While the north side of the Main River in Frankfurt is a good place to sightsee and shop at department stores, Sachsenhausen covers everything else. Walk around during the day to admire the architecture and at night to enjoy the nightlife. Visit museums, climb a tower, dine out and spend long nights barhopping in one of the prettiest areas of the city. This is the part of town where you can find delicious examples of all of Frankfurt’s culinary specialties.
Head to the northeast side of Sachsenhausen at Affentorplatz for a historical Sachsenhausen treat. Here, the streets narrow to cobblestone walkways. Several blocks are filled with bars and restaurants that fill up every night during the summer. Order an apple wine in this part of Sachsenhausen for one of the best brews in the neighborhood.
The Museumsufer, or Museum Embankment, lies at the very north end of Sachsenhausen on the Main River. This is where you’ll find a high concentration of the city’s museums. Choose from traditional fine art at the Städel Museum or interesting niche items at a wide range of engaging specialty museums. The Icon Museum presents religious icons created across the world from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Visit the Museum for Communication to see telephone and postal service artifacts, including an enormous stamp collection.
For one of the best views in town, make the trek to the southern edge of Sachsenhausen to the Goetheturm (Goethe Tower). This 141-foot (43-meter) tower sits in a small forest just on the edge of the farmland south of town. Look north to see a wide panorama of the inner-city skyline. Look south to see the widespread forests and beautiful countryside just outside of Frankfurt’s city limits. Entry into the Goethe Tower is free you just have to be prepared to climb up many flights of stairs.
Sachsenhausen is quite spread out, so you should get around via the U-Bahn, the S-Bahn and the tram. The tower in the forest is not served by public transportation, so bring hiking shoes if you want to include that in your visit.
