Frankfurt Am Main
Most, if not all of us, have all heard of Manhattan, but what about ‘Mainhattan’? Mainhattan is the nickname affectionately given to the city of Frankfurt Am Main (meaning literally, Frankfurt on the river Main), Germany. The reason Frankfurt has earned this name is because of its status as an economic and cultural hub, just like the city Manhattan. In fact, the official Frankfurt website even states that it is “the most international city in Germany”. Since Frankfurt is vital to Germany and Europe as a whole, it is no wonder that the city as a whole is so diverse, with many things to see and places to visit.
Frankfurt’s economic influence on Germany is no secret. Just like Manhattan in America, Frankfurt is home to the financial systems of Germany. These include the trading system XETRA and the Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse (Frankfurt stock exchange). The stock exchange is the largest in Germany and second largest in Europe, second only to the London Stock Exchange. In addition to stock exchanges, Frankfurt is also home to the largest banks in Germany. Banks headquartered in Frankfurt include: Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, DZ Bank, ING Diba, and many others. The presence of so many banks leads to Frankfurt sometimes being called ‘Bankhattan’.
Not only does Frankfurt boast a large number of German banks, but it also is home to one of the most, if not the most, important financial system in Europe. The European Central Bank is the institution that’s purpose is to maintain price stability and low-inflation in the Eurozone, or the European Union. Somewhat related to banking and finance, the Frankfurt Airport is the busiest in Germany and one of the busiest in Europe. Serving 265 non-stop destinations and boasting the largest amount of freight-traffic in Europe, this serves to add to Frankfurt’s reputation as one of the most vital cities in Europe.
Having one of the busiest airports in Europe, it follows that Frankfurt is also the cultural hub of...