Founded in 1219, this Roman Catholic parish church, located in the heart of Frankfurt, offers an English liturgy to an international congregation. The church has six heavy bells that peal and resonate across the city and one of the best stained glass windows in Hesse. The St. Leonhard’s church was first dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. George under a decree by Emperor Freidrich II in 1219. The first building had a Romanesque design and the original portals still remain. In 1323, the parish officials obtained a relic of St. Leonhard and the church adopted St. Leonhard as its patron saint. Between the 1400s and 1500s, gothic style structures were added to the building including the five aisles. The structure served other purposes through the years including as a warehouse for the nearby Book Fair and in the 1700s, as a place to store ammunition. In the 1800s donations by a wealthy parishioner Von Dalberg and purchases made by the then pastor Father Muenzenberger gave the church its ornate altarpieces and sculpted figures that survive till today. In the 1900s the floor of St. Leonhard’s Church was raised to prevent flooding by the River Main. St. Leonhard’s remains a thriving international catholic parish with a congregation composed of people from over 50 countries coming to mass every week.

The main city hall, the Romer has served the city of Frankfurt for over 600 years and is one of its main historical landmarks. The Romer still retains offices of the local government and has not been converted into a museum unlike many other historic buildings in Frankfurt. In 1405, the Romer family, a family of wealthy Frankfurt merchants sold the building and the adjacent Golden Swan building to the city of Frankfurt. Since the purchase, the Romer and adjacent structures have housed different civic offices continuously till the present. The old section has three medieval style buildings with stepped gables. The city hall was expanded by addition and purchase of other structures and the present complex is a labyrinth of several buildings connected by streets. A bridge known as the Bridge of Sighs connects the Romer to offices across the street. Two towers were added to the complex in the early 20th century. Two attractions in the Romer are the Kaisersaal, a hall where the coronation banquet of German Kings and Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire took place. The hall has 52 portraits by famous artists of German kings and Emperors, from Freidrich Barbarossa in 1152 to Franz II who was forced to abdicate by Napoleon in 1806. There is an ornate balcony from where the rulers and important German statesmen waved to crowds in the square below. The Christmas fair held every year in the square in front of the City Hall draws visitors from all over the world.

This 13th century church is the site of the coronation of German kings and Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire for centuries. This event has earned the building the name Kaiserdom. The cathedral is the largest church in Frankfurt and lies on the banks on the River Main. The present cathedral is the fifth church on the same site. The early church was constructed over a 7th century Merovingian chapel in 1250. The church was subsequently adorned with architectural ornamentation and became the splendid architectural wonder it is today. Emperor Charles IV decreed by his Golden Bull that all German Kings would be crowned in the Kaiserdom from 1356 and from 1562 all emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were also crowned at the cathedral. The church has many splendid works of art including a unique high altar and the Maria Schlaf altar located in the St. Mary’s chapel. A Gothic tower was added in the 15th century. It has an Anthony Van Dyke Painting, ‘The Lametation’ and a museum with many historic pieces including objects discovered in a grave of a Merovingian girl. Visitors can also take in panoramic views of the City of Frankfurt by climbing the 328 steps that lead to the top of the cathedral’s tower.

The Staufer Wall was built in 1180 with the intention of protecting the city from unwanted attacks. Frankfurt was once surrounded by walls and only provided three gates for entrance to the city. Today, one may still find remains of a wall that was once approximately 7 meters high and 3 meters thick.

The Hauptwache building lies at one end of the Zeil and adds old world architectural charm to this busy part of Frankfurt. The Haauptwache square on which the building stands is surrounded by high rise modern buildings with the exception of the Hauptwache. The structure lies above the suburban train station and is a major intersection for the S bahn and U bahn trains. The Hauptwache was designed by German master builder, Johann Samhaimer. The building has a red sandstone baroque style exterior and a hipped Gothic style triangular roof with three chimneys. The original purpose of the structure when it was built in 1729 was to serve as a prison and military headquarters. At the time Frankfurt was an independent city state. The Hauptwache played its role in Frankfurt’s history when it was stormed by student activists in a failed attempt at freeing political prisoners in 1733 called the Frankfurter Wachenstrum. The building then served as a police station. In 1904 it became a café that serves diners till today. Visitors, commuters and shoppers can enjoy a light refreshing meal at the Hauptwache with its quaint ambience reminiscent of a momentous past. The cafe stays open from Mondays to Saturdays from 10am to 11 pm and on Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm.

The Commerzbank Tower, adjacent to the old offices of Commerzbank in Frankfurt was the tallest building in Europe till 2003. It was also the first successful skyscraper with an eco-friendly design. The tower made of steel has 56 floors, gardens and a design to let in maximum fresh air and natural lighting into the offices within the high rise structure. The Commerzbank Tower was designed in the early 1990s by the English architectural firm, Norman Foster and partners. The building was the first in Germany to be constructed completely with steel. The elevators were placed at the four corners of the tower to make space for green gardens in the middle of the building. The gardens are in fact a ventilation system and make up the outer shell of the façade of the building where natural light and fresh air reaches the interior glass shell of the building. The windows of the offices can open and close when required. The lobby has three large lifelike human sculptures by American sculptor J Seward Johnson. At night the building is illuminated with changing golden colors designed by artist Thomas Emde. The Commerzbank Tower does not have an observation deck but visitors are welcome to view the plaza level and the magnificent atrium gardens.

Named after the River Main, the Main Tower is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Frankfurt and the fifth highest building in Europe. The tower is the only skyscraper open for public view in the city. The design is of two connected towers, one cubical with a glass façade and the other circular clad with blue colored glass. Construction of the Main Tower began in 1996 and was completed in 1999. The tower has 55 floors with functioning windows making it an eco friendly modern high rise structure. The Tower was planned by the Hamburg based Schweger and partners and the design won the IMMOBILIEN award 2001 at the CIMMIT congress. The building has the offices of German Banks and several international banks making it the financial center of Frankfurt. The structure also houses a television and radio station. There is an observation deck at the top floor of the tower and visitors are encouraged to take a map to view Frankfurt’s many landmarks from the top. One floor below is a restaurant and bar with large windows offering panoramic 360 degree views of the city. On clear days visitors to the deck can see as far as the Mainz, Wiesbaden, Hanau and Taunus Mountains.

The Opera House was built in 1880 by an architect from Berlin named Richard Lucae. Alteoper was a major German Opera House until it was bombed during Wold War II. The building was reconstructed and reopened in 1981. Alteoper now serves as a concert hall for operas. Visitors may enjoy a show on a near weekly basis.

One of the few remaining medieval towers that once protected the city of Frankfurt, the Eschenheimer Tower is a well known city landmark. It is now located at the center of one of Frankfurt’s busiest intersections.
The Eschenheimer tower, at the time of completion was one of 60 towers that protected the city of Frankfurt from its enemies. Klaus Mengos a carpenter built the rectangular shaped base of the tower in 1400 and the design was executed and completed by master builder Madern Gerthener. A self portrait bust of Gerthner is placed on its archway. The tower became functional in 1428. In the 18th century the city began to expand and many medieval towers were demolished. The timely intervention of French ambassador Count D’Hedouville helped to prevent the demolition of the Eschenheimer Tower and to preserve this fine example of medieval architecture till the 21st century. The tower is 47 meters high with eight levels and two attics.
The Eschenheimer tower is located one block north of the Hauptwache. A bistro called E.T. im trum is located at the ground floor serving classic German food and beer. Visitors can also view the well preserved battlements of the tower.