Frankfurt Am Main

Germany’s Money Spinner is the new tourist hot spot

Frankfurt Am Main is one of those cities that make you think. Looking at the city’s avant-garde lifestyle and its cloud – piercing skyscrapers contrast with its well preserved 19th century buildings you wonder if it should be called a 21st century city looking at the next one or a really old city that has somehow stopped in time? Is it a modern dwelling or an ancient marvel?

The answer is not easy but as you peel off the layers of this multi-faceted city you find it full of pleasant paradoxes – whether in its physical structure or its social fabric, Frankfurt surprises you at every layer that opens up. The city attracts millions of visitors to its eventful history as reflected in its squares, museums and monuments. At the same time, Frankfurt attracts people for being an important financial center and a traffic hub on the continent. What people find most intriguing, whether they are in the city as tourists or as business visitors to one of its many trade fairs; is the way Frankfurt has preserved its traditional German culture without forgoing the benefits of a modern society.

Frankfurt is famous for its numerous churches, cathedrals and old buildings scattered all around, its two botanical gardens that boast of a unique array of flora, its architecture and its culture. It may not be Berlin, but when it comes to nightlife and the eating out culture, Frankfurt does not disappoint. It is the home to the European Central Bank, the German Federal Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Trade Fair. The city is one of the most important commercial centers in the world and attracts a lot of visitors for this purpose too.

In all, Frankfurt is a great place for a city break that could extend from a weekend to a week and you can be sure, there is enough to see and do in the city to fill up the spaces. Get the whole story on this ancient city, nestled enigmatically within a modern one, so that you can max out the fun!

The Frankfurt Story

Although the Romans are believed to have settled in the area around present day Frankfurt, the first known written reference to Frankfurt was signed in 794 by none other than Charlemagne, who, in a letter to the bishop of Toledo, wrote –“ in loco celebri qui dicitur Franconofurd” which means “that famous place which is called Frankfurt”. The Romans settled in the hilly terrain in the last quarter of the 1st century and like most notable cities in Europe where they formed settlements, left their imprints in the form of Roman Baths, villas and farm buildings. The retreat of the Romans in the 3rd century brought an end to the Roman occupation, leaving the area free for the Frankish King, Charlemagne to occupy.

Charlemagne built his royal court in the place he named “Franconovurd” and in 794 AD held a church council there to beat down Adoptionism. Louis the Pious, Charlemagne’s son further increased the importance of the city by selecting it as his seat and building a larger palace. In 838, he ordered the construction of defensive walls and ditches, making the city safer from invasions and attacks.

Frankfurt had long been an important trading center, thanks to the Romans, and by the 12th century the city's famous trade fairs were attracting merchants from as far as the Mediterranean and the Baltic. This gave the city a commanding position among its contemporaries. Another event that sealed the city’s position as the seat of power was when Fredrick I Barbarossa was elected king in 1152 in a local church in Frankfurt. Ever since this time, every German King has been elected in Frankfurt.

In 1372, the Frankfurters bought their autonomy from Karl IV for a fee of 8800 Gulden, making Frankfurt a freie Reichstadt, or free imperial city. However, this free status did not deter other kingdoms from attacking and occupying the golden city and Frankfurt came under fire thrice in the next few centuries - in 1631 by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War, in 1759-63 by French troops during the Seven Years' War, and again during the Napoleonic Wars.

These were tumultuous times for the city but during these centuries several developments in the field of commerce and the arts also took place. Science and innovation were regarded as the drivers for growth, the printing press was invented in nearby Mainz, giving an impetus to education and the most important book fair in Germany was held in Frankfurt from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

Even in the early times, Frankfurt displayed a strong secular culture, perhaps because it was a primarily trading economy and the city was among the first to embrace Luther's reformist ideas. It held a significant position in the Holy Roman Empire of Germany, although the Hessian principalities that surrounded it remained disorganized up to 1945. The advent of Napoleon led to the end of The Holy Roman Empire in 1806 with Napoleon, and Napoleon’s subsequent fall resulted in the re-organization of the country’s countless principalities were into a confederation of 35 states, with Frankfurt hosting its ineffective Reichstag. In 1848, that great year of revolutions, Germany's very first parliamentary delegation met briefly at Frankfurt's Paulskirche.

