We get bored very easy on weekends. We welcome them with wide open arms, but after breakfast and a little playtime, we’re antsy to get out of the house. Owen is the first to get bored. He’ll bring us our shoes as a ploy to get us out the door. To beat the boredom, a few weekends ago we took a short train ride to Frankfurt. We have been to the airport more times than we can count but we’d never seen the city itself.
It is more modern than most cities in Germany. We were discussing the last time we saw real skyscrapers and though these are hardly considered skyscrapers, they looked huge to us. The city is Germany’s trade and banking capital and most of the high risers are bank headquarters.
The Hauptwache is a great shopping and pedestrian area just past the forest of skyscrapers. It’s a busy little street with lots of eat, plenty of stores, and huge shopping mall. We got currywurst and pommes from a food stand and people watched while Owen napped.
Just around the corner is the city’s Old Town and the market square. It’s where the first trade fairs were held in the 12th century. Holy Roman Emperors celebrated their coronations in the Town Hall which now houses the offices of the mayor and the city council. My, how times have changed.
I admit that all the churches in Europe start to look the same after three years of living here, but the German half-timbered buildings always catch my eye. These fellas catch my eye too.
We took a walk across the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Main River. It had an interesting view of the city center with the Old Town in front of the bank district.
Owen found the “gucks” and boats on the water very entertaining.
We let the little firecracker stretch his legs on the short walk to St. Paul’s Church. He’s a huge help with the stroller and takes his job very seriously.
St. Paul’s Church is no longer a church. It used to be but it has a hearty history. It’s known as the “cradle of German democracy” because in 1848 the first freely elected National Assembly met and the first German Constitution was drafted. It was destroyed by Allied bombs and rebuilt. It’s not much more than a patchwork brick building, but it had some interesting information and displays inside.
Also, what you see in the above pictures are the only evidence of it that I have. Whoops.
Before going back to the train station, we took an elevator to the top floor of the Galleria Kaufhof (the shopping mall) to take in the view. There is a large cafeteria with outdoor seating and the food looked amazing, but we didn’t have the time to fight the lines.
If you’re new to Germany, Frankfurt is definitely worth a visit. If you’ve been here a while and done a lot of traveling, it’s an easy day trip if you need a way to spend your day, but lower your expectations. If you’ve seen Cologne or the Mosel and Rhine regions, you might be a underwhelmed. There is a Chipotle here which sweetens the deal for any homesick, displaced Americans visiting the city.
Congrats to my fellow mil spouses for surviving mustache March. It’s over! We made it! Pucker up, baby. 🙂