Day Trip from Asia
I arrived in Frankfurt after an overnight flight from Asia before the sun had arisen. Refreshed, I headed to the land-side lounge at the airport to check my itinerary once more. I only had limited time to explore the city, but patiently waited until the sunrise after 8am to journey into the city for my whirlwind tour.
Ascending from Hauptwache station is the edge of the old town, Altstadt. The guardhouse dates from 1730 and is 6m away from its original location.
The Galeria shopping centre marks the beginning of a pedestrianized shopping street.
The Protestant St. Catherine's Church was built in 1681 but destroyed in World War II. It was rebuilt in 1954.
The Church of Our Lady was also destroyed in World War II. The Gothic church was originally built from the 14th to 16th centuries and was rebuilt in 1956.
The Romerberg is the historic town square. These houses were completed in 1305 and was turned into City hall in 1405. Unfortunately, the Kaisersaal, or imperial hall, was closed in preparation for Christmas. Many attractions were already closed on December 24.
On the other side of the square, the Old Nikolai Church dates from the 13th century.
These half-timbered houses were destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1986.
Frankfurt is Germany's financial capital, and modern skyscrapers are clustered just next to the Altstadt. Commerzbank, designed by Sir Norman Foster, is the tallest one, standing at 259m.
The 149m Eurotower is the headquarters of the European Central Bank. The euro logo is eeringly on display in the lawn outside as several member countries come on the verge of economic collapse.
Frankfurt's skyscrapers are orderly-spaced out from each other. They are fronted by a narrow strip of parkland stretching north towards the opera house.
The opera house was bombed to its foundations in World War II and was rebuilt to its original face in 1981. Every year, some 300 concerts and events take place here, with its largest hall being able to hold 2450 people.