Recently in Frankfurt Category

Frankfurt is in every way a modern German city, with sleek glass office towers and plenty of glitzy neon LED signs, but just outside the city limits is an open-air museum designed to show visitors what Germany was like several hundred years ago. The Hessenpark Open-Air Museum has seventy period buildings scattered throughout a gorgeous rural landscape that give visitors the feeling of what life was like in the German countryside before the nation became an economic powerhouse. Since its founding in 1974, the museum has drawn legions of visitors who come to explore buildings like the village school, post office, blacksmith's shop, synagogue, and bakery. This being Germany, there's also a restaurant that serves hearty Hessian cuisine, as well as that most wonderful of German inventions, the beer garden. I wonder if they charge 18th-century prices for beer? Nah, if they did, some people might never leave. The museum is convenient to several Starwood properties, including the luxurious Westin Grand Frankfurt.

[image via Hessenpark Open-Air Museum]

Hollywood manages to keep itself in the spotlight as far as motion pictures are concerned, but plenty of other countries have filmmaking traditions worth celebrating as well. Germany's movie industry, for example, dates back more than a century, and an eclectic museum in Frankfurt showcases some of the films, artists, and equipment that have kept audiences captivated for generations. The Deutsches Filmmuseum has a treasure trove of cinema memorabilia, including Thomas Edison's 1889 Kinetoscope (one of the earliest motion picture viewing devices), a late 19th century camera and films from the Lumière brothers, and a extensive exhibit on movie special effects. People today might be impressed with modern movie making pyrotechnics, but just a few generations ago they were positively spellbound by the sight of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building. Not surprisingly, the museum is also a popular venue for screenings of short films, documentaries, and classics from the 1800's to today. Starwood has five hotels in Frankfurt, including the nearby Westin Grand Frankfurt.

German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) created one of the greatest literary works of the 19th century with his classic two-part play Faust, which riveted European society with its tale of heaven, hell, and deals with the devil. Fans of Faust and Goethe's other work in the fields of theology, poetry, literature, science, and even painting come to Frankfurt's Goethe House and Museum, just one kilometer from Le Méridien Parkhotel Frankfurt, to learn more about the man, his inspirations, and his legacy. While the original house where Goethe was born "at midday, as the clock was striking twelve" on August 28, 1749 was, unfortunately, destroyed during World War II, it was painstakingly rebuilt according to its original design. Today, the house, located in Frankfurt's old town, stands as a beautiful snapshot of what life was like for a wealthy family in mid-18th century Germany, with a recreation of the library, picture gallery, exhibition area, and even the children's puppet theater. Naturally, the writing room is of great interest to visitors, who gaze upon the spot where Goethe composed his early poems, plays, lyrical dramas, satires, and the novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" at the high desk, writing his way into literary history. It's a worthy destination for fans of the classics, as well as those just curious about European history. Oh, in case you're wondering, Goethe is pronounced gerta, more or less.

It's Tuesday night, which means it's time to get your skate on if you're staying in Frankfurt, Germany. Each year starting in April and going through the end of October, over 5,000 skaters strap on their in-lines and blade through the city for an ultimate tour. While not for the beginning skater, if you're confident enough on wheels, here's how to participate. Starting at 8:30 at the Deutschherrenufer, the skate loop takes about two and a half hours with a fifteen minute break of Apfelsaftschorle (apple juice mixed with sparkling water.) If you're looking to meet up with some skating partners beforehand, and a glass of Apfelwein (apple wine) the unofficial bar of TNS is the nearby Zwischendurch. TNS is situated nearby a number of properties including the Arabella Sheraton Grand.

For guests at Le Meridian Parkhotel, whether or not you brave the skate, you can marvel at the spectacle as the skaters zoom by on their route. Just remember the White Stone Lounge at the hotel opens every morning at 7, so if you're in need of a post-skate Thai massage, roller to tranquility in the morning. In the meantime, take a peek at the action!