Offenbach am Main travel guide
Leather, typefaces and a stubborn neighbour on the Main
Offenbach am Main is a former leather-making city bordering Frankfurt, with two specialist museums, a lively market square and a long riverside path. Come between May and September for the river and outdoor tables. One day is enough, or use it as a cheaper base for Frankfurt.
Offenbach sits on the south bank of the Main directly east of Frankfurt, close enough that a tram from Frankfurt's Sachsenhausen ends at the city boundary and the S-Bahn crosses from one city to the other underground. It grew up as a factory town. Leather goods made its name; type foundries, printing works and car-part makers followed. That industrial past is what draws curious visitors now: the German Leather Museum and the Klingspor Museum of typography are both unusual in Europe.
Locals bristle at the word suburb. Kickers Offenbach fans have long cultivated a rivalry with Frankfurt that borders on theatre, and the city has a character of its own: one of the highest shares of foreign-born residents in Germany, a cheerful food scene around Wilhelmsplatz, and the Hochschule für Gestaltung design school bringing students into the old town. A day covers the museums and the riverfront; many people also stay here when Frankfurt hotels are full for a trade fair.
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Leather and lettering are the two collections to see, then the riverside palaces and the market square.
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Best time to visit Offenbach am Main
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
The cycle path along the Main, the Büsingpark lawns and terrace tables on Wilhelmsplatz all come into their own.
Grey and damp, but the leather and type collections are indoor visits, and hotel rates drop outside the big Frankfurt fairs.
When a major fair such as the autumn book fair is on at the Frankfurt Messe, Offenbach hotels fill too; book early or avoid those weeks.
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Getting there
S8 and S9 from Frankfurt Airport to Marktplatz
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the gateway, and the connection is unusually easy. S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 leave from the airport's regional station, run through Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and the city tunnel, then continue under Offenbach with stops at Kaiserlei, Ledermuseum, Marktplatz and Offenbach Ost; allow about half an hour to Marktplatz. From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, lines S1, S2, S8 and S9 all reach Offenbach in roughly a quarter of an hour, so there is rarely a long wait. Long-distance trains do not stop here: arrive at Frankfurt Hbf by ICE and switch to the S-Bahn. Offenbach Hauptbahnhof itself, south of the centre, handles regional trains such as the RB towards Hanau. Tram lines 15 and 16 come in from Frankfurt as far as Offenbach Stadtgrenze, useful if you are staying in Sachsenhausen. A taxi from the airport takes around 25 minutes outside rush hour. Drivers come off the A3 or A661, though parking in the centre is tight.
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- S8 or S9 direct to Offenbach Marktplatz, about 30 minutes
- Frankfurt Hbf
- S1, S2, S8 or S9, about 15 minutes to the centre
- Tram 15 or 16
- From Frankfurt to the Offenbach Stadtgrenze stop on the city boundary
- One RMV ticket covers the S-Bahn from Frankfurt, but check that it is valid for Offenbach; the two cities sit in different fare zones.
Where to stay
Wilhelmsplatz, the harbour quarter and Kaiserlei
Stay within a short walk of an S-Bahn stop in central Offenbach, ideally around Marktplatz or Wilhelmsplatz, where the restaurants and museums are. The city is small, so the choice is between the lively centre, the redeveloped Hafen waterfront by the Main and the business hotels at Kaiserlei on the Frankfurt boundary.
