10 Day Trips from Frankfurt, Germany that are Worthwhile
If you are visiting Germany, chances are you will fly into Frankfurt Airport. Don’t get me wrong, Frankfurt has a lot of great attractions and things to do. You can easily spend a day in Frankfurt and see Römerberg, visit a world class museum, and try great German food. But most visitors tend to avoid Frankfurt and venture elsewhere. Afterall, there are so many beautiful cities and traditional towns throughout Germany, many of which can easily be reached in a day from Frankfurt Airport. Whether you are renting a car in Germany or relying on the fabulous public transportation, here are 10 recommended day trips from Frankfurt that are worthwhile.
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There are so many day trips from Frankfurt that are possible within either a short drive or train ride. You can go to cities like Mannheim and Heidelberg or even Koblenz or Köln (Cologne). The 10 day trips from Frankfurt I have listed are my personal favorite destinations and ones I’ve visited within the last decade or so. This is a good list of decent sized cities to medieval towns. I ordered the towns below by nearest driving distance from Frankfurt Airport.
1. Wiesbaden
Perhaps one of the easiest day trips from Frankfurt is Wiesbaden. Wiesbaden is about a 25 minute drive from Frankfurt Airport or a 40 minute train ride.
If you have a half day or better yet a full day, Wiesbaden makes for the perfect visit from Frankfurt. Wiesbaden is home to the Goldgasse, Heidenmauer, Kurpark, the beautiful Marktkirche, and so much more.
You can get a traditional meal at Der Andechser and enjoy a great German Bier!
2. Mainz
Just on the other side of Wiesbaden across the Rhine River is the historical city of Mainz.
Mainz is about a 35 minute drive or a 30 minute train ride from Frankfurt Airport.
You could theoretically tack on a quick visit to Mainz on the same day as Wiesbaden, but I don’t recommend it, just because there is so much do see in each city.
In Mainz, pay a visit to the Mainz Römisches Theater (Roman Theater), the Mainz Cathedral (Dm St. Martin),
3. Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg, a 40 minute drive from Frankfurt Airport or a 50 minute train ride is a city in the German state of Bavaria.
Schloss Johannisburg in Aschaffenburg is worth the day trip from Frankfurt alone. This palace was built in the early 1600’s but was destroyed during WWII. It has since been fully rebuilt. Aschaffenburg is just a beautiful city to explore. The main street is full of beautiful buildings, shopping areas, and great restaurants!
4. Limburg an der Lahn
About a 42 minute car ride or a 20 minute train ride from Frankfurt Airport is the medieval town of Limburg an der Lahn.
Limburg an der Lahn is that typical German town you think of with timber-framed buildings, “fachwerk” in German. Many towns will have timer-framed houses usually around the old town market. Even then, there might only be a few. But Limburg an der Lahn had hundreds of timer-framed buildings throughout the entire town.
Limburg an der Lahn can be seen in a half day although I recommend spending an entire day here. Outside of the timer-framed buildings, Limburg an der Lahn has a beautiful cathedral and castle.
For a good German meal in Limburg an der Lahn, I recommend trying Gatshaus Burgkeller. You can find great German food here inside of an old 17th century half-timbered building.
5. Mespelbrunn Castle
Less then an hour by car is one of Germany’s most beautiful and peaceful castles, Mespelbrunn Castle.
Mespelbrunn Castle is most notable for its beautiful moat that surrounds the castle.
Its origins begin in the 15th century. Mespelbrunn Castle never did see war and was spared during the Thirty Years’ War due to it’s secluded location.
Today, visitors are free to walk the grounds and tour the insides of Mespelbrunn Castle.
Mespelbrunn is only a 25 minute drive from Aschaffenburg, so it can be combined as a day trip from Frankfurt.
6. Würzburg
Würzburg, Germany one of my favorite cities is a 1 hour and 15 minute drive from Frankfurt Airport and can be reached by train in about an hour and a half.
Würzburg is a moderately sized city and you need a minimum of a full day here but I recommend at least two days if time permits.
