Not to miss

Alte Oper

Inaugurated in 1880, the Renaissance-style Alte Oper was designed by Berlin architect Richard Lucae and stylistically influenced by Gottfried Semper, creator of the famous Semperoper in Dresden. After being destroyed in WWII, and then narrowly avoiding being razed and replaced with 1960s cubes, the Alte Oper was rebuilt and its façade reconstructed to resemble the original, graced with statues of Goethe and Mozart. The interior is modern.

Deutsches Architekturmuseum

The Deutsches Architekturmuseum is something of a disappointment: the permanent collection is just a series of models showing settlements from the Stone Age to the present day, and the rotating exhibits tend to fail on their English translations. Without a single display on the architecture of Frankfurt itself, this is really a missed opportunity.

Goethe-Haus & Museum

Anyone with an interest in German literature should visit the Goethe Haus, the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1749. Although furnishings are often reproductions, some original pieces remain on show. Highlights are Goethe's original writing desk and the library. Guided tours are conducted in German at 14:00 and 16:00; English tours can be arranged, but staff can also help you along.

'He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.' Goethe's parents' house is a wonderful example of how Frankfurt's well-to-do lived in the 18th century. It was Goethe's birthplace, and he lived here until moving to Weimar in 1775, an act that many Frankfurters found hard to forgive. It was here that Goethe penned his ode to suicide, The Sorrows of Young Werther, and began work on Faust. The rooms are nicely decorated with a mix of reproduction and original furniture, offering a glimpse of 18th-century domestic life.

The museum next door illustrates the various stations of his long life with paintings from the late Baroque to the Biedermeier periods. The gorgeous little garden is perfect for getting away from all that Sturm und Drang.