During the second World War, the worst hit community in the city was the Jews who despite having contributed immensely to the city by way of its banking tradition and much of its academic and cultural heritage. Faced with Nazi atrocities, a huge fraction of Jews emigrated and the ones who couldn’t, suffered a gory and chillingly horrific fate in the Nazi concentration camps. The bombing raids led by the Allied Forces flattened most of the city centre and led to huge losses of life. In 1945, the American Army took over the city and made it their headquarters during Germany's rehabilitation.

Today Frankfurt is known as the birthplace of the Deutschmark, the home of the Deutsche Bundesbank and as the seat of the European Central Bank. The Euro was launched here on 1 January 1999 and is a beautiful amalgam of its past and present with a definite eye on the future.

The Frankfurt Season

There are many reasons people go to Frankfurt and though tourism is a booming business, a huge chunk of visitors come to the city for trade shows and conventions regularly held here. It just so happens that most major trade shows and conventions take place during the months from March to May and from September to October - which are also the best times to visit weather-wise. Tricky, isn’t it? The suits are not going to stop but you can solve the situation by booking ahead or choosing accommodations that are not popular with the business visitors.

The winter months in Frankfurt are from November through to February and are the hardest months to play tourist. If you go to Frankfurt in winters you would have to brave storms and freezing temperatures and a near-zero social and entertainment scene. Of course since there are no or just a handful of tourists at this time, you can have the run of hotels in the city! However, do brace yourself for Christmas time as this is when the Christmas market is in full swing and crowds are thick. If excessive heat and thunderstorms do not bother you, aim for the time period from June to August which is characterized by a lot of outdoors action.

Getting in to Frankfurt

Frankfurt is the busiest transport hub of the continent with Flughafen Frankfurt-am-Main as it is Germany's main gateway and continental Europe's busiest airport. This effectively means you will be spoiled for choices to travel to the city!

If you are traveling from within the continent, try taking a leisurely Eurolines bus ride that will culminate at the Hauptbahnoff. You could also try taking the domestic service – the Romantic Road Bus. The Hauptbahnoff also handles all train arrivals and departures in Germany.

The best way to get into Frankfurt, however, remains by air. The Flughafen Frankfurt -am-Main is a gigantic airport consisting of two massive terminals linked by the Sky Line elevated railway, and servicing just about every major airline in the world. Getting to central Frankfurt is easy – you could opt for bus 61 to Sudbahnhof in Sachsenhausen from Terminal 1, or via the S-Bahn No 8 or No 9 from Terminal 1 to Hauptbahnhof. Taxis are also an easy, though expensive.

Getting about

Frankfurt is blessed with a fantastic public transport system that integrates the city's bus, tram, S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines. It's expensive but effective, and you can buy hourly or daily tickets at almost any stop. If you would be traveling long distances and need to get there fast take the underground S-Bahn and U-Bahn train lines which are convenient and run more frequently than buses.

For great views of the city and for getting from place A to B quickly, try the city’s trams which run on all major routes. The city is very bike-friendly and most streets have designated bike lanes. You can rent bikes from the Hauptbahnoff or Radschlag or Deutsche Bah. Do be aware that the city is a tough labyrinth of one-way streets in the city centre making driving or biking kind of frustrating. But you can always get as close to the center as possible and then either walk around or take a cab.

Staying in Frankfurt

Choices abound

Frankfurt offers many choices when it comes to selecting a suitable place to stay; being one of the top trade fair and convention centers in the world has produced a plethora of hotels, Bed & Breakfasts and apartments and the tourist population is reaping the benefits.

Before we give you some of the best options in different categories, let us tell you about the new Movenpick Hotel Frankfurt City (€176) that has recently opened its doors for business in the heart of Frankfurt's new Europa Quarter- Haager Strasse. Government approved and four starred, the Movenpick has excellent business facilities and is conveniently located just next to Frankfurt's trade fairgrounds. The Movenpick makes an ideal place for business travelers looking for some sightseeing on the side and a comfortable place to flop down after a busy day.

