'Apfelwein' cider taverns, Germany's only skyline.. and of course the famous sausages: Everything you need to know about Euros host city of Frankfurt where England will take on Denmark
- The city has been described as 'the corporate powerhouse of western Germany'
- England are returning to Frankfurt where they won at the 2006 World Cup
England fans hitting Frankfurt for their next Euro 2024 adventure are promised 'Apfelwein' cider taverns, a stunning skyline - and of course the city's sausages.
Gareth Southgate's side will take on Denmark on Thursday, kicking off at 5pm British time, after Sunday evening's nervy opening 1-0 victory in Group C versus Serbia.
Frankfurt lacks a bohemian image to rival the likes of fellow host cities Berlin and Munich and is seen as a German financial district equivalent to the City of London.
Yet it has been hailed this year among Europe's best-value options for getaway breaks - as England fans in Germany are estimated to number 40,000 this summer.
Thursday's match also marks a return to Frankfurt for England 18 years after the side's first game of the 2006 World Cup also hosted in Germany.
Football fans have been tuning in to Euro 2024 TV coverage outside in the streets of Frankfurt
The city has been described as having Germany's 'only skyline' - looking over the Main River
Frankfurter sausages are among the city's most famous attractions to locals and visitors alike
England are due to take on Denmark in Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park this Thursday, after it staged Belgium's defeat to Slovakia yesterday evening
WAGs including Victoria Beckham and Abbey Clancy were in the crowd that day amid sweltering 32C conditions for a David Beckham-led victory over Paraguay.
That 1-0 win, scrapped and scraped through, suggests parallels with last Sunday's hard-fought victory over Serbia thanks to Jude Bellingham's early opener.
But there should be a little more respite for fans attending in Frankfurt this time around, with forecasts of 25C for the 5pm kick-off fixture.
Local police are on alert for potential trouble, after violent clashes broke out ahead of Sunday evening's first match for England - although it was Serbian and Albanian supporters who were later blamed for the disturbances.
There have also been promises of a warm welcome for travelling fans, with Frankfurt rated as the best of Germany's 10 Euro 2024 host cities.
The city scored 64.45 in analysis by casino firm NoDepositBonus.guide, based on factors including the price of beer in grounds, the number of hotels within two miles and the average cost of accommodation per night.
Second place went to Berlin on 58.74, followed by Gelsenkirchen's 54.55.
Frankfurt was found to be the country's third cheapest city to fly to from London, with a score of 7.67, costing £90.48 on average.
It was also described as 'perfect' for accessibility to hospitality, with the highest number of cafes at 175 and fast food restaurants numbering 146.
Frankfurt's skyline has been hailed as one of the reasons to check out the German cit
Bars in Frankfurt have been busy after the 2024 European Championship kicked off last Friday
Among the features of Eintracht Frankfurt's stadium is a TV box hovering over the centre circle
The price of a taxi per 1km scored 8.33, with costs of €2.19 per kilometre, while the Deutsche Bank Stadium where England and Denmark will play has 4.5 stars out of five on Google Review ratings.
A separate study by luggage storage provider Stasher found average Frankfurt prices of £201.12 per night at a hotel, £208.62 for return flights, local transport tickets costing £2.92 and mid-range meals for two available at around £59.94.
Accommodation was shown to be more expensive than in fellow German host cities Berlin and Munich, although with transport fees cheaper.
Experts ranked Frankfurt as the 30th cheapest European city for a weekend getaway, with an average overall price of £841.95 - with Krakow in Poland (£532.58), Bucharest in Romania (£564.80) and Polish capital Warsaw (£566.03) heading the table.
Yet the German city was judged to have Europe's lowest average combined price for flight and hotels by frequent flyer experts Flight Hacks - setting the average traveller back by a daily £169.64.
And an England fans' guide online has been full of praise for the city which will have hosted five Euro 2024 by the end of this summer.
The Englandfootball.com site says: 'Frankfurt am Main is a vibrant and diverse city offering a wide range of exciting attractions with people from around 180 nations living in this cosmopolitan city.
'From charming Apfelwein (apple cider) taverns to a revitalised old town, renowned museums to lush green parks thriving with nature, and last but not least, Germany’s only skyline.
'Centuries of culture meets current trends, traditions harmonise with modernity and green spaces merge with urban flair – all in the middle of Europe and connected to the rest of the world.'
Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham was in the crowd when England last played in Frankfurt, a 1-0 victory over Paraguay at the 2006 World Cup - when her husband David was captain
Also among the WAGs there was Abbey Clancy, whose husband Peter Crouch started up-front
Three Lions supporters packing the ground back in June 2006 sweltered amid 32C conditions
Among the promises are 'a huge selection of food and beverages to enjoy along with the refreshing breeze from the river' which offers spectacular skyline views.
