GERMANY WORLD CUP 2006
Frankfurt
Frankfurt's location at the heart of Europe has helped make it Germany's financial, commercial and industrial hub. Founded in the first century, it began to develop as a financial centre in the 13th century, when annual fairs attracted merchants from around the known world. Trade fairs are still a mainstay of the city's economy. The International Book Fair annually draws anyone who's anyone in publishing, while ACHEMA draws in engineers to debate trends in chemistry and biotechnology.
With its gleaming steel and glass high-rises, Frankfurt looks more North American than European, but it has its fair share of historical and cultural sites. Although much of the old city was destroyed by Allied bombers at the close of the second world war, you can get a feel for the pre-war landscape in the reconstructed area of Römerberg. This "medieval" square is home to the Römer, Frankfurt's city hall since 1405, and a row of restored half-timber houses known as the Ostzeile.
The southern bank of the river Main is known as Museumsufer (museum embankment), as it hosts 13 of the city's museums. The centres, ranging from the Film Museum and Museum of Applied Art to the Jewish Museum and Architecture Museum, are housed in restored villas from the 1900s that are set between structures dating back to the 1800s. Frankfurt's open-air event, the Museumsuferfest, is to be held from July 7 to 9 2006 so that it coincides with the World Cup final.
Getting there
By air
The busiest airport in Europe is the Frankfurt International Airport. This means that if you start having trouble finding a flight into Germany, your best bet is here. Don't be confused with the Frankfurt-Hahn airport, which is about 1.5 hours away from the city, but it is also an option for late-bookers.
By train
Frankfurt connects travellers to most German cities via InterCity and high-speed InterCity Express trains. There are 3 major train stations: the Southern station (Südbahnhof), the Airport station (Flughafen Fernbahnhof) and the Central station (Hauptbahnhof), where trains from the airport go to, European Rail also gets you to all the World Cup destinations.
By road
You'll find bus services from around Europe with regular services into Frankfurt. Once there, you can get around easily by renting a bike from Deutsche Bahn, which can be hired from various points around the city.
All main German cities are serviced by Eurlolines and tickets can be purchased at Deutsche Bahn (representative agents), which you'll find in main railway stations. If travelling by private car, you'll find information on the German motorway network at autobahn-online.de.
Links :
Deutsche Bahn
European Rail
Accomodation
The most central place to find a room is Fifaworldcup.com. The majority of listed hotels are located close to the venue which will save you a lot of time on match day. Searching for the right place to stay is made simple for bookers - just name which team you are supporting and a list of hotels will appear for you to select in each city that they will play in.
The stadium
The brand new Waldstadion, with a capacity of 48,000, is home to the Eintracht Frankfurt club and its best feature is its retractable roof.
Getting there : From the main station, get onto the S-bahn S8 heading for Kelsterbach/ Rüsselsheim Opelwerk to Sportfeld.
Official website
If you don't get a ticket
If you don't have a ticket, we suggest O'Reillys Irish Pub.
|
