The Zeil is in the heart of Frankfurt and since the end of the 19th century it is one of Germany’s best known and top-selling shopping streets; already in 1898, the first big department store opened its doors.
The main part is between Konstablerwache and Hauptwache, where the street is also a pedestrian precinct and where one shop after the next is attracting people who come from far away to buy their clothes here. Sadly, not much of the original grandeur of the street is left; during the war, the old buildings were completely destroyed and rebuild in a very simplified form.
The street is always busy, a great mixture of people can be observed here: workers who rush to their offices, stressed people in desperate need for something they don’t seem to find, or people who are strolling up the street, enjoying the drive. In only one hour, about 14.000 people are passing here!
One building that is sticking out is the Zeilgalerie near Hauptwache: it was build in 1992; around 70 shops are situated along sloped floors, visitors are therefore able to walk in circles to the observation deck on top.
The streets around the Zeil are also worth a try if you don’t find what you need on the Zeil; for the posh taste, check out the Goethestrasse, where you can find designer boutiques and everything imaginable for sky-high prices. This is the shopping paradise for Frankfurt’s high society; Germany’s richest people life in the calmer area around Frankfurt, called Taunus, they are the clientele you can meet here.
