Frankfurt's cosmopolitan character emanates from its position as a centre for international trade fairs, culture and finance as well as its excellent transport links, including Frankfurt airport, the largest in continental Europe, which offers a state-of-the-art shopping and gastronomic experience in its two terminals.

International brands for world travellers
Whether on the look out for duty-free goods or taking a stroll through the exquisite shopping arcades, you'll find shops in continental Europe's largest airport open for business between 5am and 10pm every day (and there's even a newspaper stand open 24 hours a day). Terminal 1 boasts an innovative combination of shops and eateries, while Terminal 2 offers a huge range of exclusive goods and brand names.

Goethe House, birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, provides a fascinating insight into upper-middle class life in the mid-18th century. Of all Frankfurt's buildings, St. Paul's Church has perhaps played the greatest historical role: this is where Germany's first freely elected parliament met in 1848. Römerberg square and the old town hall, known as the "Römer", are the very heart of the old quarter.

On the Sachsenhausen stretch of the main embankment there are 16 museums that were renovated or built from scratch between 1980 and 1990 by acclaimed architects. The Städel Institute of Art, the German Film Museum, the Museum for Applied Arts, the Museum of Ethnology and the Communications Museum are particularly highly regarded. On Römerberg square there is also the Schirn Kunsthalle, one of Europe's leading art galleries.