Frankfurt is a city that has countless amazing photography locations. The river with the many unique bridges, the skyline of the city and the historical buildings are like a playground for photographers. I was actually really surprised about this city and the lifestyle of the people. In the city centre you will see beautiful old German buildings, as well as high skyscrapers. At the Main river, next to the skyscrapers, you will see people going for walks with their dogs, relaxing, drinking coffee, exercising, dancing, stand-up paddling, having picnics with friends and much more. The city seems to offer a great balance between business life and free time activities.
Apart from that, everything is in walking distance, so itโs super easy to explore the city by foot, while exploring unique photography locations and finding interesting perspectives on different sights. I would recommend you to spend two days in Frankfurt, so you donโt have to rush through everything, plus you can capture a sunrise!ย No matter if you are a professional photographer or a hobby photographer looking for some Insta-worthy spots in the city, you will find all the best locations to take stunning photographs down below!
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.
– Unknown
Things to see in Frankfurt
RรMERBERG
The Rรถmerberg is Frankfurtโs most beautiful public square and for most people the number one place to see in the city. Around the square you will see gorgeous historical buildings, including the town hall โRรถmerโ and in the middle of the square the fountain of justice. The history of this place goes back to the 12th century, when it was a trade hub for merchants and visitors from countries such as France and Italy. Fairs were held at this place centuries ago that still exist today, such as the Frankfurt book fair.ย
Photography tip: The Rรถmerberg is one of the most busy places in the city, so if you want to capture it without many people, itโs best to come early in the morning. Itโs worth it to come back in the evening to see how the square lights up in the dark. You can use the fountain of justice to frame your photo or create more depth in your photo, showing the fountain in the foreground and the buildings in the background.
RรMER
The city hall Rรถmer is the most popular building in Frankfurt. It is located at the Rรถmerberg, the historical market square mentioned above. Most Germans know the city hall from watching soccer matches. Itโs a tradition that the German soccer teams celebrate big wins, such as winning the World Cup, on the balcony of this city hall while thousands of fans are meeting in front of this building.ย
The first town hall was torn down in 1415, because it was too small for the needs of this flourishing city. In 1329 the city council was accorded the right to build a new city hall, but because of other costs of the city it has been postponed repeatedly. The council decided to buy two existing buildings instead, named โRรถmerโ and โGoldener Schwanโ, in 1405. Large halls were built on the ground level for lease during trade fairs. A hypothesis says that the name โRรถmerโ comes from the merchant who lived in the building until it was purchased by the city. He transacted the majority of his business with Rome and therefore got the German name โRรถmerโ.
Photography tip: The best time to take a photograph of the Rรถmer, or in front of the Rรถmer, is early in the morning when the sun shines directly on the building. In the morning you will also have the opportunity to take photos without many people. The square is usually a very busy place in the city.ย
OLD ST NICHOLAS CHURCH
The Old St Nicholas Church (German: Alte Nikolaikirche) is a beautiful, medieval Lutheran church, located at the Rรถmerberg in Frankfurtโs old town (German: Altstadt). Itโs unknown when the church was built exactly, but it is assumed that the construction started in the mid 12th century. The church was first mentioned in a text from 1264 and was the church of the palace. It was restored in 1280 in the early Gothic style, in 1450 another restoration followed with an additional gallery and new floors in the late Gothic style. After the reformation in Frankfurt it was used for archives and as a warehouse during fairs. The Catholic worship was banned until 1721 when it was dedicated to Lutheran worship. On top of the tower was a trumpet player who reported any fire outbreaks and arriving boats on the Main river. Despite the bombing of Frankfurt in World War II, which destroyed most of the surrounding old town, the church had only minor damages. The bells of the church play popular tunes every day at 9:05 am and 12:05 pm.
Photography tip: I recommend you to take photos of the church in the afternoon when the sun is shining on the building and to come back at night to see it light up in the dark.
