I had the opportunity to visit Frankfurt when I was flying back to Vancouver, BC for the Christmas Holidays. I had a 13 hours layover in Frankfurt and decided to make the most of my time there. Instead of waiting inside the airport until I flew back to Canada (which would have been boring and a pain in the ass), I booked a hotel nearby and decided to do a solo travel. At first I was quite scared and nervous because it was my first time traveling without knowing anyone…and especially in a country where I do not even understand the language. However, luck was on my side. Just before my flight departed to Frankfurt, one of my follower and favourite photographer from London, Tahir, messaged me on Instagram and told me he was also in Frankfurt! Since I’ve never met him in person before, I was very nervous. But when he came to pick me up at the airport, I learned that he spoke German and knew how to get around Frankfurt quite well! We became friends instantly and he was very helpful in finding my hotel and great spots for food and photos. Tahir took me to four different bridges in the city. I can’t recall all of their names but the one that stood out to me was Eiserner Steg, which had love locks all over the bridge. The other three bridges were all close by Eiserner Steg so if you are interested in finding them, just walk down the same path where Eiserner Steg is and you would be able to see all of them.
Check out Tahir on Instagram @eyevonpure
Tahir took me to Bayram Kebap Haus where I had the best doner of my life and I also got to try this Mezzo Mix soda–a combination of Pepsi with Fanta; exclusive to Germany and France (I think that’s what Tahir told me). I’ve discovered through Tahir and the local taxi driver that drove us from the airport to the city that Doner Kebap is Germany’s national food. One would have expected that Germany’s national food would be something like pasta or bread but I was quite amazed to find out that wasn’t the case. Either way, the doner kebap was so delicious and I don’t think I could find anything quite similar in the UK or Canada.
Bayram Kebap Haus
Münchener Str. 29, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Because my time in Frankfurt was very short, after taking a couple photos in the city, Tahir took me to witness a really dope mall called Zeil, which had this really cool architect at the front where I saw reindeer trying to hop inside the tornado-shaped glasses. I thought that was a very cute Christmas theme for the mall.
Zeil
60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
For one night, I stayed at the Park Inn by Radisson Frankfurt Airport Hotel, which was a very decent hotel. Staffs were friendly and spoke great English. The room that I stayed in was very hip. My bedroom had this fancy headboard where there was LED light attached to it and it was constantly changing colours. It was my first time staying in a hotel alone and I found it to be a very powerful and exciting experience. I came to enjoyed traveling alone and it had made me truly appreciate being alive. I know it sounds silly that I had this profound realization just from staying at a hotel but I have been struggling with anxiety and depression for quite awhile now, so for me to be able to love and appreciate solitude and quietness, it has tremendously helped me overcome my challenges.
Park Inn by Radisson Frankfurt Airport Hotel
Amelia-Mary-Earhart-Straße 10, 60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The hotel offered a shuttle to the Airport for around 4 EUR per person which I was grateful for since taxi would have been expensive and I also had to leave very early to the airport. Although it was a short stay in Frankfurt, I think I managed to have a decent visit and saw what this beautiful city had to offer. A big shout out to Tahir for showing me around, being my photography teacher and my new friend. Thanks for reaching out to me!
