Frankfurt isn’t all business. There are plenty of entertaining options if you bring the kids along. The Old Town has some interesting historical sites, and a wealth of public parks provide lots of green space to run around and play. The zoo always makes a fun diversion, but Frankfurt is also a major cultural centre. It has more than 40 museums, many of which should interest children. Best of all, half of them are clustered together along the Main River.

Frankfurt Zoo
Conveniently located in the downtown district, Frankfurt’s zoo is regarded by many as one of the best of its kind in Europe. The variety of animals here is comprehensive, incorporating creatures from every continent on the globe. Among the highlights is the Grzimek House, where the controlled darkness of night encourages its nocturnal animals to go about their usual business. The Exotarium is filled with insects and reptiles, while the big cats and the seal park are always a hit with the kids. Phone: +49 69 2123 3735.

Senckenberg Museum of Natural History
Germany’s largest natural history museum provides a comprehensive look at the evolution of life on this planet. The highlight of its palaeontology section is the Grube Messel exhibit, a pit littered with fossils from 50 million years ago. It’s so impressive that UNESCO named it a World Heritage site. An amazing collection of reconstructed dinosaur skeletons (the largest in Europe) rarely fails to impress children. Phone: +49 69 75420.

Zielgalerie
For a taste of modern city life in Frankfurt, take the kids to this popular shopping mall with dozens of stores, cinemas and places to eat. While you’re there be sure and take the lift up to the 8th floor, where an observation platform provides panoramic views over the entire city.

On the surface it may feel like Frankfurt is little more than skyscrapers and banks, but this buzzing city actually contains a lot of interesting cultural attractions. Some of Germany’s best performing arts troupes are based here, and its 40 or so museums offer a little bit of everything. Fun outdoor markets, a funky red-light district and a cutting-edge film scene offer plenty of entertainment. To experience the Frankfurt of old, just wander into the Altstadt (Old Town) and step back in time about 500 years.

Alt-Sachsenhausen
One of Frankfurt’s most appealing and interesting neighbourhoods to explore is the Alt-Sachsenhausen. This original district has a distinctly traditional Frankfurt feel to it so it’s no surprise that this is also the best place in the city to hunt for antiques and art. Every Saturday the Frankfurt Flea Market appears along the Main River, offering visitors endless stalls of trash and treasures to sift through.

Dom Museum
After you crane your neck admiring the architectural wonders of the Dom, check out its interesting little museum in the cloister of the cathedral. Among its historical highlights are the robes worn by the kings and emperors when they were crowned at the Dom. The oldest date back to the 1400s, and all of them are incredibly ornate. Next door is the Historischer Garten, an archaeological dig site where you can see the ruins of previous Roman and Carolingian buildings. Phone: +49 69 1337 6184.

German Film Museum (Deutsches Film museum)
If you are a film buff, don’t miss the chance to peruse Germany’s finest film museum while visiting Frankfurt. Several of the rooms chronicle the timeline of Germany’s unique film making industry, exhibiting revolutionary pieces of equipment, and examples of early special effects. The second floor shows old classic German films from open to close. Phone: +49 69 2123 8830.

Goethe-Haus
The home where Goethe was born and lived has been a shrine to the man and his legacy since its inception in 1863. It has been exquisitely reconstructed to represent the trends of the 18th century, proof of Frankfurt’s adoration of its favourite son. The interior looks much as it did when Goethe lived there, but the adjacent Frankfurter Goethe-Museum is where all the treasures lie. Thousands of manuscripts and artwork connected to Goethe are on display here. Phone: +49 69 138800.

Museum of Applied Arts(Museum für Angewandte Kunst)
This eclectic and diverse museum has collections of more than 30,000 objects acquired from around Europe and Asia over the decades. Visitors will have the sensation of wandering around an antique shop, or their grandmother’s living room, passing displays of exquisite German rococo furniture, porcelain from Asia and beautiful 15th century glasswork from Venice. The collection of Persian carpets is also quite impressive. Phone: +49 69 2123 4037.

Museum of Modern Art (Museum für Moderne Kunst)
To see what Frankfurt can offer in the world of modern contemporary art, stop by its strangely-shaped art museum designed to look like a boat. Inside, the galleries are dominated by the works of many major artists since the 1950s. Highlights include art by Andy Warhol, Roy Liechtenstein and George Segal. Phone: +49 69 2123 0447.

