Altstadt (Frankfurt am Main)

Altstadt
Quarter of Frankfurt am Main
Coat of arms
Location of the Altstadt (red) and the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I (light red) within Frankfurt am Main
Altstadt Show map of Germany Altstadt Show map of Hesse
Coordinates: 50°06′49″N 08°41′04″E / 50.11361°N 8.68444°E / 50.11361; 8.68444
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Darmstadt
District	Urban district
City	Frankfurt am Main
Area
• Total	0.477 km2 (0.184 sq mi)
Population  (2020-12-31)[1]
• Total	4,255
• Density	8,900/km2 (23,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	60311
Dialling codes	069
Vehicle registration	F
Website	www.frankfurt.de

The Altstadt (old town) is a quarter (Stadtteil) of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I and is located on the northern Main river bank. It is completely surrounded by the Innenstadt district, Frankfurt's present-day city centre. On the opposite side of the Main is the district of Sachsenhausen.

The historic old town of Frankfurt was one of the largest half-timbered towns in Germany until the extensive destruction in World War II with its around 1250 half-timbered houses, most of which date from the Middle Ages.^[2] It was one of the most important tourist attractions for Germany. The historic old town was largely destroyed by the air raids on Frankfurt am Main in 1944. The streets and the entire district are predominantly characterized by quickly and easily erected buildings from the 1950s and 60s. A handful of the most important historic buildings, churches and squares were restored or reconstructed, especially around the main square, the Römerberg.

However, from 2012 to 2018, a small section of the old town was reconstructed. A construction project known as the Dom-Römer project, restored a small section of the old town between the Imperial Cathedral and the Römer town hall, following a decision by the city council in 2007. A few former streets and squares that once stood in the area were rebuilt, most notably the historical coronation route of German emperors through the old town from the cathedral.^[3]