8 facts you probably didn’t know about Frankfurt
Frankfurt is Germany’s financial capital and home to one of the largest airports in Europe. It might not be the first city you think of for a visit because it is mainly known as a business city. But it’s definitely worth of visiting, Frankfurt is a city in which there is a lot to explore and discover. Get to know the city and find out which are the most interesting fun facts about Frankfurt!
#1 Frankfurt means ford of the Franks
Frankfurt was given the name by Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, who ruled over parts of modern France and Germany in the Middle Ages. After winning a battle against the Saxons, he decided to commemorate his victory and named the place as the ‘Ford of the Franks’ or Frankfurt.
#2 It is the home of the Frankfurter (Hot Dog)
Interestingly, ’Hot Dogs’ are also known as ‘Frankfurters’ and the dish derives its name from the city itself. Frankfurter Würstchen were supposedly distributed to people during special events like imperial coronations.
#3 Goethe was born and raised in Frankfurt
Ever heard of Goethe Institute for German or language classes? Goethe was a prolific writer and statesman in Germany and lived with his family in Frankfurt too. You can visit the Goethe Haus whenever you are in the city and dive into history while walking through the house and reading about him.
#4 14 out of the 15 tallest skyscrapers in Germany stand in Frankfurt
Frankfurt is the fifth largest city of Germany and is also known as ‘Mainhattan’ , since it is located along the river Maine and has some striking skyscrapers. For a good view over the city, you can go up to the 55th floor of the MAIN Tower, which is the ‘Frankfurt’s highest vantage point.’ The tallest one is the Commerzbank tower whit its 260 meters.
#5 Home of Johannes Gutenberg
Frankfurt was home to the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg. You can spot a memorial dedicated to him and the early funders of the printing press in the city centre on the Rossmarkt square.
#6 Impressive Central Station
Because of the Frankfurt’s location in the middle of Germany and usage as a transport hub for long and short distance travelling, Deutsche Bahn refers to the Frankfurt Central Station as the most important station in Germany. If you ever find yourself at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Central Railway station), check out of the building from the front and look closely at the main entrance. You will notice the statue of Atlas carrying the Earth on his shoulders!
#7 The Grimm brothers are from the city near Frankfurt
For fairy tale lovers, there is a very special journey into childhood. The Grimm brothers, who compiled fairy tales such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Rose Red, Sleeping Beauty and many others, lived in Hanau, barely 25 kilometers away from Frankfurt. Later, they moved to the city of Marburg, a good 100 kilometers away, to study.
#8 Frankfurt Airport is huge
At some point, you might have had a flight connection via Frankfurt Airport, Europe’s fourth-biggest airport (and Germany’s biggest). It spreads over 2000 hectares of land, has a baggage system equivalent to the length of one and a half marathons, annually receives more than 60 million passengers, handles over 460,000 flights and transports more than 2 million tonnes of cargo.
Fun Facts Frankfurt: FAQs
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