With its traditional half-timbered houses and old cider taverns, Sachsenhausen looks very different from the rest of Frankfurt am Main. Winding along the southern side of the Main River, this is the oldest part of the city and a wonderful contrast to the glistening skyscrapers of the financial district.

A green park flanks the river, and there’s an excellent walking trail that leads visitors past the historic waterfront houses. One of these is the Stadel Museum, a gallery filled with European art from the 14th century to today. Museumsufer also has excellent art exhibitions while the Deutsches Filmmuseum celebrates innovative arthouse cinema from Germany. Schweizer Strasse has many boutique shops, and Sachsenhausen’s most famous attraction are the old cider bars around Affentorplatz, where cobbled streets and shaded terraces are the perfect places to laze away an afternoon.

Sachsenhausen can be reached on foot by crossing any of the bridges in the heart of the city. The Schweizer Platz U-Bahn station is in the heart of the area while the Frankfurt Main Sud railway station has regular connections to destinations across the region. Various tram lines roam through Sachsenhausen although this old area is also a delight to explore on foot.

Sachsenhausen has always been a place to raise a glass. Through the medieval and Goethe eras, the area was packed with wine taverns, which feature the same wooden window frames that have been preserved until today. The climatic change saw a decline in wine production and many vineyards evolved into fruit orchards. As such, the wine taverns became apple cider taverns, and Sachsenhausen remains the best place in Germany to drink a local cider.