Audio tour Frankfurt - Cafes, shops and other treats

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Updated 04.08.2024

The suggestions below follow the same route as the Voicemap audio tour for Frankfurt, plus a few extra hints and tips. If you spot a change, perhaps a new cafe you tried and liked, please, do leave a comment.

Listings

Key to listings: D - dining, C - cafe/coffee, Vg - vegan, TG - to go, W - wine
Along the tour route:

C Einsteins - (Römerberg 32) A bit like Starbucks, but it’s German, and very conveniently placed on the old town square. It keeps longer hours than most cafes in the area from 8am - 9pm.

C Kaffeehaus Goldene Waage (Markt 5) This is in the beautiful renaissance house, just opposite the cathedral. Cake and coffee are good, service slow (not going to lie to you) but this is all about seeing the beautiful renovations within. The cafe is also attached to the Friedrich-Stoltze Museum, free entry, which you will find when visiting the bathrooms!

D C Vg Metropol Kaffeeaus am Dom (Weckmarkt 13-15) I have an affection for this place. Home cooked food, great cakes and a garden that’s an absolute sun-trap out back! (Vegetarian and vegan goods too)

D Wirthaus am Hühnermarkt (Markt 16- 18, Hühnermarkt) In the heart of the New Old Town, the Wirthaus has a menu of traditional Frankfurt food and the quality is high. The pricing is a little higher too, but the setting is lovely and worth it.

C Hoppenworth & Ploch Altstadt (Markt 22, on the Hühnermarkt) Local coffee roaster. For those who like a flat white, this is the place to head to in the Old Town. Of course they have other drinks too!

W Balthasar Ress (Markt 13a, Hühnermarkt) Were you paying attention on the tour? Balthasar’s Weinbar is in the baroque, Grüne Linden, house on the Chicken Market! Balthasar’s produces it’s own wine close to Frankfurt in the Rheingau region. VDP quality wines that are worth trying. For a quick crib sheet on German wine terms, check out this link!

TG Metzgerei Dey - (Markt 13, Hühnermarkt) want to snack like locals do, whilst on the go? Grab a sausage from Dey’s. A family run delicatessen, here in Frankfurt since 1930.

D Badias Shirn Cafe Bar (Schirn Kunsthalle, btw Coronation Way and Bendergasse) Situated above the Coronation Way, Badias has a great selection of freshly prepared salads and dishes with a Mediterranean flair. Although not strictly gluten-free, it is possible to work around the menu and avoid gluten ingredients.

W C Wineschirn (Römerberg 8, directly opposite the U-bahn escalators, exit Römer) ) Another one of my favourites, Weinschirn has a lovely selection of German wines and a few from other lands too. Noted also for the delicious Flammkuchen and small plates of ham and cheese if you’re feeling peckish!)

C ConduitCouture (Fahrtor 1, by Haus Wertheim) On the way to the Iron bridge, queue up here and grab a fine piece of cake or a home made ice-cream. This patisserie makes all the classics, including the famous Frankfurter Kranz, a vanilla sponge with butter cream, jam and a nutty croquant. You can also buy packs of Bethmannchen here - the traditional Frankfurt, baked marzipan treats.

Schirn Art Gallery (Römerberg) modern art gallery offering alternating exhibitions. Check the website for details)

Kaisersaal (entrance on Limpurgergasse. Daily 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm) The Kaisersaal contains 19th century portraits of all the Holy Roman Emperors. As you walked along Limpurgergasse, after seeing the eavedropping man and cat, you might have noticed a sign on the side wall of the town hall. It’s the entrance point to the Kaisersaal. Walk through the gates, turn right and walk up the the ornate stairwell to gain entrance.

Other recommendations

Not on the tour, but very close by
Braubachstrasse has quite a few cafes, and a couple of antique stores, and is worth exploring, a few highlights are below:
Key to listings: D - dining, C - cafe/coffee, Vg - vegan, TG - to go, W - wine

Handwerkkunst Frankfurt (Braubachstrasse 39 ) If you are looking for traditional German wooden decorations and souvenirs, this shop is close to the Römerberg.

