00:00Impressive skyscrapers and a romantic old town.
00:04This is what Frankfurt looks like on social media.
00:07But does the city on the Main River actually look that good in real life?
00:12Let's check out three hotspots.
00:14Frankfurt is a bustling banking metropolis and international hub,
00:18but it can also be quite idyllic.
00:21When you visit Frankfurt, you can't miss the Gothic Cathedral of St. Bartholomew.
00:27It's in the centre of the old town, which has many narrow alleyways and half-timbered houses.
00:32That brings us to our first hotspot, the town hall, also called the Rümer.
00:40It's one of the oldest town halls in Germany.
00:43But as tour guide Verena Röse explains, not everything here is as it seems.
00:51Frankfurt was heavily destroyed in World War II.
00:54So the outer facade survived by, I would say, 70%.
01:00And as soon as you step to the inside, you feel like, yeah, in the 1950s.
01:06The staircase was built after the war.
01:09As such, the Rümer is an architectural mixture that reflects the city's history
01:14from the Middle Ages to the present day.
01:17A highlight is the Imperial Hall, with 52 portraits of Holy Roman Emperors.
01:31Today, the so-called New Old Town is also part of Frankfurt's historic centre.
01:36New Old Town sounds weird, and it really is.
01:41It's a very brave and, at the end, successful project of urban development.
01:47All of that existed before World War II, and all of that was completely destroyed after the war.
01:54And these houses that you see now were only reconstructed between 2012 and 2018.
02:03So, original or not, the present and the past blend together in Frankfurt's historic city centre in a very photogenic way.
02:10Hotspot number two, the iron footbridge, or Eisnersteig.
02:15It's a popular place for people to take pictures in front of iconic buildings.
02:20This pedestrian bridge dates back to 1868 and is made of 500 tonnes of wrought iron.
02:27It was destroyed at the end of the Second World War, but the individual parts were salvaged from the river and it was rebuilt.
02:33This is one of the most romantic places in the city, for sure.
02:44That's where you go with your date for that twist of romance, maybe.
02:49And it has the love locks in it. Someone counted it recently and they said it's about 54,000 love locks.
02:56And they add a lot of extra weight.
02:58In other European cities, lampposts and railings have already collapsed under the weight of love.
03:04But that's not an issue in Frankfurt.
03:07Love locks are officially permitted on the iron footbridge.
03:12What's the most popular Frankfurt photomotif?
03:15The skyline.
03:17Apparently there's a great view of it from the Lorberg mountain, our third hotspot.
03:22You most definitely won't pass by here by chance, since it's a 20-minute drive from the city centre.
03:28But is it worth it?
03:30Definitely. From here you have a great view of the entire city.
03:34Frankfurt doesn't have the tallest skyscrapers in the world, but it is home to Germany's tallest skyscraper, the Kommerzbank Tower, which is 259 metres.
03:47So, what's the conclusion of this reality check?
03:49With its old town, iron footbridge and the impressive skyline, there are plenty of reasons to visit Frankfurt.
03:56Frankfurt.
03:57.
03:58.
