Michaela & Matthew
Things To Do
Zoo Frankfurt
One of the oldest zoos in the world is also an unexpectedly peaceful escape in the middle of the city. As Michaela has a lifelong love and knowledge of animals and zoos, this naturally was first activity she did in Frankfurt. She found numerous animals she had not seen at US zoos. It’s the perfect low-key afternoon activity (especially for families); as such, we're doing it as a jet lag activity on the day of our arrival (the Tuesday prior to the wedding).
Historical Museum Frankfurt
As history buffs, we spent hours in this museum, which covers Frankfurt’s evolution from medieval trading hub to modern financial capital through interactive exhibits and 100 objects that define the city. Even though Frankfurt projects a modern facade with its skyscraper district, this museum gives perspective on the thousand plus years of history preceding it.
Senckenberg Nature Museum
The Senckenberg is a must-visit if you enjoy or are even a bit curious about natural history. We particularly liked the dinosaur fossils, hall of (stuffed) birds, and exhibit on deep sea life. The museum itself is large enough to explore for a few hours without feeling overwhelming.
Main River Walk
The paths and parks on both banks of the Main River were one of our favorite parts of our stay in Frankfurt. They’re perfect for morning jogs or bike rides, sunset walks, or picnics in the park. Matt even joined a Meetup group and befriended locals for weekly walks and outdoor hangouts at Maincafe!
Sachsenhausen
Our favorite neighborhood in Frankfurt was also adjacent to where we lived in Frankfurt Süd. It’s a mix of trendy boutiques and restaurants along with old school Apfelweingastätte (Frankfurt‘s version of a brauhaus that makes their own Apfelwein) and a lively bar district in the oldest part. Our favorite spots included Cafe Under Pressure for coffee, Lokalbahnhof for dinner, and Alte Liebe for late night hangouts (quirky pub with occasional variety shows and friendly locals whom Matt occasionally tried speaking German with).
Kleinmarkthalle
This indoor food market offers a mix of prepared foods, produce, meats, and cheeses from around the world. Open until 6pm, it's a good lunch spot for visitors with varying culinary tastes, and there's even a wine bar on the second floor that gets lively in the late afternoon. Don’t miss the local sausage stands along the perimeter, particularly the Schreiber butcher stand where locals and tourists queue up for four types of old school würst!
Cologne (Köln)
Only 90 mins away by train from Frankfurt, Köln is home to Germany's most visited landmark, the Cologne Cathedral. It's hard to miss at 517 ft tall, making it the tallest Catholic Church in Europe, and the climb to the top rewards with panoramic views along the Rhine (although Matt couldn't convince Michaela that the view was worth all those steps). As a beer enthusiast, Matt appreciates the unique local drinking culture where Kolsch (a light ale unique to Köln) is consumed in 0.2L glasses instead of steins (one of our first dates was a Chicago based Kolsch fest). Watchful Kobes (bartenders) immediately replace empty glasses with fresh ones until you tap out by covering your glass with the coaster. As a chocolate enthusiast, Michaela insisted that we go to the Lindt Chocolate Museum during our visit. This museum guides you through in-depth chocolate history/economics exhibits with many chances to taste test, including one where robot arms dispense chocolate at the push of a button!
Bonn
Only 2 hours by train from Frankfurt (or 20 min from Köln), this small city on the Rhine River is most well known as home to Beethoven and the capital of West Germany from 1949 until reunification in the 1990s. Our day in Bonn was spent satiating our math nerd interests at the Arithmeum (where else would an accountant and actuary want to go)! This math museum traces the development of the calculating machine from abacus to modern computers through a private collection of devices. Many of the calculating machines are interactive and have instructions too (in German, but math is a universal language!). It was only fitting we capped our visit with a picture in front of the wall of calculators!
Nuremberg
This city is the largest in Germany's Franconia region and only two hours by high speed rail from Frankfurt. Well before its international war criminal trials post World War II, it was a medieval center for the Holy Roman Empire with a famous imperial castle on top of a hill and old town below. Matt's favorite activity was a tour of the Historische Felsengänge, a labyrinth of underground 14th century vaults/tunnels where Nuremberg's famous rotbier (red beer) was brewed and stored. We would be amiss to also not mention the haunted history of Nuremberg's Nazi past from the rally grounds to site of the postwar trials and recommend paying homage to past atrocities.
Bamberg
Matt considers this one of Germany's most beautiful towns which is an easy 30 minute train ride from Nuremberg. Its Old Town features over 2,000 timber buildings along the River Regnitz and canals with a floating Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). Beyond the beauty that makes it a UNESCO world heritage site, Bamberg is a pilgrimage site for beer aficionados for its famous Rauchbier (smoked beer). Matt recommends stops at Schlenkerla, the most well known Rauchbier brewer, and Klosterbrau Bamberg before working it off by exploring the very hilly town.
Hamburg
Matt and Michaela ventured to this Northern German port city 3 hours by train from Frankfurt for a weekend trip and enjoyed its many eclectic activities and sites. Our starting point was the Spreicherstadt, a Victorian era warehouse district on Amsterdam like canals. It contained our favorite activity, the Minatur Wunderland! We initially dismissed the world's largest model railway as a tourist trap before spending 4 hours immersed in details of mini America, Monaco F1 race, a working airport, and more! Nearby, Matt fumbled his way through a German tour of the Kaffeemuseum complete with a guided coffee tasting while Michaela befriended penguins at the Zoo. We also braved a guided walking tour of the infamous Reeperbahn party street, where The Beatles launched their career, with a stop at a secret boxing bar! Lastly, Matt recommends waking up at 5am Sunday for the Fish Market, featuring live bands and Dutch style auctions of everything from fish to flowers.