Bockenheim and Leipziger Straße

Bockenheim is a lively district in west Frankfurt, and the Leipziger Straße is its main shopping street, running from the Bockenheimer Warte to the Bockenheim Depot area. For many decades the district was home to the main campus of the Goethe University, and the student presence still shapes the area, with independent bookshops, second-hand stores, bakeries, international restaurants and cafes alongside regular high-street shops. The pedestrian-friendly street is among the busiest local shopping areas in the German state of Hesse outside the city centre, and it feels more like an everyday neighbourhood than a tourist attraction. Visitors can browse small boutiques, record and book shops, delis and grocers selling Turkish, Italian and other foods, and stop for coffee on pavement terraces. A weekly street market is held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings near the Bockenheimer Warte, selling vegetables, fruit, cheese, flowers and baked goods, and it is the best time to see local life. The Bockenheimer Warte is also a historic tower, a surviving part of the old city fortifications, and the U-Bahn station of the same name is a good starting point. Walking the length of the street takes about an hour, and with cafe stops and the market the visit lasts one to two hours. Shops are generally open from about 10:00AM to 7:00PM Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays, in line with German law. Crowds peak on Saturday late morning when the market and shoppers fill the street, while weekdays are calmer. The street is flat, which makes for easy walking, and the area is easy to reach on the U6 and U7 lines via Leipziger Straße or Bockenheimer Warte. Photographers can find lively street scenes at the market and around the older building facades.