In addition to historical reconstructions of the medieval buildings that once stood between Römerberg square and Frankfurt Cathedral,  modern buildings have erected.  Frankfurt has revived its new old town center, including narrow lanes, fountains, timber-frame buildings and gold highlights.  .

Frankfurt's new old town consists of 35 buildings, among them 15 reconstructions and 20 new builds. The mixture of old and new is based on old city maps and ground plans. In the narrow lanes, visitors find shops, restaurants, cafes and museums.

Before its destruction during World War II, Frankfurt's city center was one of the largest and loveliest historical districts in Germany. It was marked by buildings from a wide variety of eras, among them the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. Its reconstruction has cost about 200 million euros.

Now visitors can once again stroll along the historical Coronation Route between Frankfurt Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, and the Römer, Frankfurt's famous town hall. In the past, the new kings and emperors were hailed as they walked this route after being crowned in the cathedral.

In 2005, when discussion began on which historical buildings should be reconstructed, the House of the Golden Scales was near the top of the list. This magnificent merchant's house was built in 1618/19 opposite the cathedral, at the beginning of the Coronation Route.

Abraham van Hamel had it built. A wealthy confectioner and spice trader, he spent a great deal to build his business and home in the very finest location. Present-day builders also dug deep into their pockets to reconstruct it: the House of the Golden Scales is the most expensive in Frankfurt's new old town, and certainly also one of the most beautiful.

This small square, whose name means Chicken Market, is the heart of the new Frankfurt old town. The houses on it have such prosaic names as “Eichhorn” (squirrel) and “Goldene Schere” (golden scissors). The young Goethe was fascinated by the bustling activity on this square. He watched them from the window of his aunt, who lived here on the Hühnermarkt.

The fountain on the Hühnermarkt is, however, dedicated to another writer, Friedrich Stoltze (1816 -1891), who wrote poetry in Frankfurt dialect. The house where he was born stood nearby. After the bombings in 1944, the fountain was removed from the damaged square and erected elsewhere. Now it has returned to its original location.

Frankfurt has been a trade fair city since the 13th century, and its residents were active and successful traders. In the past, especially magnificent trade fair buildings stood on the lane known as “Hinter dem Lämmchen.” The most beautiful of them is again the “Goldenes Lämmchen” (golden lambkin). The history of its construction reaches back to the 14th century.

After six years of building, the reconstructed old town opened to the public in May, 2018, and since then tourists have been flocking to the new DomRömer Quarter, as the project is officially called. Visitors from the Far East in particular are enthusiastic about the flair of the new old town in Frankfurt's city center.

The town hall on Römerberg Square, called the Römer for short, was and remains a major landmark in the city. The building with three medieval gables was destroyed in World War II, but rebuilt as early as the 1950s. The Römer is a great place to start exploring Frankfurt's new old town.