Top 20 Unmissable Places to Visit Near Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a fantastic city with lots of great things to do. After more than five years of living here, we have explored most neighbourhoods, visited countless museums, enjoyed hot Apfelwein at the Christmas market and climbed to the top of the Frankfurt Cathedral.

We have also done countless day trips into the surrounding area.

There are so many wonderful places near Frankfurt to visit that it’s hard to pick a favourite. That’s why we’ve come up with a whole list. Keep on reading if you’re looking for inspiration on day trips from Frankfurt (or even just a half-day excursion), and find out which ones we’re particularly fond of.

Best places near Frankfurt

#1 Rhine Valley

Let’s start with one of my favourites – the Rhine Valley.

Whenever we have visitors, this is the one place we recommend visiting. The Rhine Valley is the perfect day trip from Frankfurt, but it also makes for a fantastic weekend trip. You could even spend three or four days in the area without getting bored.

While the Rhine has a length of more than 1.200 kilometres, when we talk about the Rhine Valley, we mean the area between Rüdesheim and Koblenz. This UNESCO World Heritage site is famous for its vineyards, castles and cute towns.

It’s easy to get to the Rhine Valley by public transport, as there are trains connecting Frankfurt and the Rhine Valley. In fact, the train line through the Rhine Valley is known as one of the most scenic ones in Germany. You can look up train connections on the official Deutsche Bahn website.

If that sounds like too much trouble, you can also join a guided tour, which includes a cruise on the Rhine River.

Rüdesheim

If you’re looking for a fun day trip, we recommend heading to Rüdesheim. The most famous sight here is the Drosselgasse, a narrow alley lined with traditional buildings, cafes and restaurants. Stop here for a glass of wine (it comes directly from the vineyards surrounding Rüdesheim) or enjoy some traditional German food.

It’s worth arriving early, so you have enough time to catch the cable car to the top of the nearby hill. From up here, you have a fantastic view of the area. If you’re up for a hike, don’t buy a round-trip ticket. Instead, get the combined ticket that includes the cable car, chairlift, and ferry.

At the top of the cable car, you can follow the hiking path through the forest until you get to the top of the chairlift. Take the chairlift downwards and then return to Rüdesheim by ferry. You will be rewarded with some amazing views along the way.

This area of the Rhine Valley is where the guided tour from Frankfurt takes you, so take a look if you prefer to explore with a guide.

Bacharach

If you have more time, we recommend spending a weekend (or even a bit longer) in the area. You can find lots of cute towns along the Rhine Valley where you can stay overnight.

Daniel and I based ourselves in Bacharach, which we instantly fell in love with. It’s full of traditional half-timbered houses, surrounded by vineyards and even features a castle towering above the town.

In fact, we loved Bacharach so much that we considered getting married in that castle. In the end, we decided against it (they were booked out for the next two years), but we’re still in love with this area of the Rhine Valley.

One of the fun things to do in this part of Germany is to hop onto one of the ferries that go up and down the Rhine River. It’s relaxing, and you get fantastic views along the way. Whenever you see a village that you like, consider hopping off and exploring before continuing your journey.

We spent a whole day hopping on and off the boat and didn’t even make it far because there was so much to see and do!

Burg Reichenstein and the Marksburg are two cool castles you can visit, while Boppard is also famous for being another one of those cute towns. But there are many more castles, villages and viewpoints along the way.

#2 Heidelberg

A day trip to Heidelberg is one of the most popular activities for tourists seeking to explore the area around Frankfurt.

Heidelberg is famous for its university, which is the oldest in Germany and one of the most prestigious in the country. It also features a half-ruined castle and a mountain behind that castle, which you can climb to get a fantastic view.

Don’t like climbing? Take the funicular instead. You need to be prepared to wait, but it’s an easy way to get either all the way to the top of the mountain or up to the castle.

After wandering through the Old Town of Heidelberg and enjoying some traditional food in one of the many cafes and restaurants, make sure to cross the bridge to the other side of the river. Here, you can walk along the so-called Philosopher’s Path and enjoy some fantastic city views.

Sounds like fun? Then make sure to check out our guide to one day in Heidelberg, in which Daniel and I share our experience and everything you need to know for a fantastic day trip.

If you prefer to visit with a guide who organises everything, check out this day trip from Frankfurt to Heidelberg. It includes a visit to the castle and a walk through the Old Town of Heidelberg.

#3 Kronberg

Whenever we have visitors who want to see some traditional German houses, but we don’t want to go too far, we take them to Kronberg.

