Rebstock Bath, Frankfurt

A visit to the Rebstock pool on a hot summer's day in Frankfurt is a must for children of all ages. It features a huge 394-foot (120m) water slide, wave pool, hot tubs, saunas and even an Olympic lap pool. For parents looking to relax and make use of some of the other facilities such as massage or steam bath, there are child care facilities, children's playground and volleyball court, so parents can relax and enjoy themselves while the kids let off some steam.

The Fairy Tale Road, Frankfurt

The Fairy Tale Road follows a meandering 370-mile (595km) route that traces the path of famous storytellers the Brothers Grimm. Many people don't realise that the Brothers Grimm didn't simply invent their famous stories, but recorded and collected local legends and folk tales from their homeland near Frankfurt. Between charming villages and well-preserved medieval towns, Germany's Fairy Tale Road wanders through lush forests and Gingerbread houses that were the original homes of well-loved characters like Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.

Starting in the town of Hanau, where Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were born, visitors can explore attractions like the Brothers Grimm monument in the town square, the Puppet Museum at Williamsbad, the Marienkirche where Jakob was married, and the Phillippsruhe Palace, which hosts performances of the fairy tales (though mostly in German).

The next town on the journey is Steinau, where the brothers spent their youth; and Marburg, a university town where they began to research local legends for their collection. Further on the town of Kassel is home to the Brothers Grimm Museum; nearby Baunatal was the home of Dorothea Viehmann, who told the Brothers Grimm many stories, and visitors can have a beer in the Knallhüt brewery, which occupies the building she was born in.

From there the Fairy Tale Road follows the Weser River to Hameln, the famous town of the Pied Piper; in nearby Bad Oeynhausen is the Fairy Tale Museum. The road ends in the town of Bremen, home of both the mythical Little Nienburg Girl and the very real Rathaus, a vibrant marketplace filled with town musicians and the famous Ratskeller Restaurant.

Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Frankfurt

One of the biggest natural history museums in Germany and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt features exhibits of recent biodiversity of life and evolution of organisms as well as the Earth. A popular attraction of the museum is the fascinating paleontology exhibit which features fossils that date back over 50-million years. Children of all ages will love exploring this fascinating museum and learning about the evolution of not only world, but also mammals and other life.

Opening Times:
Open daily 9am–5pm; closes 8pm on Wednesdays, and 6pm on weekends and public holidays.

Admission:
EUR6 (adults); EUR3 (children). Concessions available.

Struwwelpeter Museum, Frankfurt

The Struwwelpeter Museum features memorabilia of the children's books, Struwwelpeter (' Slovenly Peter'), which were written and illustrated in the early 19th century by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman. These tales reflect the draconian parenting style of this bygone age, although today modern kids are more likely to be amused by the macabre morality of stories like the boy who played with scissors and cut off all his fingers! The museum has a children's theatre where kids can enjoy watching a performance of stories such as 'The little dog Schnuffel' or 'The Little Elephant' or children can dress up in costumes and play in the playroom.

Opening Times:
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am–5pm.

Admission:
EUR3 (adults); EUR2 (children)

Palmengarten, Frankfurt

This spectacular garden in Frankfurt was opened to the public in 1871 and features 50 acres (20 hectares) of flora from rain forest and mangrove, to savannah and thorn forest vegetation. During the summer months, families can rent rowboats on the pond, tour the post-war reconstructed greenhouses, stop and smell the roses in the rose garden, and on warm summer evenings, head to the bandstand to enjoy some live music or dancing. Children will love Palmengarten as there's plenty to see and loads of space to run around and let off some steam. Guided tours of the gardens are available in English, French and Spanish.

Opening Times:
November to January: 9am–4pm; March to October: 9am–6pm.

Admission:
EUR6 (adults); EUR2 (children)

Children's Museum of Frankfurt, Frankfurt

The Children's Museum of Frankfurt gives provides an interactive and exciting glimpse of what life is like under the streets of Frankfurt. Exhibitions take in the various geology, biology and archaeology of the city. The museum emphasises a hands-on experience so kids can feel like they're a part of local culture and history.

Getting There:
U-Bahn or S-Bahn to 'Hauptwache'

Opening Times:
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm.