If you have one day to spend in Würzburg, I recommend starting at the Residence. The Residence is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful gardens and stunning architecture.
After visiting the Residence in Würzburg, head to the altstadt or old town and make your way across the Mainbrücke or Old Main Bridge. From here you get great views of the Marienberg Castle.
After taking some photos and enjoying the views from the Mainbrücke, you can either hike to the Marienberg or take a taxi to the top. I recommend walking to the castle. It’s not a bad trek and there are several historical sites that you pass by.
Other recommended sites to see in Würzburg include the Kappele, Würzburg Cathedral, New Munster Church, and simply explore the city.
Würzburg has a great food scene, you can find great Bavarian food, Greek food, vegetarian restaurants, and of course places selling Döner Kebabs.
If you are looking for a more in depth review on Würzburg, I have a post on What to Do, See, and Eat, in Würzburg.
7. Fulda
Like Würzburg, Fulda is about 1 hour and 15 to 1 hour and 20 minutes by car from Frankfurt Airport. Fulda makes for a great day trip from Frankfurt and probably isn’t really on anyone’s radar, meaning you won’t bump in to to many tourists in Fulda.
I’ve been to Fulda dozens of times and it’s one of my favorite cities in Germany.
Fulda is very pedestrian friendly and has much to offer. The Fulda Cathedral, St. Michael’s Church, the Schlossgarten (Palace Gardens), and altstadt (old town) are all a must when visiting Fulda.
8. Bad Kissingen
About 1 hour and 30 minutes by car from Frankfurt Airport is the spa town of Bad Kissingen. Bad Kissingen is a famous spa town but not well known to outsiders and is considered to be one of the Great Spa Towns of Germany which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When visiting Bad Kissingen, I just recommend wandering the town and relaxing whether it be at one of the spas or at a local ice cream dealer. You get a sense of a tropical island here making it really feel like a vacation destination.
9. Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of Germany’s especially Bavaria’s most famous towns. At 1 hour and 45 minutes from Frankfurt, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is quite a ways from Frankfurt but totally worth it. A day trip from Frankfurt is certainly possible and Rothenburg ob der Tauber is not that big o it can be explored in a half to full day.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a medieval city surrounded by a city wall. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is very pedestrian friendly once inside the walls. I highly recommend visiting the altstadt, most notably the market square. Don’t miss out on the Medieval Crime Museum or Kriminalmuseum in German. This museum has a lot of examples of methods of torture and torture equipment that was used back in the day. I wrote more about Rothenburg’s torture museum in my Dark Tourism Post.
You have to try a Schneeball (snowball). It’s a specialty in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and can be found in several shops. It’s a fried pastry that is in the shape of a snowball. You can get a variety of schneeball flavors from plain sugar to Nutella.
10. Nuremberg
The furthest recommended day trip on my list is Nuremburg at 2 hours and 30 minutes. Nuremburg can easily reached by either car or train.
Nuremburg is a big city with many attractions. Ideally, you would want to spend an entire day here if not two. But if you do only have a day to explore Nuremburg from Frankfurt. I recommend making your way to the Frauenkirche (church) and then walking to Nuremberg Castle. Between the church and castle, there are many other churches worth seeing and historical buildings that are interesting to look at. The whole downtown area of Nuremberg is amazing to just walk around in.
For a meal, try Nürnberger Bratwursts. Nürnberger Bratwursts are smaller then regular bratwursts but taste just as great! You can get them fresh off the grill from a street vendor or at a local restaurant.
Conclusion
There are so many day trips from Frankfurt and many I haven’t even listed or even visited. I’m sure, others would agree or disagree with my recommended day trips from Frankfurt but I personally chose these locations based on my experiences and audience. Provided are amazing destinations in Germany that are close to Frankfurt Airport like Wiesbaden and other locations that do take some planning like Nuremburg. But whatever destination you decide on, I guarantee it will make for a great day trip from Frankfurt.
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