Kronberg is a small town north of Frankfurt, full of cute houses and photo opportunities. You can also visit a castle here. And the best part? Getting from Frankfurt city centre to Kronberg only takes half an hour by train.

If you want to see the inside of the castle, you need to join a guided tour. They’re mostly available in German, but you might be lucky on the first Sunday of the month at 12:00 and 13:00 (use Google Translate on the German website to get the latest up-to-date information). If you’re there at any other time point, don’t worry. We’ve never seen the interior, but love coming here for the castle grounds.

Altogether, plan to spend half a day in Kronberg. If you have more time, consider hiking in the nearby Taunus forest, for example, along the Three Castle Hike.

#4 Würzburg

Würzburg is another fantastic day trip by train from Frankfurt. You can easily get here within an hour, and the city offers multiple tourist attractions that will catch your attention.

The most famous place in Würzburg is the Würzburg Residence. This palace is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you can visit 40 of the lavishly decorated rooms. I personally loved the garden behind the Residence. Entrance is free, so if you’re short on time, skip the interior and admire the outside.

Another highlight that we enjoyed in Würzburg was hiking up to Marienberg Fortress. This castle towers above the town, and the path here takes you through local vineyards. From the top, you have a fantastic view of the city.

While you can get a glass of wine up at Marienberg Fortress, we recommend hiking back down. Remember that bridge you crossed to get from the Old Town to the fortress? In summer, it’s the locals’ favourite spot to meet up and enjoy the local wine. Grab a glass and join in, it’s lots of fun!

#5 Wiesbaden

If you look at a map of Germany, you’ll see multiple cities near Frankfurt. One of them is Wiesbaden, the capital of the state of Hesse.

Wiesbaden is famous for its elegance. It’s one of many spa towns in the area. Hot springs naturally reach the surface here, and a hundred years ago, the elite would flock to Wiesbaden, believing these to be healing waters.

One of the most fun things to do in Wiesbaden is to taste the thermal water at the Kochbrunnen, the Koch fountain. The fountain is easy to find, and nearby, you’ll see a smaller fountain with drinking water. Be careful, it’s very hot! We took bottles with us and let them cool down for a moment before taking a sip.

Another highlight is the Giant Cuckoo Clock in Burgstrasse, outside a shop where you can stock up on local handicrafts. Or you could take the funicular up to Nero Mountain. We’ve got a whole post dedicated to the best things to do in Wiesbaden if you’re interested in more details.

#6 Mainz

Mainz is another large city close to Frankfurt that’s worth a visit. Whereas Wiesbaden is elegant and known for its spas, Mainz is famous for its historic buildings and half-timbered houses.

Plus, it’s the home to Gutenberg, so while you’re here, make sure to visit the Gutenberg Museum and see a reconstruction of his famous press in action.

Besides the Gutenberg Museum, you should check out the Mainz Cathedral, as well as the Old Town. If you’re here on a weekend, you can grab a drink or snacks at the farmer’s market in front of the Cathedral.

One of my favourite discoveries in Mainz is the Sanctuary of Isis and Magna Mater. We came across this hidden gem while exploring the city, and since it’s a bit hidden in a pedestrian passage, here’s a link to Google Maps. The Sanctuary is a Roman temple hidden underneath the modern city of Mainz.

#7 Saalburg

If you’re interested in Roman history, you’re going to love the Saalburg. North of Frankfurt, in the Taunus forest, you can visit a Roman castle. As part of the Upper German Limes, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historic significance.

The Saalburg was one of many fortifications along the Roman border to protect from Germanic invasions from the East. From around the year 90 AD, soldiers would live in the castle and patrol the border lines.

Most soldiers were locals, tempted by the promise of Roman citizenship, which the government awarded after 25 years of service. That’s a very long time of living in cramped quarters and patrolling the border wall.

#8 Hessenpark

The Hessenpark is one of my favourite places near Frankfurt. It’s perfect for anyone interested in history. This open-air museum houses buildings dating from the 1700s to the 1900s. If you visit on the weekend, you might see employees dressed in traditional clothing, and you might even catch a demonstration of handicrafts.

The last time we went, we caught a demonstration of music, played with old instruments. Daniel even got to play he hurdy-gurdy, an instrument that was once widely played in Germany but fell out of fashion over the centuries.

#9 Bad Homburg

Bad Homburg is a spa town next to Frankfurt. You can easily get here in less than half an hour by taking a train from Frankfurt’s city centre.