Römerberg
This essential part of Old Town centres around three Gothic buildings known as the Römer. Originally constructed between 1288 and 1305, they are masterpieces of period architecture and a real highlight of the Altstadt. Their elaborate facades are decorated with stepped gables, ornate balconies and statues of the emperors. At the heart of the Römer lies Römerplatz square, where the parade of life trickles by every day. For more education, visitors can tour the Imperial Hall, where 52 emperors have their portraits hanging. Phone: +49 69 2123 4814.

With its large ethnic community and constant flow of international visitors, Frankfurt has emerged as one of Germany’s leading culinary centres. Since so many people eat out, the city provides a wide range of eating and drinking establishments for every style and budget. Both international food and local cuisine are readily available around Frankfurt.

Meat features strongly on most menus, with beef roasts, venison and wild boar served with sides of potato or thick noodles. There are a few Frankfurt specialties worth trying such as handkäs mit musik, a very strong regional cheese, and apfelwein, the quintessential apple cider served in a traditional mug. Visitors will also find plenty of Frankfurter sausages, though these tasty smoked pork sausages served with mustard and bread are vastly superior to American hotdogs. Green sauce is another ubiquitous component to most sides of potatoes or boiled eggs.

There are several food-oriented districts in Frankfurt, so it’s never hard to find a good meal if you’re downtown. One of them is Fressgass (Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse), a great neighbourhood for fine outdoor dining. In the area’s restaurants you’ll find specialities for everything from Middle Eastern, to East Asian and Southern European cuisines. Less costly snacks can be sampled at street cafés.

The Sachsenhausen district is perhaps the most comprehensive place to dine. It seems as if every other shop houses a café, take-out shop or bar, and the variety of cuisine covers the whole gambit. The Römerberg area, Berger Strasse, and Zeil shopping area are also good places to eat. Don’t miss the chance to try one of Frankfurt’s famous cider pubs called Ebbelwoikneipen, which are best experienced in Sachsenhausen. Coffee houses are also popular in Frankfurt, and a great place to see another side of the local population. Be prepared to pay a hefty 19 per cent VAT on food bills, and a tip of around 10 per cent is expected by waiters.

Frankfurt has one of the hottest shopping scenes in Europe, featuring everything from antique flea markets to upscale fashion boutiques. Start your shopping explorations in the pedestrian Zeil area where Germany’s busiest shopping streets are found. Stores of all kinds line the streets between the Konstablerwache and Hauptwache. If you’re looking for something more upscale, head to the neighbourhood south of the Fressgasse, where Frankfurt’s finest fashion boutiques and jewellers reside.

The pedestrian Goethestrasse and Schillerstrasse areas are also excellent streets for browsing upmarket boutiques and specialty stores featuring German porcelain, lovely antiques and designer clothes. Plenty of gigantic malls surround the Zeil and a bit further outside of the city core, offering the usual array of facilities you’d expect. If it’s something old and unique you’re after, wander the charming streets of Alt-Sachsenhausen, where many of the old buildings house antique and art shops.

Frankfurt is well known for its lovely city parks and its proximity to some of Germany’s most famous spa towns. Golf is also a big sport in this city, with a dozen or so impressive courses just outside the concrete perimeter. For spectator sports, football is king, and local club Eintracht Frankfurt its baby.

Football
If you are a football fan, you may want to catch a Bundesliga match featuring the city’s home club, Eintracht Frankfurt. The Commerzbank Arena is an impressive stadium to watch a football match, and easy to reach from anywhere in the city.

Golf
Frankfurt lies in the beautifully lush Rhein-Main valley, which is home to some of the most scenic golf courses in Germany. Within minutes of the city there are a dozen excellent courses to choose from, particularly the Frankfurter Golf Club, the Neuhof Course and the Main-Taunus Club. Most of Frankfurt’s golf courses are open to the public.

Parks
Frankfurt has some of the nicest urban parks of any city in Germany. They come in a range of styles and purpose, but visitors will be able to escape to a green space just about everywhere in the city. Garden fans should take a look at the Botanical Gardens and the Palm Gardens, which showcase rare plants. Recreation is best found in the rolling lawns of Vine Park and Rothschild Park. The Chinese gardens of Bethmann Park are another interesting option. Frankfurters use their parks frequently, creating a lively scene especially at lunchtime and on weekends.

Spas
Within a few kilometres of Frankfurt are some of Germany’s best spas. If you enjoy taking the waters and adding some serious relaxation to your visit, spend an afternoon at a place like Bad Homburg, which is famous for its therapeutic saline springs. Bad Nauheim’s location at the foot of the Taunus Mountains gives it a special atmosphere, focusing on outdoor activities like hiking, golf, tennis and ice-skating to complement the spa treatments. Aschaffenburg is another spa gem right on the doorstep of Frankfurt.