The fifth biggest city in Germany, Frankfurt on Main (Frankfurt am Main), has gained enormous economic power thanks to its position as a key transport hub and its status as a major venue for international trade fairs. Located in the middle of the highly productive Rhine-Main region, right at the centre of Europe, the city is the financial heart of Germany but also of the European Union.

History
A settlement since at least 3000BC, Frankfurt's long history of commerce stems from its central geographical location on the Main River and the Frankfurt Messe (fair). The Messe has been going since the 12th century (it is mentioned in a Jewish manuscript dating from 1160) and the city received its official Imperial privilege to hold an annual trade fair in 1240.

Financial city
The Frankfurt Börse (Stock Exchange) began trading in 1585. If Frankfurt's political aspirations were dashed by the choice of Bonn as capital of the Federal Republic in 1949, the city has directed its post-war energies all the more wholeheartedly into its uncontested financial role. The modern skyscrapers of banks and corporations in the central business district are potent symbols of Frankfurt's economic strength and create a skyline that is more North American than European.

Culture
Most of Frankfurt's visitors come for one of the numerous trade fairs, exhibitions and congresses. But Frankfurt has got another side. As the birthplace of Germany's most revered writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), the city is at pains to impress with its cultural pedigree. Excellent museums, high-calibre performance groups and local festivals tempt too.

Weather
The city's climate is generally mild and well balanced with warm, occasionally wet, days in summer, with temperatures sometimes reaching 30°C (90°F) and more, and chilly winter days, when temperatures range between -10°C (14°F) and 10°C (40°F).