C Iimori (Braubachstrasse 20) The best patisserie in Frankfurt for French bakery specialities and Japanese specialities too.

Fotographie Forum Frankfurt (Braubachstrasse 30-32) A small gallery for photography enthusiasts.

C D Margerete (Braubachstrasse 18) Good for lunch and afternoon coffee and cake. Sit out front and watch the world go by. IMO not so great for dinner.

C Zart & Bitter (Braubachstrasse 14) One for the chocolics! A shop selling all manner of chocolates!

MMK (Domstrasse 10) Museum of Modern Art. On the corner of Braubachstr. and Domstr. When they say modern art, they mean it. This is also the site of Mehl.wasser.salz an excellent bakery, selling light breakfasts and lunches too - with vegetarian options.

Ice-cream
There are lots of ice-cream vendors around the old town but one stands out as better quality than the rest:

C Condit Couture (Fahrtor 1) A lovely konditorei that also sells ice-cream in the summer months.

Kleinmarkthalle

Kleinmarkthalle (Hasengasse 5 -7) The indoor market has take out, wine, coffee and lots more. It’s a Frankfurt institution and locals hang out at Rollanderhof Wein on the 1st floor. It ‘s a very short walk from the old town. There is a second entrance from Ziegelgasse.

Jewish history in Frankfurt

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Frankfurt has a Jewish history dating back to at least the 12th century and there is some excellent information on the web to guide you to key cultural sites within Frankfurt, http://en.juedisches-frankfurt.de/
 
There are two museums in Frankfurt city centre dedicated to Jewish heritage in the city, both offering extensive information in English as well as German. The museum of the Jewish Ghetto, Batonnstrasse 47, displays the original foundation stones of the Frankfurt ghetto, first built in 1462. The Jewish Museum Frankfurt, Bertha-Pappenheim-Platz 1, has exhibits detailing Jewish life in Frankfurt from the 1800’s onwards.
In addition to these two central museums, is the Bildungsstätte Anne Frank, a small exhibit dedicated to Anne Frank, whose family lived in Frankfurt until they moved to Amsterdam to avoid the persecution of the National Socialist regime. This museum is easily accessible by taking the U-bahn (1,2,3 or 8) to Dornbusch. During my last visit they were exhibiting the original diary of Anne Frank.

An exhibit from the Bildungsstätte - Anne Frank in Frankfurt

An exhibit from the Bildungsstätte - Anne Frank in Frankfurt

As well as the information listed on web about Frankfurt Jewish culture there are some additional places to visit which have a Jewish connection. Up near the old opera house is the Rothschildpark, situated on land where the Rothschild's once lived. A placard by the park entrance, on Bockenheimer Landstraße, offers information and photos about the family home that once stood there.

Not far from Konstablerwache is a remnant of the old city wall, the Staufenmauer, dating back to the 12th century. It's also the north entrance to what used to be the Jewish ghetto, first constructed in 1462 and, up until 1815, Jewish residents were confined to living there. Today nothing exists of the old ghetto but walk through the old north entrance and head south towards the Jewish ghetto museum (Museum Judengasse) and you will be treading the path of where the ghetto used to stand.

Staufenmauer, the 12th century city wall and the entrance to the Jewish ghetto.

Staufenmauer, the 12th century city wall and the entrance to the Jewish ghetto.

As you reach the Jewish ghetto museum, on the south east corner of Kurt-Schumacher-Straße and Battonstraße, look out for some brass plates laid into the ground with house names on them, e.g. Goldenes Schaf. The brass plates outline where some of the ghetto houses previously stood and are part of the museum exhibit. The entrance to the Jewish ghetto museum is 30 metres along Battonstraße and it is the ideal place to visit for more information about life in the ghetto.
Next door to the museum, is the old Jewish cemetery, in use from the 1200's through to the 1800's. Around the cemetery walls are listed almost 12,000 names, the names of the Jewish Frankfurt citizens murdered during the holocaust. Follow the wall to the south side and into the Neue Borne Platz, previously the old Jewish market place, today it is a permanent place of remembrance. If you wish to enter the cemetery a key can beborrowed from the museum, but only on production of a valid ID card.

