GERMANY : FRANKFURT
Frankfurt is sometimes jokingly called "Mainhattan", or "Chicago am
Main", or "Bankfurt". All of these names are explained by the city's
importance as a financial and economic centre. Of course, the
skyscrapers determine the city's horizon.
Frankfurt's Rhein-Main airport is the second largest in Europe as far
as the number of passengers is concerned (17 million). Frankfurt is not
only the centre of European air traffic. Its central position in Europe
makes it a crossroads of large and important traffic routes. Moreover,
more than 300.000 passengers pass through the main train station of
Frankfurt every day.
A lot
of major banks have their headquarters here. Internationally famous is
the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", one of Europe's leading and
influential newspapers.
Moreover, Frankfurt has something with books. The annual International
Book Fair is the largest event of its kind in the world. And lest we
forget : Goethe was born in Frankfurt. His house can still be visited in
the old part of the city.
