Frankfurt the smallest metropolis in the world, in which there is a lot to discover at close hand. Besides, it is the most international city in Germany, the largest financial centre on the continent, the historical city of coronations, the city of Goethe and the Frankfurt School.

The city is nicknamed Mainhattan or Bankfurt because, since the Middle Ages, it has played an important role in international finance. Frankfurt was mentioned for the first time in the 8th century, when Charlemagne's court made a stop there. In the next century Frankfurt became an important city. Between 855 and 1792, 36 German emperors were elected in the city and as from 1502 these emperors were crowned in Frankfurt's magnificent cathedral.

Frankfurt has a temperate continental climate, characterised by warm summers with occasional wet days with the odd heat wave, and occasional wet weather. In winter temperatures sometimes drop to freezing or below, but in general it is relatively mild. Temperatures are not extreme and never severe. Winters can bring occasional violent storms. It is generally mild, with no vast extremes in temperature or severe weather.

Frankfurt is the financial capital of Germany and one of the major banking and financial centres of Europe. The city is home to more than 400 banks and financial institutions, including the European Central Bank, which established its headquarters in Frankfurt in 1993. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is the largest in Germany and the city ranks amongst the most important financial centres in the world. Frankfurt is served very well by rail, road, river transport and has the third busiest airport in Europe. Many international companies have chosen the city for their headquarters, including Aventis (chemical/pharmaceutical), Hoechst, Degussa-Huls, Opel (Russelsheim), the Philipp Holzmann building company.

Public transport in the city is expensive, but efficient, consisting of an integrated network of fast, modern underground U-Bahn lines, S-Bahn city trains, trams and buses. Taxis are safe and plentiful, but expensive. Driving a car in the city involves rush hour congestion, expensive parking lots and confusing road systems so it's best to park and use public transport while in the city.

Frankfurt has also been a center of "Ideology Studies", often ideologies that have nothing in common with capitalism. In 1923, the philosopher Max Horkheimer and the sociologist Theodor Adorno founded the Institute of Social Sciences Research to study and develop the theories of Marx and Freud. The result was the "Frankfurt School", which gained international acclaim.

At the heart of the city centre there is Frankfurt Zoo, where the people of Frankfurt and their guests can experience the exotic animals of distant continents close up. A special attraction are the unique animal houses. The fascinating variety of the plant world is presented by the Palm Garden in thematic gardens and greenhouses. Visitors can get to know the typical botany of all continents.

Frankfurt cultural life is unthinkable without the Old Opera House. Since it was re-opened, the concert house has acquired a fixed place in the music scene of the city and internationally. The city has been known since medieval times for it's trade fairs and hosts many international events each year. The most well-known is the Frankfurt Book Fair, which with over 100000 visitors is probably the largest of it's kind in the world. The Frankfurt Motor Show is an important showcase for the automotive industry and includes the launches of many new models from the world's foremost auto manufacturers.