A name from the Jewish cemetery wall memorial.

A name Block from the Jewish cemetery wall memorial.

This link also gives details of the other two Jewish cemeteries in Frankfurt, which are both accessible via a short ride on the U-bahn.    

In the heart of the old town, on Römerberg stands the Alte Nikolaikirche. Step inside and notice the colourful stained glass windows in the south wall and one to the west. These windows formerly belonged to Carl von Weinberg. Born into a Jewish family in the 1880's he converted to the evangelical faith however, because of his Jewish beginnings, the National Socialist regime reclassified Carl von Weinberg and forced him to sell his estate. The window's creator,  Lena von Schauroth, took the windows for save keeping and in 1951 permission was given for the windows to be installed in the Alte Nikolaikirche. Another relic from the von Weinberg estate is the Florentine fountain, an original 16th century renaissance sculpture which can be found in the Wallanlage park, next to the Nebbiensches Gartenhaus.

The Wollheim memorial in the Goethe University grounds, Frankfurt.

The Wollheim memorial in the Goethe University grounds, Frankfurt.

The Goethe University grounds in the Westend, house the Wollheim memorial, dedicated to slave labourers forced to work at IG Farben during the second world war. The main university building is the former IG Farben headquarters. The public are free to walk around the university grounds which connect up with the Grüneburgpark, and the Botanical Gardens.

Heidelberg audio tour - cafes and other recommendations!

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Heidelberg audio tour - cafes and other recommendations!

What makes Heidelberg so unique? Why does it feel so different to other German towns? Walking along the narrow streets you will hear how French troops burned Heidelberg to the ground and then about its re-birth as a baroque city, "beautiful and straight". The baroque features of the buildings then spring to life all around, as do the hidden remnants of the former medieval Heidelberg. Discover why there are so many madonnas in Heidelberg often perched above looking down upon the busy shoppers below and what the bronze monkey represents.

Student life features strongly in Germanys oldest university city:

- a student union canteen in an old medieval stable, - a dedicated student prison, - a new university building built around an old medieval witches tower, - a library in the architectural wilhelmian style, - famous students, both good and bad.

Heidelberg didn't escape the effects of World War Two either. Discover the book burning memorial and and stumble stones and the site of the old jewish synagogue, and who actually blew up the old bridge. Discover the influence the Americans have on this city too, both before and during the war.
Download the Voicemap tour and start discovering and exploring!

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A walk (or cycle) from Fechenheim to Rumpenheim

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Fresh air and feeling at one with nature away from the noise and bustle of city life. This stretch of the River Main is particularly beautiful with weeping willows gracing the river banks and, at arrival in Rumpenheim, a small “Schloss” in the heart of this quiet town.

Getting there

Simply take the number 11 tram (direction - Schießhüttenstraße) and alight at Arthur-von-Weinberg-Steg, also listed as Fechenheim Post on google maps, where the pedestrian bridge takes you over to the other side of the river and where the walk begins.

This area is away from any roads, the only noise pollution is that of the birds. Some people like to take a picnic and find a sunny spot along the river bank to enjoy the peace and quiet. The route mapped out is simple, just follow the river bank to Rumpenheim.

For an interactive map use this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1zIaIRHLtRwx7z_kCd7LznQSlXpDcyfwD&usp=sharing

For an interactive map use this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1zIaIRHLtRwx7z_kCd7LznQSlXpDcyfwD&usp=sharing

Rumpenheim

Rumpenheim is a quiet place. The highlight is the old Schloss, was founded in 1678 as a manor house and in the late 1700 extended to become the building recognised today. The Schloss is divided up into private apartments, but it’s park is a public area. Rumpenheim is home to many artists, and one weekend a year artists open their doors for the Rumpenheimer-Kunsttage, taking place on the 18th & 19th September 2021. Check the link for more information and possible changes due to CoVid restrictions.