Bad Homburg has multiple points of interest. First, there is the castle. It originally dated back to the Middle Ages, but landgrave Friedrich II. decided to demolish and rebuild it in the 1600s. Only a white tower remains from the original building, though the “newer” part is just as impressive.

Make sure to stop by the Orangerie and take a long walk around the castle grounds.

The Old Town of Bad Homburg is perfect if you want to see traditional German half-timbered houses. Before leaving, make sure to check out the Kurpark. Bad Homburg is famous for its mineral waters, and the spa park is where you can find a fountain with this water.

In addition, you’ll notice two Thai Salas. Thai King Chulalongkorn of Siam loved Bad Homburg and its supposed healing properties so much that he gifted them to the city. They really stand out and make a lovely contrast to the otherwise very traditional German town.

#10 Eltville

We’ve already mentioned the Rhine Valley as one of the top places to visit near Frankfurt.

Eltville is another town along the Rhine. It’s closer than the stretch of the Rhine Valley that we mentioned above, and it’s a great day trip if you don’t want to travel so far and want to visit a more off-the-beaten-track destination.

Like most towns along the Rhine Valley, Eltville is famous for its wine. You’ll notice little wine bars selling produce from nearby vineyards all across the city. In addition, Eltville is also known for being a “Rose Town”, a title bestowed by the German Society of Friends of Roses. The best place to see those roses is in the Rose Garden in front of the Electoral Castle.

Near Eltville, you can find the Eberbach Monastery. This monastery dates back to the Middle Ages, and you can visit the interior to learn more about its history. Plus, it has a wine cellar, so it’s a great location to enjoy a glass of wine while surrounded by vineyards.

#11 Aschaffenburg

After moving to Frankfurt, Aschaffenburg was one of the first cities nearby that we visited. It’s just a short train ride away from Frankfurt, so it makes for a great day trip.

The most famous sight here is the Johannisburg Palace, a giant castle on the shore of the Main River. Don’t miss the Palace Park, which runs along the river and is perfect for long walks. On the other side of the park, you’ll come across the Pompeiianum, a replica of a Roman villa.

While visiting Aschaffenburg, don’t miss the Old Town. While some of Aschaffenburg was destroyed during World War II, many historic buildings remain in the area between Johannisburg Palace and the town hall. Close to the town hall is also where you can find the Basilica of St. Peter and Alexander, a church dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

#12 Marburg

Marburg is a cute university city famous for its half-timbered houses and its castle. It’s one of those fairytale towns where you can spend hours wandering through the narrow alleys and looking at the historic buildings.

Make sure to climb up to the castle, where you can visit the Museum of Cultural History.

If you come in the summer, you can take a walk along the Lahn River. This river is very popular for kayaking, and you can find a few rental stations near Marburg. Some even offer to pick you up after your trip, so you can go on a multi-hour kayaking excursion and return to Marburg easily.

#13 Hanau

Hanau is one of those cities that was almost completely destroyed during World War II. That means you won’t find many traditional half-timbered houses in its city centre.

Nevertheless, we visited this city and think it’s a cool place to explore for one day. In the Old Town, make sure not to miss the Goldschmiedehaus (house of the goldsmiths), which houses a museum displaying gold and silver art from Germany.

Near Hanau, you can find two castles. The first one is the Philippsruhe Castle. In here, you can visit the Brothers Grimm’s Fairytale Kingdom, a museum dedicated to the Grimm Brothers.

The Grimm Brothers were born in Hanau, and you can find their legacy throughout the whole city in statues representing their most famous fairy tales. Searching for them is a fun way to explore.

The second castle to visit, just outside Hanau, is Wilhelmsbad. It is really more of a palace, with a large spa garden. This place is famous for its old, traditional carousel, which is the oldest one in the world. You can see it at any time, but if you want to take a ride, you should check out the opening hours online. The website is, unfortunately, only in German, so you need to use Google Translate to translate it into English.

#14 Darmstadt

Darmstadt is another fantastic city near Frankfurt that is well worth visiting. It is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The first one is the Mathildenhöhe. This neighbourhood is an example of early 20th-century modern architecture, with lots of interesting buildings. Many artists have worked on building this area, and you can still find art galleries here today.

The other UNESCO site is the Messel fossil pit. It’s not directly in the city, so you will either need to have a car or catch the bus that infrequently goes here.

