FrankfurtFast times and high finance

Flights to Frankfurt with a touch of Iceland

It's not all high finance and big business in Frankfurt. Sure, this vibrant, international city is the financial heart of the European continent, but 'Mainhattan' knows how to let its hair down.

Icelandair offers daily cheap flights to Frankfurt from North America for year-round exploration. Whether you're drawn to the city for business and trade fairs, or as a base for some Rhine Valley rambling, let us take you there.

Before you dress in power suits, what about donning your bathing suit for a relaxing soak in geothermal waters? When you book flights to Frankfurt with Icelandair you have the opportunity to add a stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.

Frankfurt

Germany

Population: 2.3 million (2017)Area: 248.3 km²Transportation: The public transit system is part of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RVM) and can get you just about anywhere in and around the city.Currency: EuroTrendy Neighborhoods: Altstadt - Innenstadt - Bahnhofsviertel - Sachsenhausen - Westend

Skyscrapers and church towers

There's an impressive modern skyline and a great bird's-eye view from the observation deck of the 200m Main Tower, but don’t overlook the city's old-school charm at ground level. Enjoy a great perspective on it all from a river cruise on the Main River.

Quintessential Germanic character is a hallmark of the Römerburg, Frankfurt's central square, which sits pretty amid photogenic half-timbered buildings not far from the imposing red-sandstone cathedral. This is a historical city of coronations and the birthplace of Goethe, the father of German literature. Of the bumper crop of 13 landmarks lining Frankfurt's Museum Embankment, the pick is Städel Museum, packed to the rafters with world-class art.

Apple wine and traditional treats

The Kleinmarkthalle is the heartbeat of the city's food life - stop by for top tastes and people-watching. For the best local flavor, seek out Frankfurt's trademark apple wine taverns - apple wine (ebbelwei in the local dialect) is the city's pride and joy, and a top tipple. It's a type of cider, served up in quaint, cozy old taverns - look for them in the Sachsenhausen neighborhood. Traditional culinary specialties to look out for include the brilliantly named Handkäse mit Musik ('hand-cheese with music') - soft cheese marinated in oil and vinegar, served with raw onion. Where does the music come in? 'It comes later,' locals explain with a wink.

Get out of town

If you're not in Frankfurt for high-powered business or trade fairs, chances are you're using the city's busy airport as a hub for some countryside exploration. Wunderbar! Hillside castles, quaint villages and steep vineyard terraces line the storybook Rhine Valley, and a languid boat trip from Mainz to Koblenz is a Unesco-certified delight.

Jump on a train from Frankfurt and within an hour you can be in the gorgeous, greenery-filled old spa town of Wiesbaden or enjoying the history-filled riverside charm of Mainz. Slightly further afield is evocative Heidelberg, home to Germany’s oldest and most prestigious university.