Throughout its history, Frankfurt am Main (pronounced Mine) has been linked to international trade, commerce and transportation. Today, the city is playing a leading role in the European monetary union as the home of the European Central Bank and the German Stock Exchange.
It is also a major transportation hub, the site of both Europe's second-largest airport and one of its busiest train stations.
Only a small section of the original town center survived the bombings of World War II, and much of the city was rebuilt in the 1950s. Today, Frankfurt's optimistic outlook reflects its rebirth.
Every day, the population of 650,000 grows by almost one-half, as 300,000 commuters arrive to work in the gleaming financial district or to attend one of its world-famous trade fairs. Additionally, tourists come to visit and to enjoy Frankfurt's fine opera, ballet, and world-class museums. Visitors are often amazed by Frankfurt's multicultural variety and by the beauty of its suburbs and surrounding countryside.
The historic center of the city is Romerberg, a square just two blocks north of the Main. The old town's walls were torn down and the moats filled in, but a green belt of parks loops around the old city in their place. Several guardhouses still stand as landmarks. Northeast of Romerberg is the Konstablerwache, which has U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. Northwest of Romerberg is the Hauptwache, now the site of a cafe and also an important transportation hub. To the east of the Hauptwache is the Zeil, Frankfurt's busiest shopping street, and to the west is Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse, known locally as the Fressgasse (or "chow-down alley") for its food markets and eating establishments. To the south of the Romerberg is an old iron footbridge, the Eiserner Steg, which crosses the Main into Sachsenhausen. In Sachsenhausen, you'll find interesting pubs and traditional taverns, as well as the Museumsufer (museums along the southern embankment).
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