Stretching along the northern banks of the Main River, Frankfurt’s Altstadt, or Old Town, is its historical centre, situated opposite the atmospheric district of Sachsenhausen. It contains many of the city’s most important historical sights and architectural landmarks, many of which are reconstructions of Middle Age buildings.
The Altstadt clusters around Römerberg market square, flanked by the 600-year old Römer town hall, the medieval Old St Nicholas Church and the iconic red brick St. Paul's Church. The latter is politically symbolic in Germany as the seat of the first publicly and freely-elected legislative body in the country in 1848 and stands alongside Frankfurter Goethe-Haus where the famous politician and writer was born. To the east of the square lies the soaring gothic Cathedral of Frankfurt whose tower offers impressive views across the Altstadt, together with the Dommuseum within its cloisters where conventional instruments and garments are exhibited. On the square’s southern edge is the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt which showcases major modern art exhibitions, while the MMK Museum of Modern Art houses more than 4,500 contemporary works to the north. The Historisches Museum Frankfurt lies along the banks of the Main River to the south of Römerberg, exhibiting artefacts detailing the city’s past, together with the Frankfurt Archaeological Museum.
The Altstadt is served by the Dom/Römer subway station which connects this historic hub to the rest of the city. Trams also operate along the main thoroughfare of Braubachstrasse, although the area is very compact and is best explored on foot, connecting to the district of Sachsenhausen via the historic Eiserne Steg footbridge.
The Altstadt dates back to the late 8th century when Frankfurt is first documented as a settlement and forms part of the original Innenstadt which lay within the Staufenmauer city walls. During World War II, the city suffered extensive bombing which destroyed large areas of its medieval city centre, with only a handful of structures rebuilt and preserved today.