Eiserner Steg (Iron Footbridge)

The Eiserner Steg ("Iron Footbridge") in Frankfurt am Main is the city's best-known pedestrian bridge and one of its landmarks. The riveted steel span links the Old Town around Römerberg square with the Sachsenhausen district and the Museum Embankment on the south bank. From the middle you get one of the classic views of the Frankfurt skyline, the Main River and the cathedral tower. It is free, open around the clock and an easy highlight on any walking tour of the city.

Where it is and how to get there

The bridge sits in the heart of Frankfurt, a few minutes' walk south of Römerberg. The nearest subway station is Dom/Römer (lines U4 and U5); from Frankfurt Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) the U4 takes you straight there. From Frankfurt Airport, take the S-Bahn to the Hauptbahnhof and change to the U4 – an easy trip even on a layover. The Deutschlandticket is valid on all of these lines. Parking in the Old Town is limited, so public transit is the better choice.

A bridge built by citizens

In the mid-19th century the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke) was the only way across the river. When the city council balked at the cost of a second crossing, local citizens and merchants formed an association in 1867 and raised the money by selling shares. The footbridge opened on September 29, 1869, and every pedestrian paid a small toll. So many people used it that the debt was paid off by 1886, when the bridge was handed over to the city.

A taller, wider replacement followed in 1912 so that bigger cargo ships could pass underneath, while keeping the original look. German troops blew up the bridge in the last days of World War II, but it was rebuilt by 1946, among the first Frankfurt bridges to reopen. A major renovation in 1993 added two elevators.

What to look for

• Skyline view: the bank towers line up along the river – best at dusk, when the steel arches are lit.
• Greek inscription: a line from Homer's Odyssey, added by artist Hagen Bonifer in 1999, the 250th anniversary of Goethe's birth, roughly "sailing over the wine-dark sea to people of other tongues."
• Love locks: thousands of padlocks hang on the railings; the city occasionally removes some during maintenance.
• Art history: both Max Beckmann and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted the bridge.

Tips for your visit

Crossing takes only a few minutes; allow 15 minutes with photo stops. Sightseeing boats, including the Primus-Linie, leave from the Old Town bank right next to the bridge for trips up- and downstream, and electric boats can be rented on the Sachsenhausen side. On some weekends, vintage steam trains of the Historische Eisenbahn Frankfurt run along the north bank. Thanks to the elevators, wheelchair users and strollers can cross without tackling the stairs.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely – it costs nothing and connects many of the top things to do in Frankfurt. On the north side you are steps from the New Old Town and Frankfurt Cathedral, Goethe House is about ten minutes away, and the Main Tower observation deck is a short walk west. On the south side, the Museum Embankment and the apple-wine taverns of Sachsenhausen await.