Other than the Movenpick you could look at several other high end options like the very popular Hilton Frankfurt which is located in the heart of the city and attracts a lot of business travelers as well as out and out tourists for this reason. The Hilton offers large, comfortable rooms fitted with the most modern facilities, a friendly and efficient staff…all for € 285. Other popular hotels in the same range are Rocco Forte Villa Kennedy on Kennedyallee for € 282, The Westin Grand Frankfurt in for € 237, Marriott Hotel Frankfurt for € 205, Steigenberger Hotel Metropolitan for € 222, Radisson SAS Frankfurt for € 251, Linder Main Plaza for 225, Hotel Inter-Continental Frankfurt for € 277 and Art-Hotel Robert Mayer for € 204.

The city’s mid range hotels are also popular because of the excellent services provided, room quality and location. Top of the heap in this category are: Hessischer Hof Hotel for € 161 which is also popular for its famous cocktail bar – Jimmy’s; Schlosshotel Kronberg for € 143, Fleming’s Hotel Frankfurt Messe for € 120, Bristol Hotel Frankfurt for € 109, Hotel Concorde for € 117, Sheraton Offenbach for € 139 and Le Meridian Parkhotel Frankfurt for € 191.

Budget accommodations are spread across the city and you can take your pick from: National Hotel – Frankfurt for € 88, Hotel Excelsior for € 90, Maingau for € 90, Topas Hotel for €66, Hotel –Pension Golz for € 55, Hotel An Der Messe for € 82, Amadeus Hotel for € 91, Hotel Europa for € 68 and Hotel Adler for € 65.

A lot of new Bed & Breakfast options are also available in the city and offer good value for money without being too expensive. We recommend the following options to choose from: Dirazi Guest House for € 149, Gerbermuehle Hotel for €172, The Breesen Hotel for €142, Pension Bruns for €75 and Pension Garni Stella, also for €75.

Serious Eats in Frankfurt

The greatest thing about eating out in Frankfurt is the omnipresence of international cuisine owing to the fact that Frankfurters like to experiment with foreign cuisines and fusion recipes rather than sticking to traditional fare. The most recent result of this equation is the Holbeins located in the courtyard of the Stadel near Holbeinstrasse. The restaurant’s stylish décor includes glittering artifacts, backdrops of prints of old masters’ best and a cuisine that ranges from tender Argentine filet mignon to grilled Canadian lobster in vanilla foam.

Don’t leave Frankfurt without tasting the hearty traditional German cuisine and the best place to do so is at Eichkatzerl where you must try the homemade apfelwein in an authentic tavern atmosphere. Also try Schuch's at Alt Praunheim for it’s the apple sherry steak, Waldches for homemade beer and Zum Rad for fab Apfelwein, Kassler pork chop and the pork shoulder with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.

Frankfurt has a lot of Asian restaurants as well and the best one is the fantastic Bombay Palace with a mouth watering menu that includes a broad range of Indo-Pakistani dishes of meat, fish and poultry and the city’s only operational Tandoori oven! Other Asian restaurants in the city include Rainbow Garden, Tao and Utage. For quick eats on the go try A'mir Sandwich for top-notch Lebanese street food and La Rosticceria.

Erno's Bistro in Liebigstrasse is a Michelin-star kitchen that turns out classic French dishes and Exedra has the best Greek food in town. For mouthwatering Italian food try the Cafe in Filmmuseum, Da Claudio and La Trattoria. Other must try places in the city include Turkis, Morton's Steakhouse, Gebruder Bauer and Hessler.

King Creole is a surprise find in Frankfurt and serves the unexpected rich Cajun and Creole cooking and jazz background music. Lounge is another place for young professionals and tourists for its multicultural dishes and trendy setting. Meyer's is one of the city’s best bistros, featuring international cuisine, Sevres is a restaurant and hotel across from the Messe and is owned by the Prince of Hesse, and his family's collection of rare Sevres porcelain is displayed in floor-to-ceiling glass cases around the dining room!

One must go to place in Frankfurt is Gargantua which is delight for its mixed cuisine and elegant setting complete with antique furniture. Other restaurants of note in the city are Restaurant Weidemann, Die Leiter, Sushi Circle, Zum Gemalten Haus, Andalucía, Chicago Meatpackers, Romanella and Gickelschlag.

Frankfurt at Night

The nightlife of Frankfurt is a mélange of beer-gardens, bars and discos; the city offers variety and vibrancy in the city’s night scene that caters to everyone from the iron toed businessman to the lanky university student waiting for his career epiphany!