OLD TOWN
The old town in Frankfurt has many beautiful buildings and offers a lot of amazing photography locations. When youโre walking through the streets you might think that these buildings are very old, but theyโre not. This is what makes this old town even more unique. Fact is that Frankfurtโs old town was one of the largest half-timbered towns in Germany. There were around 1250 half-timbered houses, most of which date from the Middle Ages. Unfortunately most of the old town was destroyed in World War II and the streets were characterized by quickly erected buildings from the 1950s and 60s. Important buildings and churches were restored or reconstructed, especially at the Rรถmerberg. From 2012 to 2018 the city started a project called โDom-Rรถmer-Projektโ to rebuild a small section of the old town, to make it look exactly how it was in the Middle age, everything for more than 180 million dollar.ย
Photography tip: The old town is right next to the Rรถmerberg square, if you walk east you will easily find it. There are plenty of good spots in the streets, just keep your eyes open and you will be surprised by the amazing architecture.
BUSINESS DISTRICT
Right next to the medieval old town you will see the skyscrapers of Frankfurt, which will give you many interesting photography opportunities. The most popular towers are the Main Tower, the Commerzbank Tower, the Eurotower and the Deutsche Bank Twin Towers. The easiest way to see them is to walk in the park between Neue Main Strasse und Gallusanlage. From here you will get a good view to the skyscrapers and you can capture them from many different perspectives.
Photography tip: The green park creates a really nice contrast to the modern skyscrapers. You can frame the photo with trees or take a photo from the ant perspective.
GEOTHE HOUSE
The Goethe House is close to the business district, located on a small cobble stoned street. As the name suggests this is the house where the famous author Johann Wolfgang Goethe, a German poet, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, critic and amateur artist, was born on August 28, in 1749. You can visit the house and see what it looked like back then. On the third floor you will find an exhibition with more information about the Goethe family.
When I travel I really want to get to know the destination I am visiting and love to read about its history and people that played an important role. I want to capture beautiful landscapes, as well as historical sites. That said, if you are interested in Germanyโs history this is a must-seen place, but if youโre looking for some stunning locations for your instagram feed, there are other locations that will be more interesting for you.
Photography tip: The narrow street makes it a little challenging to capture the whole building. The best way to take a photo of the Goethe house is to use a wide-angle lens.
FRANKFURT CATHEDRAL
The Frankfurt cathedral, officially Imperial Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew, is a stunning Roman Catholic Gothic church in the center of the city. It is the largest religious building in Frankfurt and dedicated to Saint Bartholomew (German: Sankt Bartholomรคus). Itโs one of the major buildings of the Roman Empireโs history and a symbol for national unity. Excavations revealed buildings from the 7th century on this site. In fact, the present church building is the third church on this site, constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries. In history, the cathedral was seen as the religious counterpart of the Royal Palace in Frankfurt.
Photography tip: The surrounding buildings make it a bit challenging to photograph the whole tower of the cathedral, but when you stand on the โZum Pfarrturmโ street, walking north from the Main river, you will get a great perspective on the church.
ALTE OPER
The Alte Oper, a grand concert hall from the 19th century, is an absolute highlight of the city. It first opened in 1880, but was destroyed by bombs in 1944. In the 1970s the reconstruction started and the concert hall was reopened in 1981. The square in front of the concert hall is called Opernplatz (English: Opera Square) and a great photography location.ย
Photography tip: When you stand on the south-east side of the building you get an amazing view, capturing both the front and the side of the concert hall. The fountain in front of the Alte Oper is also a great photography spot, especially for your Instagram feed.
HAUPTWACHE
The Hauptwache (English: โMain Guardroom”) is one of the most famous plazas in the city and linked by the Zeil, the main shopping area of Frankfurt. The baroque building, built in 1730, gave the plaza its name. It used to be the headquarters of the city when Frankfurt was an independent state. Back in the 18th century Frankfurt still had a wall and its own army. It contained a small prison which became a police station later on. In 1904, the building was converted into a cafe, which you will find today.ย
The building got heavily bombed in World War II and reopened with an altered roof in 1954. In 1967 the whole building was dismantled for the construction of the new underground station and rebuilt after it was finished. Today the train station โHauptwache Stationโ is one of the most important crosspoints of Frankfurtโs public transport system, combining eight of nine tram lines and six of nine underground lines.ย Besides that itโs the place where you will find a big Christmas market in winter.
