The Best Weekend Trips From Frankfurt

Frankfurt has many attractions to keep you happily occupied for days, but if you want to escape the bustle of the busy city, you have several choices. Take a weekend to explore romantic towns or medieval castles, cruise lazily down the Rhine or perhaps visit other big cities with a different flavor. Here are some awesome ideas to make the most of a spare weekend in Frankfurt.

Heidelberg

One of the best-maintained and romantic cities in Germany, the university town of Heidelberg promises a weekend filled with history, beautiful views with huge dollops of culture. Over a busy weekend in Heidelberg, you can fit in a tour of the early 13th century majestic Heidelberg Castle and visit the world’s biggest wine barrel in its cellar, soak up historic charm at the lively main pedestrian street (Hauptstrasse), take pictures at the Karl Theodor Bridge –the star of many famous poems and paintings and visit the German Pharmacy Museum whose exhibits span 2,000 years of medicinal history.

Distance from Frankfurt: 55 mi / 88 Km

Bingen

The picturesque town of Bingen is the gateway to the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley and a great base to explore other towns in the valley (Boppard, St. Goar, Bacharach and so on). The perfect way to appreciate quaint Bingen is from a cruise boat. Also, you can click totally Instagram-worthy photos of the town and river valley from the Klopp Castle in Bingen.

Distance from Frankfurt: 43 mi / 69 Km

Limburg

In the impossibly romantic town of Limburg, the 7th century hilltop Limburg Casle gazes down at a beautiful old town which has remained pretty much the same for several centuries. Limburg’s cobbled streets would take you past row upon row of half-timbered houses built between the 13th and 17th centuries. Limburg is also home to the oldest free-standing house (Römer 2-4-6) in the country and the stunning Romanesque St. George Cathedral.

Distance from Frankfurt: 48 mi / 77 Km

Düsseldorf

A perfect weekend in Düsseldorf must include strolling the Altstadt (Old Town) and admiring its many historic structures like Rathaus (City Hall), Schlossturm (which houses a maritime museum), St. Lambertus Basilica, Kreuzherren-Klosterkirche, St. Andreas Church, and the famous Cartwheeler (Radschlägerbrunnen) fountain. A visit to Medienhafen and its stunning futuristic buildings will open your eyes to the wonderful harmony between historic and contemporary architecture in the city. Don’t miss checking out the glamorous shopping street of Königsallee and sipping an Altbier at the Longest Bar in the World.

Distance from Frankfurt: 142 mi / 229 Km

Cologne

The UNESCO-listed Cologne Cathedral is worth making a trip to Cologne for alone, but as a bonus, Cologne has lots more to make your weekend memorable. Here, you have the chance to visit unique museums like the Lindt Chocolate Museum or the Perfume Museum and visit a creepy church decorated with human bones! And perhaps, to indulge the romantic in you a little, put a love lock on the railing of the Hohenzollern Bridge.

Distance from Frankfurt: 118 mi / 190 Km

Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollern Bridge

Trier

Trier is one of the oldest cities in Germany and is smattered with carefully maintained relics and monuments belonging to the Roman era. The most important landmarks in town include the 2nd century Roman sandstone gatehouse Porta Nigra, Germany’s oldest Gothic church – the Church for Our Lady, the Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina) and the Imperial Baths. Trier is also among the most significant wine producers in Germany, so go ahead and sample some sparkling wine to take your weekend up a further notch.

Distance from Frankfurt: 117 mi / 188 Km

Marburg

The palpable romance of Marburg has been the inspiration for several Brothers Grimm fairy tales that children around the world grow up on. Spend a weekend in this fairy tale town, exploring the hilltop castle, the hilly old town and the rows of half-timbered houses and enjoy beautiful river views.

Distance from Frankfurt: 60 mi / 96 Km