What do non-tourists do around Frankfurt?

October 7, 2007 12:26 PM

I'm spent over four months in my my life on vacation in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. I've done all of the touristy stuff. I'm bored out of my wits. What else can one do around here?

I'm visiting my parents for the nth time and I'm totally bored. I'm 22, low budget [15-20 Euros a day on entertainment and transport], cannot drive here and I do not know anyone else.

posted by yeara to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

Get a free on-line language course (there's an Askme thread you can search but I don't have time to), learn a bit of the language and go hang out at the local university Mensa/cafeteria, and just strike up conversations, in English, they'll all be quite fluent.
posted by Wilder at 12:48 PM on October 7, 2007

Concerts!
posted by sebas at 12:53 PM on October 7, 2007

go to Mainz...

see the Chagall stained glass windows in the church...
posted by dawdle at 12:59 PM on October 7, 2007

You could go to Heidelberg. It's €28.40 return on the RegioBahn but I think it would be well worth not spending any money the next day to pay for it.
posted by grouse at 1:20 PM on October 7, 2007

Second Heidelberg. Across the river from the alt Stadt there are some gorgeous forest walks up into the hills. There are wonderful views of the Schloss, of the Neckar and the town. Hidden away up in the forest is also a stone, Nazi-era, Roman-style amphitheater, overgrown as I recall. Very spooky. The Schloss is nice to tour, but nothing spectacular. The alt Stadt is very picturesque since it was never bombed (reputedly on the orders of Eisenhower, who had studied there). On one corner two blocks in from the river on a teeny little street there is an empty space wth benches. High on the wall there is a plaque stating that there was a synagogue there until Krystall Nacht in 1938.
(In case you haven't picked up the pattern, I found it a very beautiful place (I lived there for 5 months) but I couldn't help but feel a strange undertow. It looks like Disneyland, but I was sure there was a race of dwarves pedaling frantically underground to keep it all shiny up above.)
posted by johngumbo at 2:40 PM on October 7, 2007

The alt Stadt is very picturesque since it was never bombed (reputedly on the orders of Eisenhower, who had studied there).

Well, he visited in 1929 and his family was from the area, but he never enrolled at the university.

Dittoing the suggestion to visit, by the way. Beautiful town, perfect for a day trip.
posted by IndigoJones at 2:56 PM on October 7, 2007

How long are you there? Can you volunteer somewhere? Tutoring English, visiting old folks, dogwalking, English-language docent at a local museum. Can you find a short-term internship? Do you know how many 22-year olds would kill for an expense-paid vacation to Frankfort? Quit whining. Jeez.
posted by nax at 3:45 PM on October 7, 2007

Arrange a meetup.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:21 PM on October 7, 2007

If you go to Heidelberg read Mark Twain's hillarious account of his visit there in "A Tramp Abroad". It should be public domain and available on line, and I'd even find a link for you if I wasn't typing this on my phone!
posted by Jahaza at 4:56 PM on October 7, 2007

Here you go. A Tramp Abroad.

A German Youthpass rail pass might be a good adventure for you. You can get on a train and hop on and off whenever you want... you just travel wherever you want to for a particular amount of days. It could cost around $20 a day, but if you pack a bunch of snacks and don't waste money on junk it could be a good investment and exploring the country could be an adventure you will never forget. You can go to Berlin or Munich, check out Hohenschwangau & Neuschwanstein, go for a nice day hike through The Black Forest, wander up the Rhine, go to Carnival in Cologne, or even head for the Romantische Strasse and explore one of my favorite medieval cities Rothenburg ob du Tauber.

If you go to Rothenburg, be sure to check out the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum. And tell the nightwatchman Georg that I said hi. He's a trip. He had an ex girlfriend named Lynn so he bought me more than a few drinks one night to tell me all about her. I can still hear his voice, he cracked me up.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:03 PM on October 7, 2007

meet some people?

I met some great people in Frankfurt through couchsurfing(.com), just to hang out and do stuff in the evenings.

One of the places we went was the King Kamehameha Beach Club along the river; with lots of imported sand and lazing-around spots, volleyball, and decent food. Also went to a cozy (nigh on cramped by the time we left) club called Unity with live music. There was also a fantastic park up by Bornheim Mitte where it was clear a lot of people just come to hang out, meet up, and visit the cafes.
posted by whatzit at 11:45 PM on October 7, 2007

Yah, I worked in Frankfurt back in 98/99; it's a wonderfully unique area of Germany and there is a lot to do just in this area. No need for travel.

My favourite? Hanging out at the Apfelwein taverns, chatting with total strangers seated next to me on long picnic style tables.

Don't forget to eat some Handkase mit Musik as well; that Apfelwein might seem low in alcohol but it really sneaks up on you. Especially after a litre or so.

PS - If folks start singing don't be afraid to join in!
posted by Mutant at 12:40 AM on October 8, 2007

dawdle - looks like my mother and i are due on a day trip to Mainz tomorrow. thanks.

whatzit - that club looks awesome. i'll try to take my sister out there next week once she comes into town. a bit too chilly for a day at the beach, though.

Mutant - what Apfelwein taverns do you recommend? are they all in Sachsenhausen?
posted by yeara at 11:12 AM on October 8, 2007

There's one on the Alte Rittergasse (I think). You head up Darmstädter Landstraße, about to where it ends in Sachsenhausen, and then turn right about where the sign for the youth hostel is. I think that's the equivalent of Frankfurt's George Street.
posted by oaf at 11:58 AM on October 8, 2007