Frankfurt am Main is Germany‘s financial capital, sitting on the river Main in Hessen and home to the European Central Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and one of the busiest international airports in Europe. The skyline locals call “Mainhattan” rises a short walk from the medieval Römerberg square and the reconstructed Old Town. Goethe was born here in 1749.
Frankfurt Skyline
The skyline is the reason I keep coming back. I fell in love with it years ago, and whenever a trip brings me to Frankfurt I find a way up to a high vantage.
On one of those visits I went up the Main Tower earlier than planned and decided to put the sun directly in the centre of the frame. It was a risky move that could easily have collapsed into a black silhouette. To hold both the sun and the buildings I shot nine exposures in steps of one EV and merged them. The sky behind the towers came out close to an explosion.
Main Tower
The Main Tower opened in January 2000. At 200 metres it is one of the tallest buildings in Germany, with a public observation deck on the 56th floor at 198 metres, reached by 26 of the fastest elevators in the country. It houses Helaba (Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen) along with other banks.
For my birthday one year, Daria booked us a trip to Frankfurt because she knew how much I liked the city. On that visit the weather turned: too windy for a tripod, but the sky was doing something I could not pass on. Bright sun fought heavy rain clouds at the horizon, the kind of front you usually only see from a plane. I shot it handheld.
Commerzbank Tower
The Commerzbank Tower stands at 257 metres, or 300 metres including the antenna. It was completed in 1997 and held the title of tallest skyscraper in the European Union until 2012. From the Main Tower’s observation deck, it is the building your eye lands on first, especially after dark when the yellow illumination cuts through the rest of the skyline.
I photographed it at night with a full moon behind, exposing for two seconds at f/8 from a tripod on the Main Tower platform. From the same vantage you also see the Main river, the older roofs of the historic centre, and the rest of the cluster of bank towers that earned the city its Mainhattan nickname.
European Central Bank
The ECB has been responsible for the monetary policy of the eurozone since 1998 and moved into its current headquarters in the Ostend district in 2014. The blue Euro sculpture with twelve yellow stars is the most photographed symbol of the institution.
I came across the Euro sign without planning to, and I will admit I had a bit of a goosebump moment. I studied economics, so I know the common currency is something you can argue about for hours. Standing in front of that sculpture I just felt grateful for the practical version of Europe that lets me cross borders with a passport in my pocket, and lets Daria move from Poland to Berlin without paperwork.
Römerberg
Römerberg is the medieval square at the heart of the Old Town, named after the Römer, a complex of half-timbered buildings that has served as Frankfurt’s town hall for more than 600 years. The Fountain of Justice stands in the centre, and the Ostzeile, the row of reconstructed gabled houses on the eastern side, gives the square its postcard silhouette. Christmas market stalls fill it every December.
Most of Frankfurt’s medieval Old Town was destroyed in the Allied bombing raids of 1944. The area between Römerberg and the cathedral stayed half-empty for decades until the Neue Altstadt project reopened it in 2018, with fifteen historical reconstructions and twenty new buildings on the original street grid.
Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen sits on the southern bank of the Main. The Museumsufer along the riverside strings together more than a dozen museums in a single kilometre. Behind it, the inner district is the home of Frankfurt’s Apfelwein (apple wine) culture, with traditional taverns serving the local cider in ribbed glass jugs called Bembel. The Eiserner Steg footbridge back across the river gives one of the cleanest skyline views in the city and the Commerzbank Tower.
Goethe House
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt in 1749, in the family house on the Großer Hirschgraben a few streets north of Römerberg. The original was destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt after the war from surviving plans and salvaged interior pieces. The Goethe House and the adjoining Goethe Museum are open to the public, with rooms furnished in the style of an upper-middle-class Frankfurt household of the late 18th century.
When to Visit Frankfurt
Spring and early autumn are the easiest months for walking the city: long days, mild weather, good light at sunrise and sunset. Late November through December is the other strong window, when the Christmas market fills Römerberg and the Old Town glows in the early dark. February, when I shot most of these pictures, is cold and unpredictable but rewards you with dramatic skies between fronts. Summer is often hazy enough to flatten the skyline from a distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Frankfurt?
Two full days cover the centre at a relaxed pace: the Main Tower observation deck, Römerberg and the reconstructed Old Town, the Goethe House, the Museumsufer, and an evening in Sachsenhausen. A third day lets you add a museum, the ECB in the Ostend, or a day trip to the Rheingau wine region.
Can you go up the Main Tower?
Yes. The Main Tower has a public observation deck on the 56th floor at 198 metres. It is one of the few skyscrapers in Frankfurt that opens its top floor to visitors. Tickets are sold on site, and opening hours extend in summer. A clear evening close to sunset is the best window for photographs.
What is Frankfurt’s Old Town like?
The medieval Old Town was largely destroyed in 1944. Römerberg was rebuilt soon after the war, and the Neue Altstadt between Römerberg and the cathedral was completed in 2018, with 15 historical reconstructions and 20 new buildings on the original street grid. It feels very different from the financial district a few blocks north.
How do you get around Frankfurt?
The centre is small enough to walk. For longer distances, the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and tram network covers the city densely, with day tickets valid on all of them. Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is the main rail hub, with frequent ICE trains to most German cities. The airport is 15 minutes from the centre by S-Bahn.
What is “Mainhattan”?
Mainhattan is the local nickname for the Frankfurt skyline, blending the Main river with Manhattan. Frankfurt is one of the few cities in continental Europe with a true cluster of skyscrapers, anchored by the European Central Bank, the Bundesbank, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
When is the Frankfurt Christmas Market?
The Frankfurt Christmas Market runs from late November through the 22nd of December, centred on Römerberg and spilling into the surrounding squares. Exact dates shift each year. Early evenings just after the lights come on are the best window for photographs.
Is Frankfurt good for photography?
Yes, especially for skyline and architecture work. The Main Tower observation deck gives a clear view across the financial district, and the Eiserner Steg footbridge offers the classic riverside angle. The contrast between the towers north of the river and the Old Town below makes for layered compositions. February and December give the most dramatic light.
