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Historic neighborhood · Frankfurt, Hesse
Neue Frankfurter Altstadt
The core of the old town center, between the Römerberg and the cathedral, rebuilt between 2012 and 2018 with 35 buildings, some of them faithful copies of houses destroyed in 1944.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Neue Frankfurter Altstadt
Before World War II, Frankfurt's center had about 1,250 half-timbered houses, mostly from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The 1944 bombings destroyed almost everything, and the site between the town hall and the cathedral was for decades occupied by a concrete administrative building.
Between 2012 and 2018, the Dom-Römer project recreated that part of the city. Thirty-five buildings were erected on the old plots, 15 of them reconstructions of historic houses. The most carefully restored piece is the Haus zur Goldenen Waage, with its painted façade and ornate timber framing, next to the cathedral.
The neighborhood's axis is Markt street, the old Krönungsweg, along which the processions between the cathedral and the Römer passed. In the middle is the Hühnermarkt, a small square with a fountain surrounded by cafés. It's worth going into the inner courtyards, like the Hof zum Rebstock, and noticing the details of the façades.
The neighborhood is residential and commercial, with shops, cafés and a museum about the writer Friedrich Stoltze. Access is unrestricted at any hour, and the walk naturally pairs with the Römerberg, the Schirn Kunsthalle and the cathedral.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
30 minutes to 1 hour walking through the alleys and courtyards.
Best time
Early in the morning, before tour groups, or in the late afternoon when the Hühnermarkt cafés fill up. On Sundays shops are closed, but the streets remain open.
How to get there
Dom/Römer subway station (U4 and U5), which exits within the neighborhood. From the Römerberg, just cross the square toward the cathedral.
Tip
Follow the Krönungsweg (Markt street) from the cathedral to the Römer to retrace the coronation route. The houses are inhabited: respect closed doors and courtyards.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Neue Frankfurter Altstadt
Are the houses of the Neue Altstadt old?
No. They were built between 2012 and 2018. Part of them reproduces historic houses destroyed in 1944; the others are new buildings that follow the scale of the old neighborhood.
What is the Krönungsweg?
It's the coronation path, the street that links the cathedral to the Römer, along which the newly crowned emperors' processions passed.
What's the best-known house in the neighborhood?
The Haus zur Goldenen Waage, rebuilt with a painted façade and decorative half-timbering, next to the cathedral.