What should I do in Frankfurt?

June 12, 2022 6:17 PM

I’m spending a couple of days in Frankfurt. I like quirky stuff, social experiments, and any sort of event or space that fosters interaction among people. Basically, I like something where you can show up and interact with people, or something weird and unusual, and bonus points for something that is both those things. What would you recommend?

Other things I like a lot: Books about ideas, singing with other people, flirting, jokes, rationalism, dialog, conferences.

Things I like less: art/history/architecture, loud music, beer tasting, anything-else-tasting, luxury anything, sports.

I mostly only speak English.

Any advice appreciated!!

posted by ManInSuit to Travel & Transportation around Frankfurt, Germany (5 answers total)

Response by poster: (Small amendment: I wrote i don't love art. I mean mostly I don't love looking at paintings and sculptures. I do love art that's participatory, interactive, etc, a lot...)
posted by ManInSuit at 6:40 PM on June 12, 2022

It's a museum but with a difference: https://dialogmuseum.de/en/
posted by kinddieserzeit at 10:06 PM on June 12, 2022 [1 favorite]

There's an interactive science museum (mostly aimed at kids, but interesting for adults as well): https://www.experiminta.de/en/

And the Filmmuseum might also be something for you: https://www.dff.film/en/
posted by debagel at 1:42 AM on June 13, 2022

Seconding the suggestion of the Dialog Museum, you are taken through a series of completely dark rooms by blind or visually impaired guides.

Offenbach Waggon, https://waggon-of.de/, music and performance events in a train car by the Main River in Offenbach (just next to Frankfurt, you can take the S-Bahn)

Club Voltaire, https://www.club-voltaire.de/, political discussions (though I think mostly in German), bar/restaurant, music events

Sommerwerft, https://sommerwerft.de/?lang=en, music/dance/culture festival on the Main, with a super relaxed ambiance and interactive workshops

Antagon, https://www.antagon.de/nextshow, theater/dance company that does lots of edgy 'weird' shows / spectacles

Flohmarkt, https://frankfurt.de/frankfurt-entdecken-und-erleben/einkaufen-in-frankfurt/maerkte-und-flohmaerkte/flohmarkt, flea market every Saturday until early afternoon that alternates between being on the Main (Sachenhausen side) and Lindleystraße

To generalize widely, interaction among strangers is not a big part of German culture, but is most easily found in biergartens, more in the south, i.e Bavaria. The equivalent in Frankfurt would be an Apfelweinwirtschaften (apple wine pub), Apfelwein being a sour, flat, lightly alcoholic drink not at all like cider that you can order süß (sweet with 7-up) or sauer (sour with sparkling water).

Another option is to find a stammtisch that interests you (i.e. search 'stammtisch frankfurt'), which are clubs organized around different interests, either search out your niche interest or there are also ones organized around language or cultural exchange
posted by orchidee at 6:27 AM on June 13, 2022 [2 favorites]

probably only good if your couple of days aren't until mid-August or after, but I enjoyed going to a soccer game there on one trip, and was there during the World Cup on another and had a nice meal outside at a restaurant/bar type place where everyone else was also into it. (world cup starts in November this year, i believe.) sorry if you like sports less enough that this isn't helpful.
posted by troywestfield at 8:51 AM on June 16, 2022