After the Popes stopped crowning the emperors, the coronation process moved to Frankfurt. The ceremonies took place at St. Bartholomew''s Cathedral and were followed by an elaborate banquet in the City Hall. The crowning of the German King is what thrust Frankfurt into prominence. The people of Frankfurt purchased their independence in 1372 from Karl IV for 8800 Gulden, which made Frankfurt a free imperial city.

In 1521 Martin Luther stayed the night in Frankfurt and held sermons on the reformation. As a result this city was one of first to accept Luther''s controversial ideas and in 1530 Frankfurt accepted the reformation and opened the first book printing presses. With this, Frankfurt becomes one of Germany''s most important printing cities and one of Europe''s largest centres for books. Though Frankfurt was a free state that did not prevent the city from being occupied many times in wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1533, due to the reformation the city outlawed public Catholic services. Shortly after the city signed the Augsburg Religious treaty officially making Frankfurt a city of mixed religions. This religious freedom drew people from the Netherlands who quickly made up one fifth of the Frankfurt population.

Frankfurt was the original home of the Rothschilds, Jewish Merchants and Bankers who helped enormously with the economic growth of the city. Frankfurt''s Jewish community, helped to give the city its banking tradition and also cultural and academic heritage. After the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Frankfurt was included in the principality of Rengensburg and Aschaffenburg and was no longer a free state. This principality was created for Karl Theodor van Dalbery by Napoleon I.

In 1814-1815, the Congress of Vienna restored Frankfurt to a free city. The Rhine - Main Airport opened in Frankfurt in 1936 and today is the 2nd largest airport in Europe after Heathrow. Frankfurt was heavily damaged as a result of WWII and much of the old village and the city centre was demolished. In 1948-49 Frankfurt held the first German National Assembly called the Frankfurt Parliament. In 1957 The German Central Bank started business in Frankfurt and was one of the stepping points in making Frankfurt the banking centre that it is today. In 1991 the European Monetary Unit relocated its offices to Frankfurt and in 1997 the Commerzbank tower was completed, making Frankfurt the location of the tallest skyscraper in Europe at 300m tall.

Since the wartime raids when Frankfurt''s historical monuments and well-preserved medieval quarter were destroyed, many of the landmarks have been restored. Frankfurt today is the headquarters of Germany''s stock exchange, the German Federal Reserve (Bundesbank) and the European Central Bank. The Deutschmark was created in Frankfurt and Europe''s new single currency, the Euro, was launched here on Jan 1, 1999.

Alt Stadt - The old City of Frankfurt was almost completely destroyed but many of the sights have been carefully restored. Be sure to see the Römer, Paulskirsche, the Dom and the Goethe Museum.

Frankfurt Bahnhofsviertel - In the second District of Frankfurt you will find the English Theatre and many restaurants and bars.

Frankfurt Bockenheim - In this district you will find the many café''s, pubs and shops in addition to the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University.

Frankfurt Bornheim - The home of Berger Strasse, a great place for shopping, the Chinese Garden, old cider pubs and modern new bars.

Frankfurt Höchst - This district is well known for the childrens theatre, comedy and cabaret.

Frankfurt Nordend - The North End residential area that is most densely populated with many pubs and restaurants.

Frankfurt Ostend - The East End is a Residential area with beautiful villas.

Frankfurt Sachsenhausen - On the other side of the Main River and quite well known for it''s ApfelWein (Cider). One can find many Cider Pubs as well as the old charm of half-timbered houses.

Frankfurt Westend - The Westend is the Bankers district with high-rises and skyscrapers.

Frankfurt am Main International Airport (FRA)

Distance from city: 12km (8 mi)

Terminals: 2

Flight Info: (0) 69 6900 or (0) 1805 372 4636(within Germany)
Lost Property: (0) 69 6906 6359
E-mail: info@fraport.de
Website: www.frankfurt-airport.de

Zeil Strasse - The pedestrian street Zeil, is where most of the shopping is concentrated. It is the city''s major shopping street and it''s lined with department stores. Goethestrasse, a cross street of Zeil is known for it''s jewely boutiques and exclusive designer shops. Fressgasse is an excellent place to find one of Frankfurts many restaurants.

Shopping Centers - Fankfurt has many shopping centers with everything under one roof. Most are located just outide the city but downtown Frankfurt has the multi storied Zeilgalerie with a wide variety of shops.

Sachsenhausen - Numerous boutiques line Berger, Leipziger, and Schweizer Streets. You can also fine second hand shops and café''s.

Department Stores - Kaufhof and Herie

J.A Henkels - located at Rossmarkt 11, offers the well known Henkel Knives and cutlery.

Leinwandhaus - This Gothic building was originally built in the Middle Ages and soon became the center for storing, weighing and measuring cloth in Frankfurt. The Frankfurter Elle is still viewable on the outside wall of the building and was used in measuring. The building was destroyed during WWII and was restored in 1980. It is now home to the Kommunale Galerie, an art gallery with exhibits by contemporary artists.

Paulskirche - St Paul''s Church was built in 1833 to replace the Barfüÿerkirche (Church of the Barefooted). The Church became famous as the meeting place for the first freely elected German Parliament in 1849. It was destroyed in 1944 during WWII and was renovated in 1947 to memorialize the destruction of war.

Dom - The Dom was first built in 1235 as a parish church. After an edict of 1356 declared that all German emperors be elected in the Dom gave the church the title of cathedral. The cathedral had to be reconstructed after a fire in 1867 and then again after WWII.

Banking District - The banking district of Frankfurt is known by locals as Mainhatten, as it has the tallest skyscrapers in Europe. The Skyscraper Festival in September allows the public to explore some of these buildings and even to climb to the top of the Commerzbank to enjoy the view of the city.

German Cuisine - One Frankfurt specialty is their Apfelwein(cider). You will find apple wine(cider) throughout Frankfurt but the best place to try it is at a Cider Pub (Ebbelwohnkneipen or Apfelweinkneipen). These Cider Pubs are well represented in Frankfurt but the most popular are found in the Sachsenhausen district.

Affentorschanke - A Cider pub with a rustin interior and a good value for the money. You will also find Haspeln and Schaufelchen on the menu which is a beef steak and cider.

Exotic Cuisine - In the town center, around Zeil you will find a number of ethnic cuisines including Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Indian and Thai. Lahore Palace - This is a reasonably priced Indian Restaurant (for the Zeil district), with a very large menu and a variety of choices.

Good Value Cuisine - Many of the restaurants in Frankfurt can be quite high price since it is a city of Bankers but Good Value cuisine is still readily available.

Fast Food - If you are looking for something fast you can find it in Frankfurt. Small kiosks will offer Frankfurters (hot dogs), Kebabs, Pizza, Burgers, as well as Sushi and Persian Cuisine.

Café''s - Frankfurt is home to hundreds of café''s and coffee houses. Some are more specialized than others.