Frankfurt

Go on a self-drive holiday to Frankfurt, a modern metropolis in Hessen.

Frankfurt is Germany's fifth largest city and offers a wide range of experiences. Most people probably think of big business, banks and stock exchanges when they think of Frankfurt and the city's impressive skyline is also its main landmark. But beyond that, the city offers a wealth of exciting attractions for the whole family. Frankfurt is a city of contrasts and nowhere can you combine modern with traditional like here, so pack your car and head around 600km south for a fascinating city break in Germany.

Your holiday can start in the Old Town, where you can enjoy a walk around the streets at your own pace. The focal point of the Old Town is Römerberg, located between the Kaiserdom St Bartholomäus to the east and the Carmelite Monastery to the west. Römerberg is where tournaments, fairs, preachings and executions have all taken place. The square is characterised by beautiful historic half-timbered houses and the handsome Römer Town Hall. Go inside and see the impressive hall, which has many historic paintings. From the balcony of the town hall, many famous Germans have waved to the crowds. Find out more about exploring the Römer and opening times before you set off on your driving holiday.

In the middle of Frankfurt, on one of the city's busiest streets, the Hauptwache is an old baroque guardhouse built in 1730. The building has housed the city's militia, a prison and a police station over the years. Today, the Hauptwache is one of Frankfurt's many cafés where you can stop for refreshments. The Hauptwache is also right on Hauptwache Square, one of Frankfurt's main shopping areas and the place to be if you need to fill your trunk with shopping bags.

Frankfurt's most famous son is undoubtedly Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's greatest writer. Goethe was born on 28 August 1749 in the family home, Goethe's House. Goethe lived at the address until 1765 and the interior of the house gives a good impression of how he grew up. Next to the house is the Goethe Museum, a gallery displaying works of art from the author's time. If the opportunity arises, visit the Gerbermühle, a romantic garden café on the banks of the Main, where you can take a break and, like Goethe, enjoy a glass of apple wine and the view, which is somewhat different today than in Goethe's time.

All in all, you've arrived in a city that's marked by an endless array of fascinating museums. Visit Museumsufer on the south side of the Main River, where you'll find the Städelsche Kunstinstitut with the Städtische Galerie, one of the most important art museums in Germany. From here you can visit the Film Museum, the Architecture Museum or the Museum für Angewandte Kunst (MAK). Head across the river to the Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK) and the Kunsthalle Schirn, which has a variety of exhibitions.

If you're taking the whole family on a great self-drive holiday, also visit the Senckenberg Museum, the second largest natural history museum in Germany, so the kids can explore the many dinosaur fossils. Senckenberg has the largest exhibition of European dinosaurs as well as the world's largest collection of stuffed birds.

Frankfurt offers something for everyone, but the perfect self-drive holiday can take you as far as you want. A self-drive holiday gives you the chance to visit some of the many idyllic towns near Frankfurt if you need a break from the big city, such as the spa town of Wiesbaden or Königstein im Taunus with its old castle.