Photography tip: If you look at it from the east side you will be able to capture the Hauptwache with the skyscrapers in the background, creating a great contrast between old and new.ย
ZEIL
The Zeil is the main shopping street in Frankfurt. The name originally comes from the German word โZeileโ (English: row) and referred to a row of houses on the eastern end of the north side. It has been one of the most busy shopping streets in the whole country since the 19th century. During World War II many buildings on this street were destroyed and not rebuilt. The street stretches between two plazas, the Hauptwache and the Konstablerwache. Both of them serve as major intersections for trams and underground trains. In 2008 the street was extended to the west end at the street Bรถrsenstraรe.
Now you might be wondering why this is a great photography location? International shops that you will find anywhere in the country are not really something unique to capture, but the My Zeil shopping arcade is worth visiting. Itโs unique architecture is a playground for photographers.
Photography tip: From the outside you will already get a great perspective and see the whole in the building, but things get really interesting when you see the inside. Itโs time to explore and find the most stunning perspectives to capture this building!
EISERNER STEG
The iron footbridge Eiserner Steg (English: Iron footbridge) at the river Main is a great photography location not only to capture the bridge itself, but also to capture the skyline of Frankfurt. The first iron bridge built in 1868 was replaced in 1911 by a larger cantilever bridge with riveted steel trusses and two bridge piers. The bridge was destroyed in World War II,ย rebuilt afterwards in 1946 and fully renovated in 1993.ย
When you walk on the bridge you will see that itโs a popular place at day and at night. You will notice that a lot of people put locks on the bridge as a sign of love. The other riverside is a vivid place at night. A lot of young people meet here in summer to relax outside and meet friends. I recommend visiting the bridge at night or sunset time, when it lights up in the dark. If you are looking for a good place to have dinner I can recommend you the restaurant โBootshaus Frau Rauscher auf dem Mainโ, a boat restaurant with a fantastic view of the city. They serve typical dishes from Frankfurt such as โGrรผne Soรeโ (English: Green sauce), as well as beer from Frankfurt.ย
Photography tips: Visit the bridge at sunrise if you want to capture it without people and at sunset if you want to see it light up in the dark with the city lights in the background. When you walk on the other side of the river you can capture the city skyline with the bridge in the foreground.
RIVER PROMENADE
The river promenade is a wonderful place to visit, especially during summer. If you walk on the north side of the Main river, you will see people going for walks with their dogs, relaxing, drinking coffee, exercising, dancing, stand-up paddling, having picnics with friends, dancing salsa etc. Itโs a very lively place and the best spot to photograph the city skyline.
Photography tip: This is not only the perfect spot for a relaxing walk, itโs also a great photography location. Check out the following Oosten restaurant for the best sunrise and sunset location at the promenade.
OOSTEN RESTAURANT
The Oosten restaurant is a bar and restaurant with a fantastic view of the city. From the rooftop bar you can watch the sunset over the skyline of Frankfurt. The restaurant is located on a higher point at the Main River, which means you can capture the river and the city from a higher perspective. You get a better view because you are looking over the trees at the river and you are far enough away to show the city in a bigger picture.ย
Photography tip: This is another great spot for sunrise and sunset. Even though you canโt see the sunrise over the city because it’s behind you (when looking at the city), you can capture the city with the fresh and super clear morning light. For sunset this location is fantastic, because you can look down to the river, you can see the whole city skyline and how the sun goes down behind it.
So these are the best photography and Instagram spots in Frankfurt. I personally think Frankfurt has some really amazing spots to take stunning photographs and itโs a city worth visiting. If you decide to travel to Frankfurt, I hope this guide will help you to take some amazing photos of the city!