Route to the Rumpenheimer und Bürgeler Kiesgrube

Taking the small streets out Rumpenheim will lead you past riding stables and towards the Rumpenheimer and Bürgeler Kiesgrube, a nature conservation area. It’s also home to a pond that is open to the public for bathing.

Heading back to Frankfurt

From here it’s an easy stroll back to the river bank and the Arthur-von-Weinberg-Steg o catch the number 11 back into Frankfurt city centre. If you are on your bike, head back to the river bank and follow the river, on the southside, for a beautiful ride back towards Frankfurt (the northside of the Main is very industrial and not worth following).

How to download and use Voicemap for your Walk-Frankfurt audio tours

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How to...

download and use Voicemap

In conjunction with the Walk-Frankfurt audio guided tours, here is a how-to guide on downloading and using the voicemap app.

How does VoiceMap work?
VoiceMap uses your phone’s GPS to play commentary automatically. Once you have the Voicemap app and have downloaded an audio tour, plug in your earphones, press start , and put your phone away. A voice will tell you where to go, and the next part of the story will only play once you move on. You can walk at your own pace, and stop for pictures along the way. Just listen out for directions, and if you can’t remember where to go, take a look at the map on your screen.

 How do I install the app?
You can download the app for Android devices in the Google Play Store, and iPhone in the App Store. Just search “VoiceMap” and look out for the red headphones icon. Once it’s installed, sign up.

 Why do I have to sign up?
Once you download a VoiceMap tour, it’s yours forever. You need to have an account so that you can access your tours. 

Do I have to be near a WiFi network?
You can use WiFi or data to download the app and the tour. Wait for all the files to download, and then you can disconnect and turn off your mobile data. All the audio files and maps will work offline. Make sure you don’t put your phone on airplane mode. That turns your GPS off, so nothing will play.

 How much does the app cost?
The app is free to download. Frankfurt tours are individually priced, starting at $4.99.

 How do I play the audio tracks?
Don’t worry about it! VoiceMap will take care of all that. You don’t need to manually play, pause or skip to the next track. The app does all of that for you.

How do I start?
Once the tour has finished downloading, just press start and the tour will begin right away. If nothing is playing:
- check you are on the right tour,
- check you are close enough to the start point. Voicemap tells you how many meters to the start point and starts automatically once you arrive.

What's my password?
It’s the password you entered when you signed up to the Voicemap App. If you can’t remember, you can reset it at the website (voicemap.me) or in the app.

 Can I listen to a route I’ve downloaded more than once? Do routes expire?
Once you download a tour, it’s yours to keep. You can delete it from your phone, and still
re-download it at any time in the future.

 Nothing is playing! What do I do?
Check the following:

1. Is your GPS turned on? VoiceMap needs GPS to be enabled to play audio.
2. Is your phone on airplane mode? If yes, turn it off. Airplane mode disables your GPS.
3. Have you allowed VoiceMap to access your location? If not, go to your location settings and allow the app to use your location.
4. Did you allow all the tracks to download completely?
5. Is your volume turned up, and are your earphones working properly?

 Can I stop a tour?
You can stop whenever you like. The tour will resume automatically when you reach the next point of interest. Just make sure you don’t close the app, or you’ll have to start from the beginning. Remember that when you start walking again, it’ll carry on automatically, so put your earphones in before you get going.

Are there other tours?
As well as the Walk-Frankfurt walking tours, VoiceMap offers tours in over 45 cities, each one unique and created by passionate locals. You can browse the city list to see what’s available.

