RunCity

Frankfurt on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 9 of Frankfurt's best-known sights, including Eschenheimer Turm, Alte Oper, Main Tower and more. It is about 4 km on foot, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Frankfurt leaderboard.

  • 9Stops
  • about 4 kmDistance
  • 1.5 hoursWalking
  • about 42 minRunning
Play Frankfurt in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Frankfurt
Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak · CC BY-SA 4.0

Frankfurt is a city of bank towers with a small old centre at its feet, and this route covers both in about 4 km. It starts at the Eschenheimer Turm, a medieval gate tower among modern streets, and passes the Alte Oper on its square to the foot of the Main Tower, whose rooftop platform is open to visitors. The Goethe House, where the poet was born, and the round Paulskirche, where Germany's first elected parliament met in 1848, are a few minutes apart.

The gabled houses of the Römerberg and the red sandstone cathedral, where emperors were crowned, lead to the Eiserner Steg, the iron footbridge with the skyline behind it. The bonus stop is Alt-Sachsenhausen on the south bank, the old quarter of cider taverns where Frankfurters drink Ebbelwoi from patterned jugs. The new old town between cathedral and Römer was rebuilt in 2018 on the medieval street plan.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Eschenheimer Turm

    Eschenheimer Turm Photo

    The medieval city gate tower among the modern streets.

    Photo: Nemo bis · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. Alte Oper

    Alte Oper

    The old opera house and its fountain on Opernplatz.

    Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

  3. Main Tower

    Main Tower Photo

    The glass skyscraper seen from its foot.

    Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

  4. Goethe House

    Goethe House

    The poet's birthplace on Großer Hirschgraben.

    Photo: Mylius · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Paulskirche

    Paulskirche

    The round church where the first German parliament met.

    Photo: Photo: Andreas Praefcke · CC BY 3.0

  6. Römerberg

    Römerberg Photo

    The gabled town hall houses around the Justice Fountain.

    Photo: Pymouss · CC BY-SA 4.0

  7. Frankfurt Cathedral

    Frankfurt Cathedral

    The red sandstone cathedral tower.

    Photo: Fred Romero from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0

  8. Eiserner Steg

    Eiserner Steg Photo

    The iron footbridge with the skyline behind it.

    Photo: Dora Dragoni · CC BY 3.0

  9. Alt-Sachsenhausen

    Alt-Sachsenhausen Bonus

    The old cider-tavern quarter on the south bank.

    Photo: TUBS · CC BY-SA 2.0

Play Frankfurt in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Frankfurt on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 9 stops on this route add up to about 4 km, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Frankfurt is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Frankfurt?

    Open Frankfurt in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Frankfurt leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Eschenheimer Turm and finishing at Alt-Sachsenhausen. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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