a panoramic photo like this.
For photographers, the Taunus offers a different kind of skyline shot altogether: hiking the Großer Feldberg (the range’s highest point) on a clear day and looking south, the entire Frankfurt skyline appears as a small cluster of towers on the horizon.
Maybe the Deutsche Bank Twin Towers are difficult to spot from there, but the slender, freestanding Europaturm is usually the easiest landmark to pick out thanks to its height.
Where to take panoramic photos in Frankfurt
Frankfurt is nicknamed “Mainhattan” for a reason, as few German cities pack this many high-rises into one compact center. However, for photographers who actually want to get up high, the options with real public access are limited.
You have the Main Tower, the only skyscraper in Frankfurt with a public observation deck and 360-degree views, making it the go-to spot for panoramic shots with the Europaturm visible to the north. Germany’s highest rooftop bar, the NFT Skybar, can also be the perfect spot at sunset with the right company and a drink in hand.
Interesting Frankfurt panoramas can also be taken for a small fee from the Domturm at the Dommuseum and from the Goetheturm with free access.
A few of Frankfurt’s most striking skyscrapers can only be photographed from the ground or from other high points, but they’re still essential to any skyline shot, such as the Deutsche Bank Twin Towers, the Commerzbank Tower, the Europaturm, the Opernturm, and the Trianon.