Admission:
EUR4 (adults); EUR2(children)

Frankfurt Botanical Gardens, Frankfurt

The well-ordered and interesting Botanical Garden in Frankfurt is administered by the University. The gardens are designed to take visitors on a journey through different areas of the plant kingdom, from the hardwood forests of North America to the barren savannah of Africa. The gardens cover more than eight hectares (20 acres) and contain more than 6,000 different botanical species, from exotic rainforest flowers to European weeds. Aside from admiring thr flora, there are fun family activities like miniature golf and boat hire, as well as a gift shop and cafe.

Getting There:
Entrance Palmengartenstraße: trains U6, U7 or buses 32, 33, 50 to Station Bockenheimer Warte

Opening Times:
Daily 9am-6pm between February and October, 9am-4pm from November to January.

Admission:
EUR5 (adults), EUR2 (children 14 and under); EUR9.50 for special events including festivals and certain exhibitions. Concessions available

Goethe-Haus, Frankfurt

The house where Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's world-famous poet and writer, was born in 1749 is now a shrine to his memory, preserved as an example of how the well-to-do lived in Frankfurt in the late Baroque era. The house, which is a reconstruction because the original was destroyed during the Second World War, consists of two neighbouring half-timbered houses in Grosser Hirschgraben, and is sited next to the Goethe Museum, which contains a huge library of books, documents and graphics relating to the poet.

Getting There:
U- and S-Bahn to Hauptwache and Willy-Brandt-Platz

Opening Times:
Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5:30pm

Admission:
EUR5 (adults); EUR1.50 (children 7-18)

Eschenheimer Turm, Frankfurt

The Eschenheimer Turm is one of the few remaining towers of the medieval fortifications that encircled the city of Frankfurt. The 154-foot high (47m) gothic tower was built as part of the medieval wall which encircled the city in the 15th century when approximately 60 towers surrounded the city. Citizens used to build high walls and watchtowers to protect Frankfurt from danger. Now a popular tourist attraction in Frankfurt, there is a restaurant and bar at the base of the Eschenheimer Turm that offers a good place to people-watch in the busy plaza surrounding the tower.

Frankfurt Zoo, Frankfurt

The Frankfurt Zoo, located in Ostend, was nearly totally destroyed in World War II, with only 20 animals surviving. It was rebuilt in the early 1950s and since then has grown to include several innovative new sections such as the highly popular Big Cat Jungle; and the Exotarium which houses fish, insects, reptiles and penguins, all kept in their natural surroundings. The Frankfurt Zoo is home to over 3,200 different animals across 600 species and is renowned for keeping them in environments that most closely resemble their own natural habitats. It has a reputation as one of the most attractive, pleasant and popular zoos in Europe. Away from the fauna there are two restaurants as well as a terrace to enjoy in the summer months. A major draw card for the zoo and one of its most unique features is Grzimek House which is home to nocturnal animals who think it's night-time during the day.

Getting There:
U6 or U7

Opening Times:
Open daily 9am-7pm in summer and 9am-5pm in winter.

Admission:
EUR8 (adults), EUR4 (children 6-17). Concessions available. Last Saturday of the month: EUR6 (adults), EUR3 (children).

Well of Justice (Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen), Frankfurt

The Well of Justice, or Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, was built in Frankfurt's central square of Romweberg in 1541. About 70 years later the wells received stone interiors and the Statue of Justice watched over them. In 1612, when Kaiser Matthias was crowned, it was not water, but wine that flowed freely from the stone lions' mouths. In 1887, the wells were renovated and the stone figures copied. The original sandstone statues were moved to the Museum of Local History.

German Film Museum (Deutsches Filmmuseum), Frankfurt

One of Germany's finest film museums, the Deutsches Filmmuseum shows old films from its collections continuously. These can be viewed on the second floor of the museum while the downstairs rooms tell the story of Germany's filmmaking history while exhibits are also on display, including models illustrating how special effects are shot as well as Emile Reynaud's 1882 Praxinoscope and Edison's Kinetoscope from 1889. Free guided tours are conducted Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm.

