About Frankfurt

"Frankfurt is often seen only as a transit hub or a business center, but it's so much more. It boasts Germany's most spectacular skyline, mirrored in the Main River, and Europe's tallest office building. It's also the country's most international town; more than a quarter of its citizens are foreign. Frankfurt throws more money at the arts than any other European city, so you'll most likely catch a ground-breaking exhibition at one of its museums". (From Lonely Planet).

Detailed Schedule for Frankfurt

Frankfurt Day 1 - The "Römerberg" & the Museums

• Museum für Moderne Kunst: "Founded in 1981, the latest addition to Frankfurt’s museum world was baptized the »slice of cake« by locals, due to its triangular shape. In 1983 an open design competition was held to decide what the museum should look like. On May 17, 1983 Hans Hollein, a Viennese architect, was awarded the first prize and was commissioned to handle the project. With his design for the Museum für Moderne Kunst Hans Hollein has accomplished an unusual architectural feat. He has succeeded in creating a triangular building which not only fits neatly into the triangular space available to him, but which is an experience to discover, and leaves a lasting impression on the visitor". (From the Museum für Moderne Kunst web page).
• Saint Bartholomeus' Cathedral: "... is a Gothic building, which was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church from the Merovingian time. It is the main church of Frankfurt. From 1356 onwards, kings of the Holy Roman Empire were elected in this church, and from 1562 to 1792, emperors were crowned here. Since the 18th century, Saint Bartholomeus' has been called "the cathedral" by the people, although it has never been a bishop's seat. In 1867, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in its present style". (From Wikipedia). 
• The Romer: "The name of the city hall means "Roman". In fact, nine houses were acquired by the city council in 1405 from a wealthy merchant family. The middle house became the town hall and was later connected with the neighboring buildings. In the upper floor, there is the Kaisersaal ("Emperor's Hall") where the newly crowned emperors held their banquets. The Römer was partially destroyed in World War II and later rebuilt. It is located at the Römerberg (city hall square)". (From Wikipedia). 
• St. Paul's Church: "... is a national historic monument in Germany with great political symbolism, because it was the seat of the first democratically elected Parliament in 1848. It was established in 1789 as a Protestant church but was not completed until 1833. Its importance has its root in the Frankfurt Parliament, which met in the church during the revolutionary years of 1848/49 in order to write a constitution for a united Germany. The attempt failed because the monarchs of Prussia and Austria did not want to lose power, and in 1849 Prussian troops ended the democratic experiment by force of arms and the parliament was dissolved. Afterwards, the building was used for church services again. St. Paul's was partially destroyed in World War II, particularly the interior of the building, which now has a modern appearance. It was quickly and symbolically rebuilt after the war; today it is not used for religious services, but mainly for exhibitions and events. (From Wikipedia). 
• Goethe House and Goethe Museum: "The house where Germany's most famous poet was born in 1749 is furnished with many original pieces that belonged to his family, including manuscripts in his own hand. [...] The original house was destroyed by Allied bombing and has been carefully rebuilt and restored in every detail. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe studied law and became a member of the bar in Frankfurt. He was quickly drawn to writing, however, and eventually wrote the first version of his masterpiece, Faust, here. The adjoining museum contains works of art that inspired Goethe (he was an amateur painter) and works associated with his literary contemporaries. (From the Fodor's Travel Guide).
• The Frankfurt Opera House: "Is [...] the home of Oper Frankfurt (the Frankfurt Opera), a leading company in Germany. In 2005/2006 it had twelve premieres, a number that no opera house in Europe has equalled. In 1997 and 2003 the house received the title "Opera house of the year". Many famous singers started their career with the company and it attracts established singers such as Christian Gerhaher who appeared in Monteverdi's Orfeo, Piotr Beczala in Massenet's Werther and Jan-Hendrik Rootering in Wagner's Parsifal".  (From Wikipedia)
• Städelsches Kunstinstitut: "The Städel, officially the Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, is an art museum in Frankfurt am Main, with one of the most important collections in Germany. The Städel has European paintings from seven centuries, beginning with the early 14th century, moving into Late Gothic, the Renaissance, Baroque, and into the 19th and 20th centuries. The large collection of prints and drawings is not on permanent display and occupies the first floor of the museum. Works on paper not on display can be viewed by appointment". (From Wikipedia).
• Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus: This sculpture museum ranks with the Bargello in Florence as one of Europe's most important. The building is an 1896 villa. Its collection includes objects from ancient Egypt, classical Greece and Rome, and medieval and Renaissance Europe. Highlights include a small 8th-century-B.C. bronze horse and Roman copies of the Torso of Polycletus, Praxiteles's Satyr, and Myron's Athena. Although the most ancient artifacts generate the most excitement, the medieval section is also fascinating. Look for the Virgin and Child created in Trier in the 11th century, the head of Barbel von Ottenheim (attributed to van Leyden in 1462), the Riemenschneider Madonna, Andrea della Robbia's altarpiece of the Assumption, and the 16th-century Black Venus with Mirror. (From Frommer's).

Frankfurt Day 2 - The Zoo and the Zeil

• Frankfurt Zoo: "The Zoo of Frankfurt am Main was created in 1858 as the second zoo in Germany [...]. During the Second World War it was almost totally destroyed [...] so most of the buildings you see date from the frantic early fifties where the zoo was rebuilt. [...] The prime center of attention in this zoo [ is ] the magnificent Grzimek Night House. This is said to be Europe's largest night house and contains almost anything you could ask for, from mouse lemurs and galagos over tamanduas to aardwarks, fossas and kiwis. [ The ] ape house [...] contains all the big apes (gorillas, orangs, chimps and bonobos), and the zoo boasts fine breeding results with all these, - though the chimps haven't had babys for around 10 years now, probably due to their advanced age. [...] Is big zoo, so count on spending at least two to three hours here. Indeed, the Grzimek House alone could take an hour to visit if you want to see everything". (From www.goodzoos.com).
• The Zeil: "The Zeil is Frankfurts main shopping street and one of the most crowded in Germany. The street is a pedestrian-only area and is bordered by two large plazas, Hauptwache in the west and Konstablerwache in the east. It is the most expensive street for shops to rent in Germany after the Kaufingerstraße in Munich". (From Wikipedia).
• Alte Oper: "The famous old opera house (Alte Oper) was built in 1880 by the architect Richard Lucae. It was one of the major opera houses in Germany until it was heavily damaged in World War II. Until the late 1970ies it was a ruin, nicknamed "Germany's Most Beautiful Ruin". [...] Fortunately, due du citizen's pressure it was finally fully reconstructed and reopened in 1981. Today it functions as a concert hall, while operas are performed in the Oper Frankfurt". (From Wikipedia)

If I Had More Time...

• Botanical Gardens: "A visit to the Botanical Gardens is like taking a fascinating journey through different areas of botanical beauty - from the hardwood forests of North America to the barren savannah of Africa. Approximately eight hectares of open land and numerous greenhouses and plantation areas contain over 6,000 different plant species. The spectrum includes everything from exotic rainforest flowers to Central European weeds. A series of informative signs explains all about the different species and their natural habitats. The Botanical Gardens are run by the University of Frankfurt". (From www.schmap.com). 
• Sachsenhausen: Frankfurt's "South Bank" -- with acres of gourmet restaurants, fast-food joints, live music establishments, and bars -- is one big outdoor party in summer.