Altstadt (Frankfurt am Main)

Altstadt or old city is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, located on the northern Main bank. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I. It is surrounded by the Stadtteil of Innenstadt (Downtown). On the opposite side of the river Main is the district of Sachsenhausen.

As the historical center of Frankfurt, the Altstadt has existed from Frankfurt's beginnings, dating back not only to 794 (first mentioning of Frankfurt). It used to be part of the original Innenstadt area, which lay inside of the city walls, the Staufenmauer. Large sections of the Altstadt were rebuilt after World War II and so only a few old buildings are actually preserved. The Altstadt contains many of Frankfurt's most important sights, including the Römerberg plaza with the famed Römer city hall and many other middle-age style buildings which are mostly actually reconstructions. Nearby is the Frankfurter Dom of St. Bartholomäus and the Paulskirche, the short-lived seat of the German National Assembly in 1848-49.

General information

Surface and Population

Covering less than half a square kilometre the Altstadt is the smallest district of Frankfurt. The area is completely built-up with the only open spaces being accounted for by the Main and the river bank, the streets, squares and backyards. The construction descends predominantly from the reconstruction phase of the post war era, aside from which there are numerous historical buildings partly reconstructed after their...
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