What I've Learned in Frankfurt: My Experiences

Frankfurt am Main has a hard shell, but inside everything is in flow and not so bad as it seems. Frankfurt has all the essentials of a cosmopolitan city, conveniently nearby: the largest book fair, lots of traffic, media, a traditional football club, museums, mosques, bank towers, publishing houses, a large Jewish community ...

Our first apartment was a first occupancy in Europaviertel, a district that developed between two old ones. We quickly discovered: In Frankfurt, everything is within arm's reach. From championship victories to financial scandals, from high-tech to old-school.

Almost everyone in Frankfurt is new to the town. In this knowledge, they are all brothers and sisters, all citizens of the world. That’s a lot for a city surrended by the mountains of Rhön and Hunsrück, between the forests of Taunus and Odenwald.

No matter where I return from, whether it's Bordeaux, Berlin, or Seoul, I appreciate Frankfurt's consistent foundation. A kind of surge protection made of serenity and bustle, chic and fate, fortune and failure.

Don’t eat "Handkäs mit Musik"! But ask for the best Apfelwein pub. Opinions differ widely. A picturesque option would be Zum Gemalten Haus, a down-to-earth one would be Apfelweinwirtschaft Frank. Korean food is best at Mr. Lee in the Gutleutviertel.

From the swimming pool in Kronberg forest, you can enjoy a fine view of the Frankfurt plain. And then, on a summer evening, cruise up and down the Main on a boat of the Primus Linie, admire the skyline, make out on the upper deck and toast the stars.

Hauke Hückstädt is an author, poet and literary critic. As head of the renowned Literaturhaus der Stadt Frankfurt he organises readings and discussion groups as well as events for children and young people.