The main railway station acts as a hub for services from neighbouring countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt Airport - the main base for airline Lufthansa - is 12km from the city centre and 6km from the football stadium staging Thursday's encounter.
Travel reviews website TripAdvisor encourages 'cultural tours' such as visiting Heidelberg Castle and the city's Old Town area.
Other recommendations include German pubs Alten Limpurg - described by visitors as an 'amazing place' and serving up a goulash soup which 'appears to have half a cow in every spoonful'.
Also touted is an Irish pub, the Four Corners - described as 'not particularly fancy, but cosy'.
Another visitor wrote: 'Great pub to sit and watch some Premier League and Bundesliga games. Food was good and the drinks were reasonably priced. Establishment is cash only and it can get quite crowded on game days.'
Meanwhile, Bad Neuheim, a town 35km north of Frankfurt, offers not only salt springs for health but also a memorial to Elvis Presley who lived there while serving with the US Army between 1958 and 1960.
Slovakia fans are seen entering the Frankfurt Arena ahead of defeating Belgium last night
Fans have been seen setting off flares at a public viewing area in Frankfurt last Friday
The TV box above the pitch, which has been relaying explanations for VAR decisions this summer, was previously hit with the ball by England goalkeeper Paul Robinson in 2006
The frankfurter sausages famously associated with the city are traditionally smoked on a low temperature and given their casing from sheep's intestines.
Frankfurter Würstchen have had national legal protection since the mid-19th century and only such sausages produced in the Frankfurt area can take the name.
US-style hot dogs, similar to frankfurters, are dubbed by Germans 'Wiener Würstchen' - that is, Vienna sausages, from the neighbouring Austria's capital.
MailOnline's Rob Hyde, a British expat living in Germany, has given his expert guide to the country's host cities - and called Frankfurt 'by no means the Wurst place in Germany'
He said: 'Frankfurt is the corporate powerhouse of western Germany, boasts an awe-inspiring skyline and a financial district that never sleeps. None of which is likely to interest the average football fan.
'But they may well be taken by the city’s Bahnhofsviertel district. This is always lively and sometimes borderline dangerous - teeming with everyone from street artists to pickpockets, drug dealers to drag queens.
'The local team is Eintracht Frankfurt. Their supporters are on a good day passionate, on a bad one actually scary - the notorious "Ultras Frankfurt" are best avoided.
'Rivalries with Offenbacher Kickers and Mainz 05 are particularly intense, often igniting into violent brawls.
Traditional homes provide part of the view for holiday-makers arriving in Frankfurt
'To escape this dark side, head out for some spicy delights at Saravanaa Bhavan on Kaiserstraße 66, just 2.80 miles (4.5 km) from the stadium, where main courses will set you back around €16.00.
'And remember, when in doubt, order a sausage – what’s the wurst that could happen?'
Banners on display for England's 2006 game carried the names of not only top-flight regulars Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool, but also humbler lower-division sides including Stockport County and Huddersfield Town.
Terriers fans from Huddersfield proudly declared to German hosts on theirs: 'Champions 1924-25-26.'
And a considerate partner brandished a St George's cross flag with the added message for back home: 'Claire - don't give birth yet.'
England won that game 1-0 thanks to a third-minute own goal by Paraguay centre-back Carlos Gamarra, making a mess of attempting to clear a Beckham set-piece.
Among the match's few memorable moments was goalkeeper Paul Robinson managing to hit with the ball a giant TV screen hanging over the centre circle.
Eriksson's men went on to beat Ecuador by the same scoreline in the second round before departing on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals in Gelsenkirchen, with Wayne Rooney sent off in a goalless draw.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was the matchwinning hero for England in Sunday's 1-0 Group C victory over Serbia in Montenegro
England boss Gareth Southgate previously led the country to the Euro 2020 final at Wembley
Three Lions supporters not in Gelsenkirchen for Sunday's game did get to see it on big screens at an official UEFA Fan Zone in Frankfurt ahead of this Thursday's follow-up fixture in the city
The venue hosting Thursday's game was historically known as the Waldstadion and is home to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, who won the UEFA Europa League in 2022 under manager Oliver Glasner who is now in charge at London's Crystal Palace.
Notable former Eintracht Frankfurt players include ex-Premier League stars Tony Yeboah and Jay-Jay Okocha as well as Germany international Andreas Möller, whose penalty clinched his side's victory over England in their Euro 96 semi-final shoot-out.
Glasner told German magazine Kicker in March this year: 'What Frankfurt and Palace have in common is the nickname – Eagles here, Eagles there.'
Reflecting on his move from Frankfurt to south London, he added: 'Sometimes a kebab on the corner is delicious, sometimes sushi in a fine restaurant. It's the variety that counts!'