- Innenstadt around Marktplatz and Wilhelmsplatz
- Closest to restaurants, the museums and the S-Bahn; can be noisy on market days and weekend nights
- Büsing-Palais and Berliner Straße
- A large business hotel joined to the restored palace, next to the park and City Hall
- Hafen Offenbach
- The redeveloped harbour by the Main, with new flats and river views; quieter in the evening and further from the shops
- Kaiserlei
- Office towers and chain hotels right on the Frankfurt boundary, handy for fairs, little life after work hours
- Bürgel and Rumpenheim
- Old village centres on the river in the east, peaceful but reliant on buses
Getting around
City-tunnel S-Bahn, RMV buses and the Mainuferweg
The S-Bahn runs underground through the centre, so Kaiserlei, Ledermuseum, Marktplatz and Ost act like metro stations for crossing town. Buses fill in the rest; Marktplatz is the main interchange. Tickets belong to the RMV network: buy them from machines at the larger stops or in the RMV app, which also plans routes across Frankfurt. The centre itself is compact, and Wilhelmsplatz, the museums and Büsingpark are all within a 15-minute walk of each other. The best way to see the city's setting is by bike along the Main. A riverside path runs west past Kaiserlei to Frankfurt's Museumsufer in roughly half an hour, and east towards the Rumpenheim palace through meadows.
- S-Bahn tunnel
- Kaiserlei, Ledermuseum, Marktplatz and Ost, several trains an hour each way
- Bus
- Hub at Marktplatz; tickets from machines or the RMV app
- Bike
- Riverside path to Frankfurt in about 30 minutes
- RMV paper tickets need no stamping and run from the moment of purchase, so buy one just before you board.
Know before you go
Two museums, a river path and a football rivalry: here is what to expect in Offenbach.
Why travelers love it
- The Deutsches Ledermuseum, where shoes, saddles and cases from across the world show what this town once made for a living.
- Printing presses and type specimens at the Klingspor Museum, with a large body of woodcuts by the Flemish artist Frans Masereel.
- Cycling the Main to Frankfurt, watching the skyline of the banking towers grow on the horizon.
Good to know
- The main station is not where you arrive; most people use the underground S-Bahn stops, especially Marktplatz.
- Football is serious here; avoid wearing Eintracht Frankfurt colours on a Kickers match day.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Offenbach am Main, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Offenbach am Main are being researched.
Ledermuseum, Klingspor and a riverside palace in one Offenbach day
Central Offenbach am Main is a single day on foot. Start at the Deutsches Ledermuseum by the S-Bahn stop of the same name, lunch on Wilhelmsplatz, see type and book art at the Klingspor Museum, then follow the Main past the Isenburger Schloss and Büsing-Palais to the Hafen quarter for sunset.
Morning. Get off the S-Bahn at the stop named after the place you want: Ledermuseum. The Deutsches Ledermuseum on Frankfurter Straße goes far beyond handbags. There are centuries of European shoes, leather-bound books, saddlery and objects from Africa, Asia and the Americas, a reminder of the trade that made Offenbach rich. Allow two hours.
Midday. Walk east to Wilhelmsplatz for lunch. On market days the square fills with farm stalls; otherwise the cafés and wine bars around it are the best place in town to sit and watch.
Afternoon. The Klingspor Museum on Herrnstraße is devoted to book art and type design, fitting for a city whose foundries once supplied typefaces to printers across Germany. Then stroll to the Main past the Renaissance Isenburger Schloss, now used by the design school, and continue to the Büsing-Palais and its park.
Evening. Follow the river path to the new Hafen quarter for the sunset over the water, or ride a bike east to the Rumpenheimer Schloss, a former residence of the Hesse-Kassel family on the riverbank; it is now private flats, so you see it from the outside. Finish with dinner back around Wilhelmsplatz.
Grüne Soße, Apfelwein and Geleitstraße kebabs
Offenbach eats Hessian classics at home and food from across the world when it goes out. Order Grüne Soße in spring, Handkäs mit Musik and dry Apfelwein from a stoneware Bembel, then head to Geleitstraße for Turkish grills and Balkan cafés, or to Wilhelmsplatz for the farmers' market and terrace restaurants.
Offenbach eats like the rest of southern Hesse at home and like half the world when it goes out. The regional classics are the same as across the river: Grüne Soße, a cold sauce of seven herbs whipped with sour cream and served with boiled eggs and potatoes, especially in spring; Handkäs mit Musik, a tangy sour-milk cheese marinated with onions; and Apfelwein, the dry cider poured from a grey stoneware jug called a Bembel. Order a Schoppen and expect it sour.