If you plan your visit ahead of time, you can visit the fossil pit on a guided tour. Unfortunately, most of these only take place in German, with the English ones being much less frequent. When we visited, we therefore focused on seeing the museum in the visitor centre, which shows the coolest fossils found in the area.

#15 Höchst

Höchst is a neighbourhood of Frankfurt that is super easy to visit. Multiple train lines stop here, and it’s one of those cute areas where you can see that it was once an independent village.

The Old Town of Höchst features multiple half-timbered buildings, but the highlight is the Höchst Castle. It’s made up of two parts, the Old Castle from the 14th century and the New Castle from the 16th century.

On weekends, you can visit the castle museum. At any other time, you can stroll around the grounds and enjoy a coffee in the Castle Cafe.

#16 Frankfurt Green Belt

Frankfurt’s Green Belt is an area of parks, meadows and forests around the city. It covers a large area, which is great for hiking, bike tours, and just relaxing in nature.

If you take a look at the map (the city of Frankfurt provides one on their website), you’ll notice that part of it follows a river called Nidda. Daniel and I hiked along here during Covid, and it was a fun day out. We even got to see some of the nutria that live there, animals that resemble oversized hamsters or beavers, but without the large tail.

Another fun place to explore is the Lohrberg, Frankfurt’s only inner-city vineyard. We have more information about it in our blog post about the best things to do in Frankfurt.

And finally, there’s the city forest, which we’ll talk about more in our next bullet point.

#17 City Forest

The Frankfurt City Forest is a large forest south of the Main River. It stretches from the eastern city borders to the airport in the west.

If you want to go for a hike through the forest, the City Forest is the most easily accessible area. You can take a tram to Oberschweinstiege, where you can walk around a lake. Here, you can also find a restaurant, a playground for kids, and the so-called “peeing tree“.

Another great area to visit is further west, where you can find the Goethe Tower. This observation tower is multiple stories high, and from its top, you have a fantastic view of the Frankfurt skyline. Be careful if you’re wearing a hat, as I’ve found that it’s always windy at the top.

#18 Eltz Castle

We are now moving on to places that you can still visit on a day trip from Frankfurt, but that are farther away.

The first one is Eltz Castle. This fairytale castle gained fame on Instagram a few years ago and is now very popular with tourists. It takes around two hours to drive here from Frankfurt.

If you’re going by public transport, you need to go to Koblenz first to catch a regional train into the Mosel valley. Exit the train at Hatzenport if you want to continue by bus. Or go on to Moselkern, from where it’s about an hour of hiking to get to the castle.

It’s definitely doable to organise a day trip to Eltz Castle on your own, but it’s not the easiest. If it sounds too daunting, check out this organised tour to Eltz Castle, which includes a riverside dinner.

#19 Eisenach

Eisenach is one of Germany’s hidden gems that deserves a lot more attention than it currently gets.

This cute town is famous for two main sights. First, Martin Luther hid in the nearby Wartburg Castle in 1521. Here, he translated the New Testament into German.

The second highlight is the house of Johann Sebastian Bach. The famous composer was born in Eisenach, and the Bachhaus features a large museum dedicated to his life and the instruments of his time. We highly recommend staying around for the demonstration of historic instruments that takes place once every hour.

#20 Kassel

Kassel is a city in northern Hesse, approximately two hours away from Frankfurt. If you leave on a weekend trip, you can combine your visit here with a trip to Eisenach.

The city centre here is nothing special, as most of the old buildings were destroyed during World War II. The real highlight of Kassel is the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe.

The park houses multiple castles as well as the monument of Hercules at its very top. It is also famous for its fountains.

If possible, try to visit on a Wednesday or Sunday between May and the end of September, when the fountain show takes place. The spectacle lasts about an hour and a half and takes you from the top of the park all the way to its bottom.

The fascinating part about it? There are no pumps involved. The system is around 300 years old and is powered exclusively by gravity. If you want to make sure you don’t miss it, look up the exact times online.

We hope you now have some inspiration about the best places to visit near Frankfurt. We included a mixture of places that you can see in a couple of hours and some that are up to two hours away. Some, like the Rhine Valley, also make for great weekend trips.

If you’ve been to any of them, let us know what you think and how you liked it.

While you’re here, make sure to also check out our other posts about travelling in Frankfurt, which you will find useful:

• How to spend a perfect day in Frankfurt
• Find out the best neighbourhood for your stay in Frankfurt
• Don’t miss those traditional foods when visiting Frankfurt
• Explore Southern Germany on a fantastic road trip

Until your next adventure!

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