Hesse is the central German state anchored by Frankfurt am Main, the country's financial capital and home to its busiest airport, yet its political capital is the quieter spa town of Wiesbaden across the Rhine-Main region. Beyond the Frankfurt skyline, Hesse holds the Rheingau wine region along the Rhine, the half-timbered university town of Marburg on its steep hillside, the fairy-tale city of Kassel with its UNESCO-listed Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, and the Lorsch Abbey ruins, another UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to the Carolingian era. The state sits at the geographic heart of Germany and along the Fairy Tale Road associated with the Brothers Grimm, who were born in Hanau and worked in Kassel.
Family activities
Engaging experiences for travellers of every age.
Family-friendly hotels
Accommodation designed with families in mind.
Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof
Family features: Spacious family rooms, central location near the old town and Palmengarten, concierge assistance with family itineraries
Hotel am Schlossberg, Marburg
Family features: Family rooms within walking distance of Marburg's old town and Landgrave's Castle
Rüdesheimer Schloss
Family features: Rheingau wine-village location near the Niederwald cable car and Rhine river cruises, family rooms available
A&O Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof
Family features: Budget family rooms and dormitory options, close to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof for easy access to the zoo, Palmengarten, and day trips
Dining with kids
Eating out as a family.
Most Hesse restaurants, including Frankfurt's Apfelwein taverns and Rheingau wine-village Gasthäuser, offer a children's menu (Kinderteller) of smaller, simple dishes for €7-11 (~$8-12)
High chairs (Hochstuhl) are commonly available in restaurants around Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, and the Rheingau tourist villages; it is fine to ask when seated
Baby-changing facilities are standard at Frankfurt Zoo, Palmengarten, and in Frankfurt's central shopping areas near the Hauptbahnhof
Frankfurt's traditional Handkäse mit Musik and other Apfelwein-tavern dishes can be strongly flavored; simpler schnitzel or pasta options are usually available for children's palates
Family travel tips
Practical advice for stress-free family trips.
Combine Frankfurt Zoo and the Palmengarten into a single easy day, since both sit within a short walk of each other near the city center
Visit Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe on a day when the Herkules water displays run (typically summer Wednesdays, Sundays, and holidays) to see the free cascade in action
Book Rhine river cruise tickets online in advance during German school holiday periods to avoid long queues at the Rüdesheim pier
Pack comfortable shoes for Marburg's old town — the cobbled hill up to the Landgrave's Castle is steep and not stroller-friendly