Altstadt

Frankfurt's Altstadt is the historical and ceremonial centre of the city. Its compact street network contains the Römerberg, the Römer town hall, the Imperial Cathedral, St. Paul's Church and the reconstructed New Frankfurt Old Town. Museums, churches, public squares and visitor-oriented businesses dominate the area, while permanent residential space is limited. The district differs from the surrounding city centre through its concentration of medieval references, reconstructed townhouses and nationally significant political sites. Its identity rests on the continued readability of older local structures rather than on a single landmark. Older plot boundaries, street widths and surviving buildings make the area’s history visible in everyday movement, even where later development has altered the wider setting. Everyday destinations within or near the area support activity beyond purely residential use and help define where local public life is concentrated.