Best watering holes

Bar Oppenheimer on the Oppenheimer Street offers a wide array of cocktails to a well turned out cosmo crowd that includes business people, students and party hoppers just starting out their crawl. The top hit of the place is its smorgasbord of 20 different whiskeys to choose from!

DaXx Mainhattan’s Bar on Wilhelm –Leuschener Street knows how to mix its cocktails and serves a mean seafood buffet every Thursday. This is an exclusive place, very trendy and ideal for an evening of cocktails and dinner

Jimmy’s is one of the longest surviving cocktail bars in the city whipping up exotic drinks in a well decorated ambience. Run by barman Andre Amador, Jimmy’s is situated in Freidrich – Ebert – Anlage as part of the Hotel Hessischer Hof.

King Kamehameha Club is the undoubted king of all watering holes in the city with its upscale ambience and exotic cocktails. Expect Jazz, Soul and House music to sweep you off your feet; glass of champagne in hand

Top 10 Live Music Venues

Batschkapp – great acoustics, fab music and tight security define this legendry live music venue that opened in 1976 and has been rocking Frankfurt ever since

Der Frankfurter Jazzkeller – Pumping in the heart of Frankfurt, this is the place where Louis Armstrong Eddie Harris, Dizzy Gillespie and Chet Baker once played their music. Also serves great beer

Dreikonigskeller – the ideal place for party hoppers, the club regales with a new theme every night. The music is great and features jazz and blues, rare grooves from the 70s and everything in between

Jazzlokal Mampf – this is the one place every Frankfurter would refer you to. Comprised mostly of regional musicians, Jazzlokal is a fun place with good beer flowing in between strains of unique music and platters of traditional German meat and potato dinners

Sinkkasten – This is one of the most stylish bars in the city and a great place to catch a celeb or two. Music scene is all over the place with focus on Mingus and Guthrie.

Tigerpalast – Tigerpalast is the big ticket entertainment point in the city center and is uber – chic for its two-hour cabaret style shows. The place is actually divided into four – a theater, a fine restaurant, a bistro and a bar – once you get here there is no other place you’d want to go to.

Frankfurt’s Super Attractions

As one of the most important industrialcities in Germany, Frankfurt has always enjoyed a strong position. But this is one city that suffered the most from Allied bombing during WWII and much of the city’s historic heritage was destroyed. A lot of buildings which displayed exemplary architecture now survive only in pictures. Sad as that is, it did not deter Frankfurters from going all out to salvage what remained and to build new and better structures that would attract visitors while serving practical purposes.

One exception to the buildings and areas razed to the ground in the WWII bombings is the Romerburg on the Old Market Square; the usual first stop for all sight seeing in the city. Romerburg is famous for its trade fairs which started taking place here in the 12th century and continue till this day. One of the first trade fairs to be held in Romerburg was the Frankfurt Book Fair, which has now moved to a new location. The Romerburg was also the site of all kind of festivities, most importantly those celebrating the coronation of the Holy Roman Emperors, who were crowned in the town hall, the 'Zum Romer' or Romer in short. Spend some time on the square taking in its various components like the Ostzeile – a row of reconstructed half-timber houses originally dating from the 15th and 16th century, Historiches Museum, Alte Nikolaikirche and the Fountain of Justice.

Another popular city attraction is Paulskirche which was built between 1789 and 1833 and was the seat of the first elected German Parliament. It holds a place of immense value to the country and Frankfurters specifically as it is the symbol of the German Democratic Movement. Located in Paulsplatz, the Paulskirche was completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt from scratch.

The Alter Oper is another example of the zeal with which Frankfurters reconstructed their city after the war. Originally opened on October 20th 1880, the Opernhaus, as it was called, was designed by Berliner Richard Lucae – one of the foremost architects of his time. It was Germany’s most important Opera House in the pre-war period and reconstruction took place in 1952.

Make some time for Goethehaus, the place where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749. The house is of immense significance to the literati and tourists alike and the well – preserved interiors of the house present a very true picture of how a well – off family in the 18th century lived. Also visit the Goethe museum situated next door for a look-see at a fine collection of paintings and documents related to the art-loving writer, as well as an extensive library of note.

