Shopping

Shopping in Frankfurt is not only about splurging on must-have items, but is also a taste and smell sensation with plenty of specialist food stores, cafés and delicatessens lining the Fressgasse, ready to recharge weary shoppers' batteries.

The Zeil in Frankfurt is a large street where all the biggest stores and shopping centres can be found. This is the place to do a spot of clothes shopping, lazily browse through bookstores, or look for end-of-season sales at the mainstream stores.

The Apfelwein district in Sachsenhause is where all the traditional German souvenirs such as the usual large ceramic beer jugs, German Steins, are available. Head on over to Goethestrasse where most the top-end designer shops and jewellery stores can be found. Schweizerstrasse, in Sachsenhausen, is home to exclusive boutiques and independent stores aimed at the trendier, younger market.

Most Frankfurt shops are open from 10am to 10pm, from Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays, while on Sundays most of the shops close. A VAT of 16 percent is added to most goods and services in Germany and when leaving the country, non-EU tourists can apply for a tax refund on any goods bought that are to be exported to a minimum value of €25.