Hauptwache Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Hauptwache. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Amazing Walking Frankfurt with a Local Guide

• Highlights of Frankfurt Walking Open Tour of Old Town and More

• Private Historic Christmas Walking Tour in Frankfurt

• Frankfurt - Private Tour with Licensed Guide

• Discover Frankfurt's Most Photogenic Spots with a Local

Nothing—Hauptwache Square is a free public space with no entrance fee. But while it’s free to visit independently, there are plenty of affordable tours that can help you learn more with an expert guide—and have some fun along the way. Guided walking tours of Frankfurt’s Old Town start at US$30 per person.

Hauptwache is two things, really: It’s both a historic building and the bustling public square surrounding it in central Frankfurt. Once the city's main militia headquarters, it's now a baroque-style landmark housing a café, and the square serves as one of Frankfurt's busiest transit hubs and city gathering points.

The Hauptwache building now operates as a heritage café, where visitors can sample Frankfurt specialties such as green sauce with eggs and potatoes or grab a cup of coffee (or a nightcap). Its 2-story Baroque structure and curved roofline remain largely as built, offering a historic setting for a casual meal.

Completed in 1730, the Hauptwache ("Main Watch") was headquarters for Frankfurt's city militia during its self-governing city-state era. It lost that military role in the 19th century after Prussian annexation. Since 1904, the building has operated as a café. The square, a busy Frankfurt transit hub, is named for the building.

Landmarks near Hauptwache Square include St. Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt's largest Protestant church, known for free organ concerts; the futuristic MyZeil shopping mall; the Goethe House and Museum (Goethehaus); the Frankfurt Main Tower; and the Zeilgalerie. Zeil, Frankfurt's premier shopping street, starts at the square, making it a natural hub for further exploring.