New Frankfurt Old Town

The New Frankfurt Old Town (Neue Frankfurter Altstadt), between the cathedral and Römerberg square, is the youngest and one of the most photographed parts of Frankfurt am Main. Built between 2012 and 2018 on the site of a 1970s concrete office block, the Dom-Römer quarter has narrow lanes, small squares and 35 buildings – 15 of them faithful reconstructions of houses lost in World War II. Strolling the old coronation route gives you a sense of the medieval city that once stood here.

Where it is and how to get there

The quarter is in the very center of Frankfurt, directly above Dom/Römer subway station (lines U4 and U5). Streetcars 11, 12 and 14 stop at Römer/Paulskirche. From Frankfurt Airport, take the S-Bahn to the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and change to the U4 – the whole trip is easy even on a long layover. The Deutschlandticket is valid on all these lines. If you drive, the Dom Römer underground garage sits right beneath the quarter.

From ruins to reconstruction

Until 1944, Frankfurt's Old Town, with around 1,250 half-timbered houses from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, was one of the largest of its kind in Germany. Allied air raids in March 1944 destroyed almost all of it. In the 1970s, a bulky Technical City Hall was built on the site between the cathedral and Römer.

After years of debate driven by citizens' groups, the city council voted in 2007 to tear the building down and rebuild the roughly 7,000-square-meter (75,000-square-foot) area at a human scale. Strict design rules required steep gabled roofs and local materials such as red sandstone and slate. The quarter opened to the public on May 9, 2018, and between 250,000 and 300,000 people came to the opening festival that September. The project cost around €200 million and is still debated, but it has become a major visitor magnet.

What to see

• Coronation Route (Alter Markt): the lane linking the cathedral and the Römer, the path once taken by newly crowned emperors on their way to the banquet.
• Hühnermarkt: the central square, with a fountain honoring local dialect poet Friedrich Stoltze. Eight of its eleven houses are reconstructions.
• House of the Golden Scales (Goldene Waage): a lavish Renaissance house from around 1619 opposite the cathedral, the most elaborate reconstruction. It houses a café on the ground floor, rooms used by the Historical Museum and the Stoltze Museum. The historic interiors can be visited only on guided tours.
• Struwwelpeter Museum: dedicated to "Struwwelpeter," the classic children's book by Frankfurt doctor Heinrich Hoffmann.
• Stadthaus am Markt: beneath it lie Frankfurt's oldest traces – remains of a Roman settlement and the Carolingian royal palace.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026, the lanes and squares are open around the clock and free to explore; you only pay for the museums. Guided tours of the Golden Scales are run by the Historical Museum, but published schedules vary, so check its website. The exhibition room at the Carolingian palace site is currently closed because of construction work at the neighboring Schirn art gallery.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 60 minutes for a stroll, or half a day if you add museums, the cathedral tower and a coffee break.
• Come early in the day if you want photos of Hühnermarkt without crowds.
• In Advent, Frankfurt's Christmas market fills Römerberg and the surrounding streets.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes – it is one of the top things to do in Frankfurt and sits right between other highlights. Frankfurt Cathedral is next door, the Eiserner Steg footbridge is a few steps away on the river, Goethe House is about a five-minute walk, and the Main Tower observation deck offers a bird's-eye view of the rooftops.