Everything I read and everyone I talked to said to skip Frankfurt am Main. “It’s just a financial city,” they told me. And it’s true that Frankfurt is Europe’s financial capital but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth experiencing. The city is a contrast of old and new, business and leisure. And I found it absolutely charming during my four days experiencing the medieval and modern in Frankfurt.

If anything, Frankfurt am Main has a bit of an identity crisis. The massive hub is an epicenter for both tourists coming into Europe (and moving on just as quickly) and business travelers there for work. Most of the city is surprisingly modern and new, even though the plazas and parks have an old-world feel.

But don’t let any of that distract you. Frankfurt can be all of those things — businessy and touristy, medieval and modern — all at once, and those are the elements that make the German city so unique.

A Weekend of Medieval and Modern in Frankfurt

After a week of work and hunting for beer in Munich, we took the 3 hour train north to Frankfurt for more meetings and a few days of exploration. Everyone in our Munich office was shocked we chose to spend the weekend in Frankfurt. And I couldn’t find a lot about Frankfurt on travel sites or magazines, even though the famous city has tons of visitors. But that made me all the more curious to check it out.

So I spent the weekend in Frankfurt, walking along the beautiful river, the Main (pronounced “mine”) and weaving in between old squares and modern skyscrapers. The river and the skyscrapers inspired Frankfurt’s nickname, Mainhattan, a play on New York’s Manhattan (even though NYC has 243 more skyscrapers than Frankfurt!).

Once Upon A Medieval Old Town

Frankfurt’s Altstadt, or Old Town, was built on the remains of a Roman military camp dating back to 794. It eventually became the largest medieval city center in Germany and famous for its timbered houses. By the 1500s it was one of the most important cities in the Holy Roman Empire as the place where kings and emperors were crowned.

Unfortunately Frankfurt was bombed heavily during World War II and more than a thousand structures in Old Town were destroyed. Images of the city reduced to rubble in 1945 are unbelievable. Only a few buildings survived: the Frankfurt Cathedral, the Old St. Nicholas Church, the Haus Wertheim, and a few others.

The Modern Old Town (Alstadt)

But it’s easy to forget that while walking around Frankfurt’s Old Town. And that’s on purpose. Many of the buildings look identical to the way they did before the war — and centuries beyond. They are the result of a painstaking project to restore the city’s squares and centers to look like they did pre-WWII.

Most of Römerberg Square was reconstructed in the 1980s and the connecting alleyways only recently finished construction. Called the Dom-Römer Project, architects used old photos and blueprints to reconstruct 35 buildings in the Alstadt. The project was completed at the end of 2017, making these buildings some of the newest in Frankfurt!

Modern New Town (Innenstadt)

And the best part is the contrast between those old style buildings and what lays just blocks away: Frankfurt’s modern downtown full of skyscrapers. The Innenstadt has the most skyscrapers in Germany and puts the country on the map for some of the most in Europe. Some of Germany’s most expensive shopping and real estate is here, which is saying something considering it’s the most expensive city in Germany.

Medieval and Modern and Everything in Between

Those striking contrasts between Frankfurt’s two sides make the city a delight to explore. Curious about what to eat in Frankfurt and craving an old world feel? Head to the Sachsenhausen neighborhood, full of cobblestone streets and pubs serving local Apfelwein. Want modernity and, say, Japanese food? Go to the Innenstadt. (No seriously, go! The ramen in Frankfurt was some of the best I’ve had outside of Japan.)

Want serenity and peacefulness? Head to the Main to walk along its banks or watch boats on the river. Even better, head to a beer garden on the river! Whatever you want, Frankfurt has it for you.

Beers, Boats & Bridges

So that’s how I spent four days in Frankfurt, oscillating between the medieval old town and the modern downtown. One afternoon it was beers at the Römerberg Square followed by Frankfurt food at a downtown beer garden. The next it was frankfurters in Sachsenhausen for lunch and Vietnamese food in Innenstadt for dinner.

On our first night in Frankfurt, after eating our fill of Bavarian food in Munich, we hunted down a ramen shop. The ramen was not only amazing, but I learned it pairs fabulously with German beer!

Later that night, after having Schöfferhofer beers on boat anchored on the Main, we walked along the river and over one of the 8 bridges that connect the city’s two sides. People packed along the bridges were staring at the sky. Turns out we happened to catch a total lunar eclipse (one of this century’s longest) as it hit its full point. That has to mean good luck, right?!

I think Frankfurt isn’t as famous as Munich or Berlin because it doesn’t immediately conjure up images of Oktoberfest or a historical wall. And, without as much history as either place, Frankfurt is unfairly deemed skippable. But the contrast of medieval and modern there makes up for it. Yes, there isn’t a ton to do there, but for a few days, Frankfurt is worth a visit.

Up Next: What to do in Frankfurt, Foods to eat in Frankfurt, and more on that delicious bowl of ramen.