As at the 2006 World Cup, Frankfurt will once again host several matches in the preliminary round and one match in the round of 16 of the European Championship. The German team will play against Switzerland on June 21, and Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Denmark and England will also be visiting the Hessian metropolis. Numerous events have been prepared for those attending the matches - there will definitely be no boredom for the numerous armies of fans arriving.
10 am. Anyone coming to Frankfurt for the first time will probably want to take a look around the historic old town. On the one hand, because numerous sights here attract millions of visitors every year anyway. The Römer, Frankfurt City Hall of course, but also the famous St. Paul's Church and the Imperial Cathedral. Even more important, however, is the fact that numerous pubs and restaurants in Germany's largest medieval old town will cater to hungry and thirsty groups from Belgium, Romania and England. We recommend the following as a first breakfast stop Metropol am Dom. Solid food, lots of space - the combination makes the difference.
12 o'clock. Anyone who has visited Frankfurt's historic old town without succumbing to the temptations of the local restaurants has not made a bad decision. Now he or she can relax in the magnificent Kleinmarkthalle near Frankfurt's Zeil shopping street, you can serve yourself to your heart's content from over 60 traders and snack bars. This culinary meeting place offers food from all over the world and a terrace provides outdoor enjoyment in good weather. Every Saturday, a gourmet garden invites you to sample all kinds of delicacies. But don't worry - somewhere in here you'll also find Frankfurter sausages.
3 p.m. When the weather is nice in Frankfurt, people are drawn like lemmings to the Römerberg. This is the square in front of Frankfurt City Hall and a venue for numerous events throughout the year. In the past, emperors were crowned on the Römerberg, today it hosts trade fairs and the annual Christmas market. The Fountain of Justice in the middle of the Römer is the perfect meeting place for cheerful soccer fans who want to warm up for the game in the evening with their fellow countrymen in the city center. The goddess Justitia, who adorns the fountain, is one of Frankfurt's landmarks.
6 pm. Enough history and calories inhaled. Time for the Euro 24 area in Frankfurt, the "place to be" during the month-long European Championships in June and July. The Fan Zone is a whole 1.4 kilometers long in Frankfurt and will provide space for 30,000 people. It will be set up on the northern bank of the Main between Holbeinsteg and Friedensbrücke. Admission is free, all 51 matches will be shown on a big screen, and of course there will be plenty of food and drink stands. Art, culture and music events are also planned, with the wonderful impressions of the Main after dark as a bonus.
8 pm. Frankfurt's station district does not have the best reputation nationwide; drugs and prostitution are highly visible there. However, a gentrification effect has also set in over the last 10 years: nice hotels, good restaurants and hip bars are no longer a rarity in the streets around the main station. What's more, as was already evident during the 2006 World Cup in Frankfurt, the local O'Reilly's at the end of Münchner Straße is particularly popular with English fans. After all, English soccer fans can be sure that in an Irish pub they will definitely get all the beers they are served on the island. Or is it the daily karaoke event that is so tempting?
10 am. If you go on a trip, you want to experience something - and, if possible, take something home with you. We recommend a visit to a special flea market in Frankfurt. The flea market at Schaumainkai has a reputation for having every quirky curiosity you've never looked for in your life. The fact that the market runs along the banks of the Main adds to its value: visitors can see Frankfurt from a different perspective and understand that there is life here alongside glass palaces and bank skyscrapers. The market at the rugged, authentic Osthafen harbor opens every second Saturday at nine o'clock and closes at 2 p.m. at the latest.
1 p.m. Outside of Hesse, you've probably never heard of green sauce, which is considered a national dish in Frankfurt and the surrounding area. So why not combine a little culinary experiment with a trip to Bonames. Bonames is a district in the north of Frankfurt, where there are many beautiful half-timbered houses and none of the tall glass palaces that are usually found in Frankfurt. That alone is an eye-catcher. Bonames is also attractive because of the traditional pubs located there. In the Goldene Gerste, for example, or To the Golden Unicorn serves excellent regional cuisine. The rustic, colorful and bold Einhorn traditionally serves one of the best green sauce dishes in town, while a cozy little garden provides a summer feeling.
3 p.m. Fortified by Frankfurt specialties, it's time for some sport on the water. Diving, snorkeling, SUP? Not at all. During the 2024 European Championships, the city of Frankfurt has come up with something special on the banks of the Main between Friedensbrücke and Eiserner Steg. A floating soccer pitch will be set up on a pontoon on the Main. Interested footballers can let off steam on this presumably somewhat wobbly playing surface and hope that they don't get seasick during the game. Those who prefer to play on a firm surface can also do so. On the Fan Zone on the banks of the Main two small fields are set up.
6 pm. Sachsenhausen is considered the entertainment district of Frankfurt and is known beyond the city limits. Not even soccer fans from several countries who are in town at the same time will manage to drink Alt-Sachsenhausen dry - there are simply too many pubs and bars here for that. You should take the chance and order a Bembel Ebbelwoi in one of the authentic traditional pubs. (A jug of cider!) That's how it's done here and, in our experience, not every guest will be enthusiastic about it. But at least now you can tell people in Belgium, Denmark or Hungary what people in Hesse drink voluntarily. In Sachsenhausen, you can find the drink in combination with Frankfurt dishes in such good-sounding pubs as At home in the Affentorschänke, Kanonesteppel or Ebbelwoi our. Have fun.
8 pm. Frankfurt is an ambitious city that aims to rival London and New York in certain parts of the city. You can see this for yourself when you visit one of the many rooftop bars in the evening with the appropriate lighting and enjoy a panoramic view of Frankfurt. Let someone else claim that skyscrapers have no charm. The NFT Skybar & Restaurant, for example, is located 185 meters above the ground and is the perfect place for any soccer fan to say goodbye to everyday life (and possibly their team's defeat) with a few cocktails. The rooftop bar Oosten, which was built on two old loading cranes, is also original. Finally, live music and DJs await guests in the elegant 22nd Lounge & Bar in the Eurotheum high-rise.
Copyright cover picture: The skyline shows its best side in the evening light © rudi1976 - stock.adobe.com
