Podcast on Hauptbahnhof/Münchener Strasse stop

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After turning to the right, the street on the right at the next junction is Kaiserstrasse. Kaiserstrasse is one of the most famous streets in the centre of Frankfurt. With its magnificently decorated facades, it connects the city centre to the railway station in grand style. Since after World War II, Kaiserstrasse has been synonymous with Frankfurt’s red light district, even though it is no longer part of that scene. The street is now home to many bars, cabaret clubs, businesses and offices that give the street a multicultural feel.

For more information please go to the Frankfurt station district website.

Frankfurt central station

The railway station was opened in 1888. Today, it’s Germany’s second largest railway terminal after Leipzig, with 350,000 passengers and visitors passing through every day.
Around 1,800 trains stop here on weekdays. The station now has over 25 platforms in five departure halls. There are also four local train platforms and four underground train platforms 17 metres below the station.

The station was built by the Holzmann company. It was extended in 1924 when two new external halls were built. Three halls were needed because there were three different railway companies at the time – the Taunusbahn, the Preussische Staatsbahn and the Hessische Ludwigsbahn. The Taunusbahn was the first railway company in Frankfurt.
The route to Wiesbaden was opened in 1839. In Mainz-Kastel, there was a connection to sea crossings.

The station’s facade is made of sandstone. To the left and the right of the clock at the main entrance, you’ll see an artistic impression of day and night. In the centre of the roof, there’s a statue of Atlas carrying a globe on his shoulders. To the side of him are figures symbolising steam and electricity. This 6.3-metre-high group of figures is designed to highlight the special significance of the station.