Frankfurt is also home to Palmengarten and Gruneburgpark; Palmengarten was created in 1868 with the help of donations by the citizens of Frankfurt and Gruneburgpark is the city’s largest park abutting Palmengarten and was created by Meyer Amschel Rothschild – a member of the famous banking family. Palmengarten is a vast collection of exotic subtropical plants and has the world’s largest greenhouse. Between the two lies Frankfurt’s botanical garden which delights visitors with its rose garden and a collection of rare plants.

Frankfurt is full of exciting places to visit and some of the others you mustn’t miss are: Eschenheimer Turm, Hauptwache, Commerzbank Tower, Bethmann Park and Zeil. Museum lovers would find marvelous treasures at The Museum for Modern Art and Staedel Art Institute & Municipal Gallery.

Frankfurt Shopping

Goodies Galore

Just as it does with other things, Frankfurt excels in its shopping options as well. The city boasts of lively markets and dedicated shopping areas that remind you of New York shopping avenues and London’s glittering markets. Being a business oriented city, merchants keep shop Monday to Friday 9 or 10am to 6 or 6:30pm, and Saturday 9 or 10am to 2pm.

The Frankfurt shopping scene is best exhibited on "The Golden Mile," or the Zeil, which is a pedestrian zone between the Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. This 14th century cattle market is now a huge street that offers the entire gamut of shoppers’ delights right from department stores, clothing shops and shoe stores to furniture outlets. The Zeil was once one of the most famous shopping streets on the Continent but lost a lot during the war. It hasn’t quite recovered from the damage but still is extremely popular and a visit here is almost like pilgrimage.

Close to the Zeil is the Kleinmarkthalle, a covered market with international grocery products. Going to the Kleinmarkthalle at the start of a business day is sure to delight with its sights and sounds as well as fetch you some good bargains. The Hauptwache, in the center of Frankfurt, has two shopping areas, one above and one below ground. Groceries, book dealers, flowers, clothing, tobacco, photo supplies, recordings, and sporting equipment abound. In the Hauptwache-Passage are restaurants, travel agencies, and banks.

Schillerstrasse is another pedestrian zone like the Zeil and starts from Hauptwache all the way to the Eschenheimer Turm, near the stock exchange. Take a walk from Schillerstrasse northeast toward Eschenheimer Tor and you will find yourself in the company of elegant boutiques and specialty shops.

Southwest of the Hauptwache is the Alte Oper which can be reached by taking either the Goethestrasse, with exclusive stores that remind you of Paris or Milan, or the parallel Grosse Bockenheimerstrasse, fondly called Fressgasse or "Pig-Out Alley." This shopping area boasts of long established wine dealers, delis, and butcher shops and the place as its nickname suggests is a fabulous bet for getting the best food shopping done. If you don’t feel like cooking, try the Opernplatz area for a variety of restaurants and cafes.

West of the Hauptwache is Rossmarkt, leading to Kaiserstrasse. It passes the BFG skyscraper, which boasts of three floors splashing world class retail stores, boutiques, and restaurants. Kaiserstrasse is also known for its large selection of stores selling clothing, audio and photography equipment, and stainless-steel ware. The heart of the fur trade in Frankfurt is Dusseldorfer Strasse, opposite the Hauptbahnhof. Most book dealers are located around the Hauptwache and Goetheplatz. Antiques, old books, etchings, and paintings on Braubachstrasse can be found near the Romer, at the Dom, and on Fahrgasse.

One Day in Frankfurt

If it has been said in the past that Goethe’s hometown, Bankfurt by any other name, is the smallest metropolis in the world, it hasn’t been said enough. For, although most of the city’s architectural heritage and tangible history was razed to the ground by Allied bombings in WWII, Frankfurt has well made up for the loss; yet the city center remains eminently walkable.

Therefore, with most of the city’s attractions well accessible by foot, one day in Frankfurt would take you a lot of places. You would of course want to start with a sumptuous breakfast of Kannchen and Apfeltasche at one of the many cafes that dot Fressgasse. The city’s compact center also means you can relish your breakfast at a leisurely pace while watching a sea of Frankfurters, many of whom are actually from other countries, walk by, coffee cups in hand, to one of the high rise glass and steel workplaces that loom large wherever you look up.

Luckily you are not part of this crowd, not today!