Frankfurt New Altstadt

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In September 2018 Frankfurt celebrated the official opening of the "new" Altstadt. This incredible development reflects architectural styles spanning six centuries. Of the 35 buildings which make up this new quarter, 15 of the houses have been authentically recreated whilst the other 20 properties have a modern contemporary style. The whole project was funded by the city costing 200 million euros and was over 12 years in the making.

Pre-war the old town was an area of 28,000m² and was the most expansive medieval old town in Germany. However, on March 22nd 1944, the bombs rained down. The timber-framed, medieval houses, were not able to withstand the fires, resulting in 80% of the old town being destroyed.

Frankfurt wanted to rebuild itself as a modern city and by 1974 the Technische Rathhaus (technical town hall) took pride of place between the cathedral and the Römerberg. However, there was little love for the building’s brutalist architecture so when it was voiced that the building was to be demolished, the locals wasted no time in petitioning for a sympathetic redevelopment of the old town to represent what stood here before the war. 

Today the old town is 7,000m² and is only a quarter of it's previous size. The new development brings back to life former times from the Romans, to the Kaiserpfalz of the earliest Holy Roman Emperors, and the centuries of architecture that followed.

Underneath the Stadthaus, and open for the public to view, lay the old Roman ruins, walls of the former Kaiserpfalz and some of the earliest medieval cellars.

Two of the old trading yards, Hinter dem Lämmchen and Hof zum Rebstock have been beautifully re-crafted, and after 70 years of being blocked, the Coronation Way, Krönungs Weg, is once again a thoroughfare for the public to retrace the steps of the newly crowned Holy Roman Emperors from the cathedral to the Römerberg.

The Hühnermarkt is the hub of the quarter, with the gothic Neue Rotes Haus ready to house "schirns" of yester-year and the Esslinger Haus, with it's reference to Tante Melber, an aunt of Germany's most famous author Johann Wolfgang Goethe. The baroque Grüne Linden, on the south side of the market place, houses the Balthasar Wein Bar offering quality German wines to thirsty passers-by. Meanwhile, on the east side, a row of classicist housing has been recreated. In the centre of the Hühnermarkt stands the fountain dedicated to Friedrich Stoltze, a local satirist and activist of the 1848 democratic movement.

The most outstanding house, the Goldene Waage (the Golden Scales) stands opposite the cathedral. It cost €8 million to authentically recreate both inside and out. This replica 17th century renaissance house is to be managed by the Historical Museum and is open to the public as a cafe and it also has internal access to the Stoltze Museum next door, in house Weisser Bock..  

Take some time to explore the new town. Better still, come on a Walk-Frankfurt tour and get the full details and stories of what life was really like here throughout the centuries.

A day out at the Frankfurt zoo(s)

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Frankfurt has two zoos which are open every day of the year. Even in winter they offer a great day out with plenty of indoor exhibits as well as the outdoor pens where the animals roam.

The City Zoo

Located just 1 km east of the city centre the city zoo has it own U-bahn stop, "Zoo" on the number 6 and 7 lines and tram number 14 also stops right outside.

The zoo houses 450 species of animals and birds, including Kumar and Vanni, the lion and lioness. There's a monkey house, an exotic bird house and even peacocks strut freely around the grounds. A bonus for those with young children is the opportunity to hire a pull-along cart (3€), which is ideal for carrying backpacks and even tired children and there is a special petting area with goats and sheep. The zoo has various pit-stops offering snacks and drinks along the way and an indoor cafe.

The "animal of the month" feature showcases an animal each month and has special events such as supervised feeding times and information sessions by the keeper. Regular daily feeding times for the other animals is detailed on-line, http://www.zoo-frankfurt.de/ihr-zoo-besuch/fuetterungszeiten/ 

The zoo website offers some basic details in English, such as entrance fees and visiting times. Late night opening until 8pm is available on the last Friday of every month (except December). During the late night opening you can wander round at your leisure or join a tour (in German) which is themed each month. All this with a special 2€ price reduction on the regular entrance fee.  

