Entertainment

Art & Museums

Frankfurt offers a plethora of museums and exhibitions. A must for art lovers is the Städel Museum, home to an enormous collection of European paintings from the Middle Ages to the present day, including works by masters such as Rubens, Holbein and Rembrandt. Another top address for art is the Schirn Kunsthalle, which hosts some fantastic temporary exhibitions and displays. The Museum of Modern Art (MMK) exhibits works by the likes of Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol.

Nature lovers and archaeologists will get their money's worth in the Senckenberg Research Institute & Natural History Musuem, where, amongst other things, you can marvel at the enormous skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Film lovers should pay a visit to the National Film Museum; fashion victims can check out the latest designer wear (as well as the crazes of yesteryear) at the German Leather Museum (DLM) in Offenbach. Frankfurt also has dozens of other museums, as well as numerous art galleries, many of which are well worth a visit.

Theatre & Opera

Frankfurt has two opera houses: the Oper Frankfurt and the older Alte Oper. Both houses are host to a constant stream of operas and concerts by an array of international artists. The Schauspiel Frankfurt is a good bet for traditional German theatre, while more experimental pieces are performed at places like the TAT and Künstlerhaus Mousonturm. If you prefer your plays to be performed in English, then head for the English Theatre or the Internationales Theater, which also puts on pieces in Russian and Italian.

Clubs, Parties & Nightlife

There's something for everyone here! For rock, head to MTW in Offenbach, to das Rind in Rüsselsheim or Batschkapp in Frankfurt. Ambient fans will be in their element at places like Opium and Living, while hardcore techno enthusiasts shouldn't miss U60311. Frankfurt's most popular nightlife hotspot is the area known as Konstablerwache, which gets particularly busy at weekends. But if you're looking for something special, pop into the Odeon, a wonderful classical building which is the venue for various weird and wonderful theme nights.

If you prefer things a bit quieter, then there are plenty of bars and bistros where you can have a chat over a beer, a cocktail or a glass of cider. The district of Sachsenhausen is a particularly good starting point for a night out on the town. Most of the Irish pubs and cider pubs are very popular.

On the weekend, Frankfurt's gay community meets at cult places like the L.O.F.T House, which hosts some of the wildest parties in town. The Blue Angel is a good place for a dance, while Lucky's Manhattan is perfect for a final drink before hitting the hay. Harveys is a bit more up-market, and is particularly popular during the daytime when gay couples meet here for breakfast. Much bigger, but a fair way out of town, is the MS Connexion in Mannheim, a huge bar-cum-club which stretches out over several floors. Their Gaywerk evening is particularly popular.

Sports

Football fans should head straight for the Commerzbank Arena, where Eintracht Frankfurt seem locked in an eternal (but hitherto successful) battle against relegation from the Bundesliga. Another local attraction is the Frankfurter Lions ice hockey team. Other highlights on Frankfurt's sporting calendar include the Henninger Turm bike race and the ATP tennis tournament in the Messe Frankfurt exhibition center.