Living in Altstadt, Frankfurt

The Altstadt of Frankfurt is a small triangle between the Römerberg square, the Kaiserdom and the Main, with the Mainkai on its southern edge. Most of the original medieval old town was destroyed by Allied bombing in March 1944 and what stands today is a mix of careful reconstructions (the Römer city hall, the Ostzeile of half-timbered houses on the square, the Paulskirche, the rebuilt Dom-Römer-Projekt just to the east) and post-war infill. The Altstadt statistical district is smaller than tourists assume - perhaps a few thousand permanent residents - but it concentrates Frankfurt's civic memory.

Who lives here

A small, mixed population. Older Frankfurters who bought into the post-war buildings, some artists in the upper floors of converted commercial buildings, a few short-term residents in serviced apartments around the Römer, and the residents of the newly built Dom-Römer-Projekt at the eastern end. Families are rare. Many ground-floor units are restaurants, museums or shops; the residential share above ground floor is genuine but limited.

What it's like during the day

Crowded with day visitors most of the year. The Römerberg is the symbolic square: half-timbered façades on the east side, the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen fountain in the centre, the Römer city hall on the west, the Nikolaikirche on the south. The Paulskirche, the round church a block north, was the seat of the 1848 National Assembly and remains Germany's symbol of parliamentary tradition. The Kaiserdom, two blocks east, is the cathedral where Holy Roman Emperors were crowned. The Eiserner Steg footbridge over the Main and the Mainkai promenade are favourite walks.

What it's like in the evening

Quiet after the day-trippers leave. The Christmas market between late November and Christmas Eve transforms the Altstadt into one of Germany's busiest seasonal stops - Glühwein, Bethmännchen (marzipan almonds), wooden chalets. The rest of the year, restaurants and wine bars on Saalgasse, Limpurgergasse and around the Römerberg stay busy until 11 PM; the real evening crowd then moves to the Bahnhofsviertel or Sachsenhausen.

Getting around

U-Bahn lines U4 and U5 stop at Dom/Römer directly under the Altstadt; Hauptwache and Konstablerwache (S-Bahn and U-Bahn interchanges) are within five minutes' walk. Trams 11 and 12 stop at Römer/Paulskirche. The Eiserner Steg footbridge connects to Sachsenhausen in seven minutes. The Hauptbahnhof is ten minutes by U-Bahn or twenty on foot.

Eating and shopping

Restaurants concentrate on Saalgasse and the Römerberg fringes - Frankfurter taverns with Apfelwein, Handkäs and Grüne Soße, a few international addresses. The Kleinmarkthalle on Hasengasse is a short walk: 150 stalls of meat, fish, cheese, fruit and hot food at lunchtime - the centre's daily grocery anchor. The Zeil pedestrian shopping street starts a block north at Hauptwache.

When NOT to pick it

If you want a residential rhythm with neighbours who say hello at the bakery, the Altstadt's permanent population is too small for that village feeling. If you want quiet streets, the daily tourist flow and the Christmas market are part of the deal. If you have a car, parking is essentially impossible - most of the Altstadt is pedestrianised. If your budget is moderate, the few apartments that exist tend to be expensive on a square-metre basis.

The Altstadt is the right pick if you want to live at the symbolic centre of Frankfurt, with the cathedral, city hall and the river bridges at your doorstep, and you accept that you're sharing the streets with the visitors who keep coming for the same reasons.