Whirlwind Five hours in Frankfurt

Your sprint through Frankfurt starts by taking the S-bahn to Taunusanlage. (Say that fi ve times fast.) From there, walk to the spectacular Main Tower (Neue Mainzer Straße 52-58; maintower.de) and take the elevator to the 54th-fl oor viewing terrace. Comprising two towers, one round, one square, it’s the fourth-highest skyscraper in “Mainhattan” and proof that all architects once played with Legos. (0:35) Descend from the clouds and walk over to the Alte Oper (1 Opernplatz; alteoper.de). Its roof was destroyed in World War II, but the building reopened in 1981 with a Renaissance façade that’s faithful to the original. Have a coffee in Cafe Rosso and imagine opening night 1880: Don Giovanni. (1:10) Take the U-bahn to Bornheim, a hip shopping district and the only part of Frankfurt to survive WWII intact. Stroll Berger Straße toward Merianplatz; at Gate 05 (Berger Straße 46; gate05.de), stock up on the travel accessories you forgot to pack (a travel-size tube of Zahnpasta, perhaps?). (2:02) Hop back on the U-bahn to Römerberg. Now you’re in medieval Europe—kind of. Stroll along the city square’s picturesque half-timbered buildings and stop in at Dom Sankt Bartholomäus (Domplatz 14; dom-frankfurt.de), where emperors were crowned during the Holy Roman Empire. Fascinating history, but you’re getting hungry. (2:31) Time for Mittagessen. Steps away from Frankfurt’s shopping mile is the delightful Kleinmarkthalle (Hasengasse 5–7; kleinmarkthalle.de), a teeming indoor market where every sign, jar and display is a curiosity. Grab a bite at Metzgerei Schreiber—word is, their wurst is the best. ( 3:04 ) For more than three decades, husband and wife Bernd and Hilla Becher photographed German water towers, lime kilns and blast furnaces. Their obsession has a home at the Museum für Moderne Kunst (Domstraße 10; mmk-frankfurt.de), which also includes works by German provocateur Joseph Beuys and his student Blinky Palermo. On your way out, hit the gift shop for a one-off TransparentFragmentBag, made from the exhibition banners that hang on the MMK façade. (3:48) Cross the Eiserner Steg, a 19th century Fußgängerbrücke—errr, footbridge—and you’re on the museum embankment, where you could take in Old Masters (Städel Museum), old furniture (Museum of Applied Arts) and old stamps (Museum of Communication). But time is short, so pick one and get moving. (4:41) Conclude your jaunt with a glass of Apfelwein, Frankfurt’s famous hard apple cider. Take the charming back streets to Lorsbacher Thal (Große Rittergasse 49-51; lorsbacher-thal.de), which has been making the fruity libation since 1803. While there, be sure to order a side of Bratkartoffeln. Can’t pronounce it? Hope your hosts studied English and ask for “hot delicious potatoes.” (5:00)

BOARDING PASS Fly United to Frankfurt, and take in the Goethe House Museum, Stadel Art Institute and other sites in this charming European cultural center. Get there with ease, nonstop, from Chicago, D.C. or San Francisco.