Understand
Frankfurt is a city of contrasts. Wealthy bankers, students and granola drop-outs coexist in a city that has some of the highest, most avant-garde skyscrapers of Europe next to well maintained old buildings. The downtown area, especially Römer square and the museums at the River Main, draw millions of tourists every year. On the other hand, many off the beaten track neighborhoods, such as Bockenheim, Bornheim, Nordend and Sachsenhausen, with their intact beautiful 19th century streets and parks are often overlooked by visitors.
Frankfurt is the place where Germany's major autobahns and railways intersect. About 650,000 people commute to the city each day, not counting the 691,000 people who really live here. With a huge airport — the third-largest in Europe — it is the gateway to Germany and for many people also the first point of arrival in Europe. Further, it is a prime hub for interconnections within Europe and for intercontinental flights.
Frankfurt has the highest percentage of immigrants in Germany: about 25% 660,000 of Frankfurt's people have no German passport and another 10% are naturalized German citizens. With about 35% immigrants, Frankfurt is the most diverse of German cities.
Frankfurt is home to many museums, theatres and a world-class opera.
When to visit
The best times for Frankfurt are late spring to early autumn. The summers tend to be sunny and warm around 25 °C 77° F. Be prepared, however, for very hot summer days around 35° C 95° F as well as for light rain. The winters can be cold and rainy usually not lower than -10 °C/14 °F. It rarely snows in Frankfurt itself.
If you intend to stay overnight, you may wish to avoid times when trade fairs are held, as this will make finding affordable accommodation a challenging task. The biggest are the Frankfurt Motor Show Automobil-Ausstellung every two years in mid-September next in 2013 and the Book Fair Buchmesse yearly in mid-October; see Fairs for details.