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Germany : Frankfurt - December 2009

Country Code: Dial for Germany

Frankfurt is the financial nerve centre of Germany, but December sees it take on a whole new character as it gears up for the holidays. Its historic Römerberg square will host one of the country’s largest Christmas markets, while its chic restaurants serve seasonal dishes. Carole French gets that festive feeling

Getting around

Frankfurt Airport is 12km outside the city centre.

Train: The easiest way to get into the city centre is on regional S-Bahn lines S8 and S9. The journey takes about 11 to 13 minutes, and a single ticket costs around €4.
Taxi: A trip to the centre of Frankfurt costs about €20 and takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the traffic.
Tourist information: The main office is at Hauptbahnhof (tel. , frankfurttourismus. de).

CITY CENTRE

Home of the great, decked out this month with Christmas lights and a giant tree, the city centre is an electrifying mix of futuristic skyscrapers and great shopping.

Sleep soundly – Well over a century old now, the landmark Steigenberger Frankfurt Hof (Am Kaiserplatz, 502, steigenberger.com, rooms from €175) is classic and luxurious.

Culture vultures – The Historisches Museum (19 Saalgasse) displays a fascinating legal document that dates from 1356 and relates to Frankfurt. Passed by Emperor Charles IV, it was valid for 450 years.

Must eat – Dine on modern European cuisine while overlooking the river at Nizza am Main (17 Untermainkai, tel. ).

Must drink – Meet friends at the contemporary lounge bar in Roomers (85 Gutleutstrasse).

Shop til you drop – Buy Christmas gifts along the Zeil. Head to Estée Lauder (90 Zeil) and Kobberger Gustav (123 Zeil). Zeilgalerie (112-114 Zeil) is a huge shopping mall.

SACHSENHAUSEN

State-of-the-art museums and fashionable restaurants characterise the upmarket area of Sachsenhausen. The view of the Frankfurt skyline from across the river is breathtaking too.

Sleep soundly – The Hotel Primus (19-21 Grosse Rittergasse, 3020, hotel-primus.de, rooms from €50) has attractive rooms and a central location.

Culture vultures – The Iron Bridge (Eiserner Steg), linking Sachsenhausen with the city centre, has engravings that mark where the River Main once reached. (It’s much lower today.)

Must eat – Lively NYC (1 Hans- Thomastrasse, 4818) does a great range of all-day American-style breakfasts with all the trimmings.

Must drink – Enjoy a range of fine wines and coffees at Holbein’s (1 Holbeinstrasse) in the Städel Museum.

Shop til you drop – For festive cakes and biscuits, stop in at Wiener Feinbäckerei Heberer (14 Elisabethenstrasse).

INNENSTADT TO NORTH END

Home to period mansions, colleges, courthouses and contemporary art galleries, plus the impressive Frankfurt Stock Exchange, this district is a heady mix of old and new.

Sleep soundly – The Aria Hotel (28 Eckenheimer Landstrasse, 0823, hotel-aria.de, rooms from €40) is full of character and well situated for business and leisure travellers.

Culture vultures – Look out for the 15th-century Eschenheim Tower (Bockenheimer Anlage), one of the 42 watchtowers that were once part of the city’s fortifications. It’s said to be the tallest city tower in Germany.

Must eat – Head to Das 21. Jahrhundert (21 Oeder Weg, 6746) for a mouthwatering array of all-day brunch dishes.

Must drink – Enjoy lively conversation over cocktails at the M2O Bar (64 Bornheimer Landstrasse).

WEST END

The fashionable banking district, West End is where you’ll find some of the city’s finest restaurants and bistros, as well as its huge parks, the Palmengarten and Grüneburgpark.

Sleep soundly – Housed in an elegant 19th-century mansion, the Hotel Palmenhof (89-91 Bockenheimer Landstrasse, tel. , palmenhof.de, rooms from €75) has rooms decorated in accordance with different architectural periods.

Culture vultures – See plants from around the world at the Palmenhaus (Palmengarten Park, Siesmayerstrasse).

Must eat – Spanish-themed La Boveda (10 Feldbergstrasse, 3220) does good tapas, such as tigres (stuffed mussels which have been coated with breadcrumbs).

Must drink – Unwind at the Westbar Wine and Cocktail Lounge (48 Myliusstrasse), a charming venue close to the West End parks.

Compiled by Carole French