Frankfurt, also commonly referred to as Frankfurt am Main, rests in the large German state of Hesse. This beautiful burg is in fact the fifth largest city in the country with a population approaching seven hundred thousand. This may not sound like a particularly large group of people, especially to those of us used to sprawling giants like New York or London, but Frankfurt is actually part of Germany’s Frankfurt/Rhine Main Metropolitan Region. When looking at Frankfurt as part of this metropolis we see that the city is part of Germany’s second largest metropolis, boasting nearly five and a half million people contained primarily within the urban area. Even someone from Los Angeles would have to give Frankfurt its due credit in this arena!
Befitting a city of such immense scale, Frankfurt is seen as the center of business and transportation in Germany and is often considered the largest financial center in all of Europe. This makes Frankfurt a Mecca of sorts for CEOs and trade types but, for the tourist, Frankfurt may seem a bit too business oriented. This is an unfounded stereotype, however, because one can say the same thing about New York City, with its stock exchange and Madison Avenue. Nobody would say that New York is not a tourist attraction, though.
The similarities between New York and Frankfurt are actually fairly pronounced. Like New York, Frankfurt has a formidable stock exchange that is the largest in Germany as well as one of the most important in the world scene. Also like New York, Frankfurt seems to have an affinity for skyscrapers. To some this may not be too remarkable, considering how many skyscrapers permeate cities in nearly every continent in the world but those familiar with Europe know that skyscrapers are fairly uncommon in that area. As a matter of fact, Paris is the only city in Europe with more skyscrapers than Frankfurt and there are only three cities in the European Union including Frankfurter that have ten or more skyscrapers. New York is known as a “melting pot” because of its vast variety of multiculturalism and, in this matter, Frankfurt may even top its unofficial sister city. With over one hundred and eighty ethnicities calling the city home, Frankfurt is easily a world hub that boasts far ranging nationalities like Bosnian, Pakistani, African, and Italian people just to name a few.
All these tidbits aside, one can still understandably wonder if Frankfurt is worth seeing if business and commerce is not your cup of tea. Even though Frankfurt is home to one of the busiest and largest airports in the world, it means little if there aren’t any sights to see outside of commercial enterprises. Fortunately, Frankfurt has a plethora of history on its side and anybody interested in the annals of the church or Europe’s past in general will find a veritable feast for the senses contained within Frankfurt’s city limits. Saint Bartholomeus’ Cathedral, for instance, is a gorgeous gothic church that has been an invaluable part of history since the 1300s when it was used as the site for choosing the Holy Roman Emperors. To this day St. Bartholomeus’ Cathedral is used as the main Church in Frankfurt.