Offenbach am Main

Once a center of leather-making and typography, this small but mighty 19th-century industrial city is just across the river from Frankfurt.

Sometimes overshadowed by the metropolis across the river, Offenbach is Germany’s most multicultural city and home to an impressive collection of historic homes. Though the city suffered heavy losses during World War II, many palaces and manors escaped mostly unscathed and now house museums showcasing the city’s dynamic industrial history. Enjoy the atmosphere, so different from the cluster of high-rises on the river’s opposite bank.

Go on a self-guided tour of the palaces on the city’s outskirts. During warm weather, attend a concert at 18th-century Büsing Palais, where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once spent a summer on the grounds composing poems for his first love. Step inside to tour the typography exhibits of the Klingspor Museum. Tour the 16th-century Isenburger Schloss, which hosted some of the negotiations for the Thirty Years’ War. Have a picnic lunch on the grounds of the Baroque and Neoclassical Schloss Rumpenheim.

Keep kids entertained at Offenbach’s weather-themed Wetterpark, run by the German Weather Service, the perfect place to have fun and learn about the physics of the atmosphere.

Learn about the industry that invigorated the city in the German Leather Museum, which also holds the German Shoe Museum. Admire examples of leather from the Middle Ages to today, including armor, luggage and more. Take a meditative walk under the plane trees of the Alter Friedhof. End in the municipal museum and city archive, the Haus der Stadtgeschichte, with a Celtic prince’s wagon burial on display.

Located across the Main River from Frankfurt, Germany’s biggest transportation hub, Offenbach is one of the world’s most easily accessible small cities. Drive from Frankfurt International Airport in 20 minutes or take the subway in 30 minutes. Frankfurt’s central station is a 15-minute subway ride from Offenbach’s Marktplatz, the city’s main hub for hotels and restaurants. Offenbach is easy to explore on foot. Use the suburban train system that makes it easy to navigate the whole area. Some attractions may be best accessed by car.