It is always that layover for long-haul flights. What do you do with that time? Is it worth making the stopover in that city?
We had to make that decision. As we were flying by Lufthansa, Frankfurt was the final departure point. Frankfurt is probably not as well-known as a travelling destination as other cities in Germany, but as we haven’t been to Germany before, we thought why not just spend a night to properly rest before a long flight home, and spend a few hours exploring the city.
Better this for 7hours than on the crampy plane seat…
So that’s how we ended up in Frankfurt for 24hours!
By the time we got into Frankfurt from Paris, it was past sunset. Quite unlike the other cities we went to, Frankfurt was really quiet after sundown. We hardly met anyone on the streets while getting to our accommodation from the train station (a short 10minute walk away).
A simple motel room for the night
There weren’t many shops open as well so dinner choices were limited. We settled for a pizza/roast chicken diner round the corner.
Not quite the German feast I was expecting but oh well, without much life in the city at the hour, that would have to do for our 1st meal!
The next morning, we woke up refreshed from a good night’s rest. We were also delighted to find the sun shining. What a welcoming change from Paris’s gloomy weather!
We ate a simple breakfast in our room (leftovers from Paris heh) before setting off.
First stop was the iconic spot of Frankfurt, The Römerberg.
I love how the winter sun was giving all our pictures a warm golden glow. We did the touristy thing of taking heaps of shots there and going into the souvenir shops around the area. Mum got a fridge magnet and Bro was bent on getting this German wooden toy (reminds me of the time when we were in New Zealand and he insisted on getting this kiwi bird toy – he was 5 back then. Some things don’t change much!)
We also went into the Frankfurt Cathedral.
Granted, it wasn’t as grand as those that we saw in France and Italy. But I found the gothic-looking exterior quite interesting.
As we wandered around the area, look what we found!
Haha as we are so used to seeing Maggi as a household brand for instant noodles back in Singapore, we were quite amused to see it as a food boutique store.
Inside, we definitely found more than instant noodles. The variety of Maggi products was quite impressive. We got tomato soups and some German beef soups (can’t remember the name unfortunately!). We have cooked them since we got back and they turned out all right – can’t ask for much for instant soups!
After our short shopping spree at the Maggi shop, we went on to find a food market in Frankfurt, Kleinmarkthalle!
Yay I love food markets! I did anticipate that it would not be as bustling as Queen Victoria Market or La Boqueria so we just did a brief walk through the market.
This 1 particular shop caught our eye…
Haha guess we were drawn by the free samples! But seriously, they tasted really good and fresh. It really reminded me of the fruit&nut stall at Queen Victoria Market! Anyway, their free sampling worked – we bought back some packets of nuts and snacks 😉
Next, it was time to look for lunch! After looking up some reviews for some authentic German fare, we decided to check this place out.
Atschel
Wallstraße 7, 60594 Frankfurt am Main
It was a pub and upon stepping in, we saw huge plates, huge mugs of beer and huge people (German, I assume). It certainly looked like we were in for a hearty meal!
The prices were really reasonable and yes, the portions didn’t disappoint.
Grilled Pork Loin, sauerkraut & bread
Breaded Frankfurt Schnitzel
And. that. HUGE Pork Knuckle! (Excuse the ugly face but it’s to express my shock haha)
Crispy crackling and oh-so-tender meat. Argh soooo good.
Wow, we certainly struggled to finish our 3 mains. The place was constantly buzzing the whole time we were there so it looked like a favourite lunch spot for the locals. It amazes me how the locals can have 1 plate to themselves, accompanied with that big mug of beer :O
So glad we got a taste of some well-known German dishes. We decided that we are not fans of sauerkraut and German pork knuckle rocks. The Germans certainly know how to do their meats!
As you can tell, we had a really good lunch. So for the price, portion and quality, I highly recommend that you drop by Atschel if you are ever in Frankfurt!
After that, it was time to walk off our lunch! So we made our way to the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, a river that runs through the city.
A vintage comic store along the way
Awww 🙂
Frankfurt’s version of the Love Bridge
The CBD in the background
We then found our way to the shopping strip in the city, the Zeil, where we found pretty good bargains at American Eagle, Zara, Mango etc.
And in our last few hours in the city, and of our Europe trip, we just chilled in the cafe, chatting and reminiscing, savouring the last moments of our holiday.
Haha counting the loose change we have left
So that’s how we spent 24hours in Frankfurt!
Nothing fancy, just taking in the sights of a foreign city and exploring at a leisurely pace. After all the craziness travelling to and around the other European cities, these last 24hours in Frankfurt certainly made a nice round up to our Europe getaway 😉