Opel Zoo

Opel Zoo is located in Kronberg, a 15 minute drive outside of Frankfurt. Easily accessed by car, it can also be reached by taking the S4 train from Frankfurt to Kronberg Bahnhof and then either the bus lines 261, X26 and X27 to the bus stop "Opel-Zoo".

The zoo is set out in a large park, which is perfect for a gentle stroll through all the themed areas. A highlight at the Opel Zoo is feeding the animals. The zoo sells small packs of food and actively encourages the feeding of various animals. At the elephant house you might be lucky to see the elephant holding his trunk straight up in the air, as a sign he wants another carrot!

There is a lot to see here, the elephant house, the giraffe house, a petting zoo with sheep, goats, ponies and donkeys, and lots of other species. For young children there is even the opportunity for a pony or camel ride. Throughout the park are kiosks offering refreshment. The Sambesi cafe has great views across the park, or you can even bring your own food and make use of the picnic facilities provided.  

A day out in Bad Homburg

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Bad Homburg, spa town to royalty and Russian nobility during the 19th century, is a short train ride from Frankfurt (train details details below). It's a great place to spend the day enjoying the beautiful Kurpark, the Schloss Homburg gardens, the great variety of architecture, and the numerous cafes and restaurants for refreshment.

Bad Homburg Kurpark

In the 19th century, the Russian nobility flocked to Bad Homburg to enjoy the spa baths and casino located in the Kurpark, a beautiful park landscaped by Peter Joseph Lenné and lovingly maintained to this day. The park has a Russian orthodox church and two Siamese temples. The first Buddhist temple, inaugurated in 1914, was sent as a gift by King Chulalongkorn of Siam. Later in 2007 the Thai royal family sent another temple to commemorate the long standing ties between the town and Thailand. Back in the 1800's the German royal family constructed a spa house in the park. The Kur Royal Day Spa, is still open to the public and and there is also the more modern Taunus Therme baths. After the Kurpark wander along the streets nearby e.g. Landgrafenstraße towards the high street, which are filled with fine examples of art nouveau architecture.

Bad Homburg High Street

Bad Homburg high street (starting at the southern end of Louisenstraße) is pedestrianised, which makes for a pleasant, traffic free stroll up toward Schloss Homburg. There are plenty of places to grab a coffee and have a break, of particular note is Eiscafe De Pellegrin, Louisenstraße 9, serving excellent ice-creams. Don't forget to check the side streets for some 'off the beaten track' restaurants (Audenstraße has quite a few).

Schloss Homburg

At the northern end of the high street is the Schloss Homburg, the summer residence of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Today, the gardens are open to visitors and the main entrance is on Dorotheenstraße. Beside the main entrance is the Erlöserkirche, commissioned by the Kaiser, with a lavish interior presenting a mix of byzantine and art nouveau styles.

Edward VII was a regular guest at the Schloss and is credited with making famous the Homburg hat, which is still produced in Bad Homburg today. The original Homburger Hutsalon (hatters shop),  is on Rathausstraße 8, in a beautiful 16th century building, surrounded by other beautifully restored timber-framed houses. 

If you enjoy architecture, on returning back to the station, instead of walking along the high street, take the route along Dorotheenstraße, starting at the Schloss, and enjoy the lovely examples of 18th century Baroque housing. Along the way is the beautiful church of St. Marien.

Trains to Bad Homburg and map

Bad Homburg can be reached in 21 minutes by taking the S5 from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (or directly from Frankfurt city centre at Hauptwache and Konstablerwache) Trains run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes at weekends. A single ticket costs 4,80€, a day card costs 9,35€ or, if there is between two to five people travelling, a group card is only 16,40€ (prices correct as from June 2017) If you have a Frankfurt travel-card, you will need to pay a 2,95€ supplement each way. The Bad Homburg tourist information web page has lots of additional information.

Bad Homburg - click on map will enlarge it and this link is the searchable web version.