Getting Funky In Frankfurt

There's more to Germany then lederhosen, really big glasses of beer and delicious sausage. And there's also more to Germany than hitting up the tourist traps in Berlin too! If you're thinking about taking a trip to Deutschland you might want to start looking up everything there is to know about Frankfurt. It's a central city that showcases everything amazing and diverse about Germany, with everything from punk bars to museums that dedicated to the senses, it's a city that should be on your travel planner. Here are some of the unique sights and sounds to take note of.

There's more to it than sausage

Every big city in the world needs a diverse food scene and it's much the same for residents of Frankfurt. Over the last few years there's been an explosion in American style burgers & Barbecue food joints popping up serving big burgers and milkshakes that probably reach your daily calorie quota.

One popular independent burger place is What's Beef on Seckbächer Gasse (just around the corner from Willy-Brandt-Platz station) that serves up just about every type of burger you'd ever want. I'd recommend getting the Mr.Burns which comes with chilli, jalapeños, onions & "lots of caramba".

It WIll Test Your Senses

Via dialogmuseum.de

Ever gone through a museum with a tour guide and sometimes find your attention drifting away as they talk? The Dialog Museum makes sure this never happens for visitors by making everyone visit a very special exhibition: a walk through a pitch black room.

By placing someone in the exact same situations a blind person faces in everyday life, the special room aims to give you an idea of what being blind really is like. There's nowhere else in the world I know of that does anything like this and it is much more challenging than you'd every expect.

You Can Shoot Lasers!

If you're travelling to Frankfurt with friends and no one brings up the possibility of doing laser tag, then you're all terrible people.

LaserTag Frankfurt Ost is a stupidly fun way to spend an afternoon in the city. One review I've seen online calls it "the best gym in the gym, even through it doesn't have a pool, sauna" or any real gym equipment. A full hour session will quickly turn in to one of the most competitive hours of your life as you dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge your way around the compound.

It also has a surprisingly well stocked bar for victory toasts afterwards.

You Can Live In Luxury

Long Stay Accommodation Frankfurt / Via frankfurt.capribyfraser.com

Frankfurt shares a lot with Berlin in terms of how locals live. While tourist spots may have quaint looking houses with that traditional Bavarian look, the inside of many apartments will look more like this. Frankfurters are very stylish people, so if you want to keep in line with being trendy too, renting an apartment for a few days is much better than staying in a hotel room.

The apartment above is at Capri by Fraser in the financial district and was made for city livers who want a bit of freedom in how and where they stay. It's ideal if you're a bit like me and prefer trying out local German beers after dinner from the local supermarket but want somewhere nice to have a drink.

Get Some Zen

City breaks never afford much if you're after some peace and quiet in most cases. Frankfurt has one very special place though where you can get some peace and tranquillity. The Chinesischer Garten is a public park (i.e. FREE) that has a sort of "out of sight" feeling to it. It's only a few streets away from Merianplatz station and the zoo and is an ornately presented Chinese garden.

Spend half an hour sitting between the ponds and plants and you'll quickly forget you're actually in the middle of a German park.

Go for a big dip

See that big strip of blue in the photo. That isn't a lake. That is actually a pool and a really big one at that. This is the Brentanobad and is the place to be in the summer when visiting. It is an extremely popular spot with locals who go here to cool down when it's hot.

The pool is really long (I read one estimate that its 150 which is the size of 3 Olympic pools) but it isn't deep. It's more of a spot to take a slightly shallow dip in to make sure you're not feeling too flush.

Test Your Vertigo

Via panoramio.com

Don't like heights? Then this last spot might not be for you. Almost anywhere you are in Frankfurt you're able to see the Main Tower. Not many people know though that you can go right to the top and see Frankfurt in all it's glory. Now this isn't like being on top of the Empire State or in the Shard.

The observation deck is outside, so you'll be fighting the elements if it's a grey day in the autumn. Head there on a sunny morning when it's still a bit quiet (it opens at 8am on weekdays) pay €6.50 and see what rush hour down on the streets is like.

While you're up there, try and find the Kaiserdom imperial cathedral. If you can see it, here's a titbit to share: it was the tallest building in the city until 1950.