Post breakfast head out to the Romerburg – the city’s main square and the sight of the first Frankfurt Book Fair way back in the 12th century. Walk into the town hall, the 'Zum Romer' which is where the Holy Roman Emperors of the region were crowned in elaborate coronation ceremonies. Marvel at the zeal of the Frankfurters to rebuild their city, a fine example of which is the Ostzeile – the fantastically reconstructed houses that lined the square in the 15th and 16th centuries. Take in the Alte Nikolaikirche and the Fountain of Justice before you move on to spend an hour at the Historiches Museum.

Spend the rest of your morning at the enigmatic Stadel Museum – one of the finest in the city. The Stadel Museum displays the best of European art spanning seven centuries as well as 600 sculptures that will take your breath away! You would need at least a couple of hours to go through a fraction of the museum – so choose a few pieces and focus on those. Treat your tired feet and hungry stomach with a hearty lunch at the Holbeins located in the courtyard of the Stadel. The restaurant’s warm and inviting interior decorated with blah instantly makes you feel rested and whets your appetite for the yum food that is on its way from the special Mediterranean kitchen.

Satiated with lunch, move on to the Zeil – Frankfurt’s Golden Mile of shopping. The place buzzes with activity and locals and tourists both mill around the street’s exclusive boutiques and stores. Do visit the Zeilgalerie and Frankfurt Hoch 4 for a fab experience. Next, take a cruise on the River Main and watch the city go by on both banks. This is Mainhattan at its best. The cruise is calming and gives you a good view of the city and its famed skyline.

Bet you are ready for another round of coffee by the time the cruise gets over! Head to Eis Christina for a coffee or their special peanut ice cream, sit out on the terrace and watch the world go by. Just when you start heading back to your hotel and think you are done for the day, your brain would start sending you the “Let’s Party” signals. You would be tired but the lure of spending a few hours soaking in Frankfurt’s trendy nightlife would be too hard to resist. You would put on your favorite dress and those shoes meant only for dancing the night away and head to King Creole for the best Cajun cuisine in town with jazz filling up the space before your final stop for the day and the first one of the night – Jazzlokal Mampf.

You would be tired the next morning, but regret would be the farthest away from how you feel.

The Hidden Frankfurt

Looking for a good music shop in the city? Skip the big stores and head straight to Delirium in the heart of Frankfurt in Tongesgasse

Get the best coffee (or a gin and tonic!) in the city at the Riz on Berliner Strasse

Skip the hotel breakfast and head to Café Cardamom on Glauburgstrasse for the most heavenly coffee and the perfect breakfast

Hot Tips for Frankfurt

General

Most large establishments accept credit cards but the smaller shops and a lot of small restaurants don’t. Best to check while making reservations

Frankfurt restaurants get flooded especially during high tourist season, which is also the high season for trade fairs and you need to book tables in advance at almost all restaurants of note.

Frankfurt caters to both splurge and budget travelers but if you are traveling on a budget you have to plan your expenditure ahead as it is quite easy to overspend here.

Families

Frankfurt is quite a kid-friendly city and one of the must visit places for a family is the fairytale themed Taunus –Wunderland, most famous for its recently added Dinosaur exhibit and the Haunted House.

Traveling with family almost always carries the danger of overshooting the budget. You can get some help in the form of the two-day ticket – the Frankfurt Card which gives you good discounts at many tourist attractions and a 15% discount on several museums.

A great day-out for a family is the Opel Zoo lying bang in the middle of a forest in Kronberg. Also visit the ‘petting zoo’ which is quite popular with young children

Couples

Take a walk one evening on The Eiserner Steg – the 1869 iron and concrete pedestrian bridge connecting the city across the River Main. The views of the river and skyline of the city on either end are beautiful

Skip a day off from sightseeing and beach out on the shores of the River Main

The Veterans TalkPost

Schmapp.com recommends Apfelweinwirtschaft Wagner for the authentic apple wine pub experience

The Lonely Planet recommends taking the Primus Linie – a short cruise on the Main River to take in Mainhattan’s awesome skyline on both sides

NY Times recommends dining at the luxurious Silk on Carl-Benz Strasse where you can eat reclining on white leather daybeds

The Guardian recommends sampling the mouth watering selection of cakes with a coffee at the Café Karin in Grosser Hirschgraben and a super breakfast at the Café Metropol in Weckmarkt.