The more interesting meals reflect the population. Offenbach has one of the largest immigrant communities of any German city, and the streets north of the centre, Geleitstraße among them, are lined with Turkish grill houses, bakeries selling flatbread and Balkan cafés. There are good Italian and Spanish places scattered through the old town.
Wilhelmsplatz is the centre of gravity. Farmers bring vegetables, cheese and flowers to the market, and the surrounding restaurants put tables out on the cobbles from spring onwards. For a classic Hessian dinner, look for a traditional Apfelwein tavern with long shared benches; the food is simple, filling and best with a jug for the table.
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How we research our Offenbach am Main travel guide
Offenbach's own site, offenbach.de, is where we confirm museum hours, and Deutsche Bahn is where we check the S-Bahn run from Frankfurt. Regional context comes from the German National Tourist Board, and the page gets a fresh look whenever fares or those S-Bahn routes shift.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of Offenbach am MainGerman National Tourist BoardDeutsche Bahn
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Short answers on getting to Offenbach from Frankfurt, where to stay and what to see.
Getting there
S8 and S9 run direct from the airport regional station through Frankfurt to Offenbach. The ride to Marktplatz takes about 30 minutes, with no change.
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the gateway, and the connection is unusually easy. S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 leave from the airport's regional station, run through Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and the city tunnel, then continue under Offenbach with stops at Kaiserlei, Ledermuseum, Marktplatz and Offenbach Ost; allow about half an hour to Marktplatz. From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, lines S1, S2, S8 and S9 all reach Offenbach in roughly a quarter of an hour, so there is rarely a long wait.
General
Shoes, bags, saddles, bookbindings and leather objects from many cultures, displayed in a building on Frankfurter Straße with its own S-Bahn stop, Ledermuseum.
Anyone interested in typography, printing and illustrated books. It holds type specimens, artists' books and a major collection of Frans Masereel's woodcuts.
Yes. The S-Bahn reaches central Frankfurt in about 15 minutes, and Offenbach hotels are often easier to find and cheaper during big fairs.
It is a neighbours' feud dating back decades. Kickers won the German Cup in 1970 and the club's supporters still enjoy mocking Frankfurt, so match days are loud and partisan.
Yes. A riverside path links the two cities, and the ride from central Offenbach to Frankfurt's Museumsufer takes about half an hour at an easy pace.
The square itself, lined with cafés, wine bars and restaurants that set tables outside in warm weather. It is also the site of the city's farmers' market.
Lines 15 and 16 run from Frankfurt to the Offenbach Stadtgrenze stop on the boundary. From there you walk or switch to a local bus.
The Renaissance palace by the Main belongs to the Hochschule für Gestaltung, Offenbach's art and design school. You can admire its courtyard facades from outside.
In a traditional Hessian tavern with shared benches, where cider comes in a stoneware Bembel jug. Grüne Soße is best in spring, when the fresh herbs are in season.
The S-Bahn runs underground through the centre, so Kaiserlei, Ledermuseum, Marktplatz and Ost act like metro stations for crossing town. Buses fill in the rest; Marktplatz is the main interchange. Tickets belong to the RMV network: buy them from machines at the larger stops or in the RMV app, which also plans routes across Frankfurt.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Offenbach am Main is May to Sep. Warm evenings for the Main riverbank and outdoor tables on Wilhelmsplatz.
- Riverside months: May - September (The cycle path along the Main, the Büsingpark lawns and terrace tables on Wilhelmsplatz all come into their own)
- Museum season: October - April (Grey and damp, but the leather and type collections are indoor visits, and hotel rates drop outside the big Frankfurt fairs)
Visa & documents
As a Schengen member, Germany shares one set of entry rules with most of the EU. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing at large stations, Christmas markets and on big-city public transport is the main risk in a very safe country. Carry ID and validate paper tickets where required. Call 110 for police and 112 for fire or ambulance.