Getting There:
Bus 46; U1, 2, 3 to Schweizer Platz

Opening Times:
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday 10am to 5pm; Wednesday 10am to 7pm; Saturday 2pm to 7pm

Admission:
EUR5 (adults), EUR2.50 (children); Film screenings EUR7 (adults), EUR5 (children). Additional charges may apply to temporary exhibits.

Liebieghaus, Frankfurt

Situated on the south bank of the river Main, the Liebieghaus was built in 1896 for Czech Baron Heinrich Liebieg, but today is the home of Frankfurt's Museum of Sculpture. Exhibits include sculptures from ancient times, such as Sumeria, Egypt, Greece and Rome to more modern Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance examples. A range of Egyptian and Asian pieces also feature in the range as well as a few works of some world-renowned artists.

Getting There:
Tram 15 or 16 to Otto Hahn Square; U1, 2, 3 to Swiss Square

Opening Times:
Tuesday and Friday to Sunday 10am-6pm; Wednesday, Thursday 10am-9pm. Free tours every Wednesday at 7pm and Sunday at 11am.

Admission:
EUR7 (adults); EUR5 (concessions). Children under 12 are free.

Heidelberg, Frankfurt

The historic university town of Heidelberg, about 55 miles (89km) south of Frankfurt, is billed as a city of music and romance. It is one of the few German cities that escaped relatively unscathed from air raids during World War II, and still has numerous buildings from the Middle Ages and Renaissance to explore, especially some beautiful historical churches. The university was established in 1386, and features some picturesque buildings on its campuses. A good way to enjoy scenic views of Heidelberg is along the Philosopher's Walk, a path alongside the Heiligenberg. (The path is so named because university professors would walk along the path when they needed to think).

The city is built along the banks of the Neckar River, and has a colourful atmosphere lent by its large student population, particularly in the student quarter with its narrow streets and lively inns. The modern part of the city around the Bismarckplatz has some good hotels and restaurants, and enticing shopping plazas. The weather in Heidelberg is famously sunny and warm compared to much of Germany, and this is a major draw for the nearly 3.5 million tourists who visit each year.

St Bartholomeus Cathedral, Frankfurt

The St Bartholomeus Cathedral, or Dom Sankt Bartholomäus, dominates the Frankfurt skyline with its imposing 311-foot (95m) spire, contrasting sharply with the modern skyscrapers in the downtown area. The Cathedral was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, and has seen the crowning of kings and emperors in this time. St Bartholomeus has been rebuilt several times, once in 1867 after a fire, and again in the 1950s following damage suffered in World War II. There is a small museum and shop inside.

Getting There:
U4 from Central-Station, Stop Römer

Opening Times:
Open Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday to Sunday 11am-5pm.

Admission:
Free

Städel Gallery, Frankfurt

Frankfurt's most important art gallery is the Städel Gallery, containing a fantastic collection of most European schools of painting. The first floor features the works of German painters of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as famous French Impressionists such as Renoir and Monet. The second floor offers visitors the pleasure of viewing an outstanding collection of Flemish primitives, 17th-century Dutch artists, and 16th-century German masters such as Dürer, Grünewald, Memling, Elsheimer, and many others with one of the most impressive paintings being Jan van Eyck's Madonna(1433). The gallery is closed through October 6th, 2011.

Getting There:
U1, 2, 3 to Schweizer Platz; trams 15 and 16 to Otto-Hahn-Platz

Opening Times:
Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10am to 6pm; Wednesday, Thursday 10am to 9pm; closed Mondays

Admission:
EUR7 (adults); EUR5 (children 12-16). Concessions available

Historical Museum (Historisches Museum), Frankfurt

The Historical Museum (Historisches Museum) has many permanent exhibitions on display featuring objects and works of art ranging from the Middle Ages to present day. The museum's changing exhibitions covers a range of themes such as cultural history, art history and general history. Collections feature examples of gold and silver crockery and jewellery; pottery and porcelain; paintings, photographs; and scaled-down models of the Altstadt at various periods of its development. The Children's Museum, which lies adjacent to the Historical Museum, features a variety of special offers and exhibitions for youngsters of all ages. The museum is currently closed for renovations, and will re-open in early 2012.

Getting There:
U-bahn to Römer

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm, Wednesday 10am-9pm, closed Mondays.

Admission:
EUR4 (adults), EUR2 (children over 6 years). Concessions available