Culture in a Metropolitan Region

We all yearn to tune into nature and connect to our senses. An extraordinary and rare place for doing just that is Frankfurt’s Palmengarten, which is open year round. Started way back as a community initiative by Frankfurt citizens, the Palmengarten has been giving joy to people ever since with its lush, diverse and even tropical flora. Throughout the year, greenhouses and opulent gardens invite you to dive into another world. Aside from the many thematic gardens and botanical exhibitions, the Palmengarten is also known for its longstanding “Musik im Palmengarten” program. The program spans a wide range of music styles, from the world’s oldest open-air jazz series through to the Summer in the City festival and Kammeroper Frankfurt performances. Indeed, the tender and poetic ambiance of the Palmengarten ‒ rose and sunlight during summer and winter lights in winter ‒ make the garden a special place to enjoy music.

It all began around 1900, when Frankfurt was experiencing a boom. Back then, water didn’t come from the tap but from Trinkhallen, which were kiosks and smaller buildings interspersed throughout the city. People from all generations and milieus would hence meet at these small flat stalls. Although a fixture for many decades, and becoming veritable corner stores with beer, snacks and newspapers, they were replaced by supermarkets and gas stations. Today they are seeing a revival, albeit their newer version is somewhat more upscale or hip. There’s Fein, a Trinkhalle-turned-café serving fine pastries located right by the former city wall; or Gudes, a fun pit stop in trendy Nordend on one of Frankfurts main thoroughfares. Nonetheless, many kiosks still exist as little shops or as tranquil places where a mostly older clientele gathers in the evening. In any setting, the old cultural heritage has become a cult. So whether original or revamped, kiosks are enjoying great popularity: there are kiosk days, Trinkhallen-hopping tours and even an online repertoire: line11.org - it is a good way to start a socio-cultural journey ...

The old Cistercian abbey, Eberbach Monastery, is ensconced in the hills at the shore of the Rhine River, close to Wiesbaden. Built in the early 12th century, it is still in miraculously good shape. That surely contributed to its being chosen as a central location for the filming of The Name of the Rose (1986), starring none other than Sean Connery. In the summer, visitors can watch the film on the very site of the original film set. In addition, the decommissioned abbey has been hosting a slew of other extraordinary cultural events such as the renowned classical Rheingau Music Festival as well as arts and crafts shows. And of course, the abbey walls themselves are an attraction, especially for families. Eberbach is also known for its superb wines, being situated in the midst of one of Germany‘s best vinicultural regions.

Open air cinema and concerts, hanging out by the water, child care ... plus grazing sheep? You never thought you’d ever find such a place in or near Frankfurt, did you? But Hafen 2 in the brownfields of Offenbach’s transformed harbour front offers exactly that: coffee shop, concert shed, green meadows, fine dune sand, benches and folding chairs. In the summer, families as well as plenty of offbeat types gather in this biotope to watch films, attend concerts or simply have good old casual chinwags while the kids play in the sand or gawk at the sheep. In the line-up: foreignlanguage films, singer-songwriters, World Cup and European Championship football ... No need for a brolly even, since events are moved inside the shed during off-season or when it rains.