Experience Frankfurt RhineMain, a destination just waiting to be discovered – Culture, history, and nature in all of their magnificence!
Few cities are as quick and easy to reach as Frankfurt. The metropolis on the River Main is conveniently situated in the centre of Germany and, as a result, in the heart of Europe as well. Be it by plane, train, or automobile, Frankfurt is connected to the world. This fact makes the city not only the ideal place for a short stopover, but also the perfect starting point for a longer stay in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region.
This unique travel destination comprises the cities of Frankfurt, Aschaffenburg, and Offenbach, the science city of Darmstadt, the Brothers Grimm city of Hanau, as well as the administrative districts of Offenbach, Groß-Gerau, Wetterau, and Main-Taunus. The countless other highlights of the region – from bustling cities to scenic nature reserves, towering high-rises to mediaeval castles, ancient monasteries to riverside cycling paths, spectacular art museums to picturesque hiking trails – are all quick and easy to reach with the RheinMainCard.
Frankfurt – Where urban lifestyle meets history and tradition
Frankfurt is regarded as the world’s smallest metropolis, a place that is easy to explore on foot. Germany’s only proper skyline is surely Frankfurt’s most prominent landmark, followed closely by the world-famous Museum Embankment and the New Old Town in the heart of the city. The city districts surrounding Frankfurt’s array of banking high-rises are equally attractive. Lively shopping promenades, lined with trendy cafés, owner-operated shops, and local designer boutiques, invite locals and visitors to a leisurely stroll.
The offer range is supplemented by a colourful street-food scene and an endless variety of restaurants serving cuisine from across the globe. The rustic apple wine pubs of Sachsenhausen, meanwhile, invite revellers to meet and greet while enjoying local favourites such as Green Sauce or a glass or two of Frankfurt’s famous apple wine. A sundowner on the banks of the River Main is the perfect way to round off the day, at the same time providing you with the ultimate urban feeling.
Timber-frame fascination – Discover the picturesque houses, villages, and cities of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region
Those willing to take the small ferry in the western part of Frankfurt to the city district of Höchst – home of a magnificent timber-frame old town and the 09th-century St Justin’s Church – are guaranteed to experience Frankfurt from an entirely different perspective. As a matter of fact, FrankfurtRhineMain is home to numerous romantic old towns featuring lovingly restored timber-frame architecture. Aside from Höchst, here’s Seligenstadt, Hanau-Steinheim, Dreieich in the District of Offenbach, and Trebur in the District of Groß-Gerau. All of them belong to the official German Timber-Frame Road.
Whether by bike or on foot – Head off on your own adventure and discover the beauty of Mother Nature
To actively explore the region, try the Main Cycling Path, which takes bikers from Aschaffenburg in Bavaria to the confluence of the mighty Rivers Main and Rhine near Ginsheim-Gustavsburg. The tour, some 100 kilometres long, leads past Seligenstadt, the Brothers Grimm city of Hanau, Offenbach, Frankfurt, and Rüsselsheim. Just north of Frankfurt, in the rural Wetterau district, wellness enthusiasts will find the spa towns of Bad Nauheim, Bad Salzhausen, and Bad Vilbel, which may be discovered by way of a special “spa and cycle tour”.
Aside from its many cycling paths, the Rhine-Main region also features a vast number of hiking trails, all of which together are part of the so-called Rhine-Main Regional Park. The 60-kilometre green ring around Hanau, for example, leads through 13 different nature reserves, while another Regional Park route near Offenbach takes cyclists to the so-called Weather Park. This meteorological extravaganza features a theme trail with 14 individual exhibits that together explain how weather forms and how it is forecast. Yet another top-spot hiking trail runs through the picturesque Kühkopf-Knoblochsaue Nature Reserve in the District of Groß-Gerau.
Culture and the arts – Experience them inside and out
It is more than Mother Nature that makes FrankfurtRhineMain such a popular and adventurous travel destination. Culture and the arts have been of equal importance to the region.
Frankfurt’s famous Museum Embankment – one of Germany’s leading cultural locations – offers art enthusiasts an unparalleled choice of internationally renowned exhibition venues.
The Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt, meanwhile, is one of Europe’s oldest universal museums, featuring collections representing the fields of art, cultural and natural history.
It is now more than 100 years ago that Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig founded the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony, known commonly as Matilda Heights, a source of great innovation. Here, famous individuals representing the fields of art, design, and architecture paved the way into the modern age. Having waited patiently, the architecturally stunning Matilda Heights Artists’ Colony was finally declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2022.
Forty kilometres to the southeast, in the city of Aschaffenburg, one of the region’s newest cultural gems also awaits discovery: Opened in 2022, the Christian Schad Museum pays tribute to the master of the “New Objectivity” movement.
The State Gallery of Aschaffenburg, meanwhile, reopened in May 2023 after undergoing a comprehensive renovation. Nearby, at Castle Johannisburg, some 253 artworks were lovingly restored over a period of five years, resulting in the reopening of one of the most impressive collections of late 18th-century art.
West of Frankfurt, one finds Kunst- und Kulturstiftung Opelvillen, a cultural foundation scenically situated on the banks of the River Main in Rüsselsheim. This museum ensemble presents art ranging from the age of classical modernism all the way to contemporary times.
Next, there’s Celtic Worlds at the Glauberg, which transports visitors back to a much more ancient time. Archaeological artefacts unique to all of
Europe was discovered here in the Wetterau and not taken to the Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt, but presented right here, in an award-winning museum purpose-built on site. The life-sized statue of a Celtic prince is particularly impressive.
Treats and taste sensations – Enjoy the region’s culinary variety
Frankfurt RhineMain’s famous apple wine culture is unique in all of Germany. To prove the fact, UNESCO went as far as declaring it as “intangible cultural heritage” in 2022.
The apples used for FrankfurtRhineMain’s apple juice and apple wine come from the region’s countless mixed-fruit orchards, which invite visitors not only during the time of the apple blossom. A large number of festivals pay tribute to apple wine, the region’s most popular beverage, such as the “Bundesäppelwoifest” in Hanau-Steinheim, the Frankfurt Apple Wine Festival, and the Kelterfest at Hofgut Guntershausen on Kühkopf hill.
The very first Hessian apple wine museum – the “Gerippte Museum”, named after the traditional apple wine glass, is located in Hanau’s city centre. The museum looks at the production, history, ecology, and culinary enjoyment of Hessian apple wine, popularly known as “Stöffche” – “the stuff”.
Aside from apple wine and Frankfurt Green Sauce, Hessians also love their “ Handkäs’ mit Musik”, a highly unusual and equally popular dish. This low-fat specialty, consisting of small, round sour-milk cheeses marinated in oil, vinegar, and caraway seeds, is said to have had its origins in Groß-Gerau, with its name – literally, “hand-cheese” – referring to its production by hand.
Beer-lovers are equally certain to find culinary satisfaction in FrankfurtRhineMain. Situated in Aschaffenburg’s old town, Handcraft & Co. offers thirsty visitors everything from beer-tasting sessions to hands-on brewing courses. The Glaabsbräu “adventure brewery” in Seligenstadt offers visitors similar instructions on brewing the amber liquid.
For further information: www.visitfrankfurt.travel
