Shopping, Eating and Relaxing my way though a Frankfurt & Mainz layover

One of the little luxuries of being an international flight attendant are long layovers in great international cities. Of course, making the most of your layover on a flight attendant budget can be tricky.  Here's how I spent my day in Frankfurt with some fun activities, great shopping and enjoying some good eats.

Shopping In Frankfurt

What better way to start the day than shopping! In Frankfurt, if you hop on the U-bahn (Subway/metro) and make your way to the Nordwestzentrum ( literally translated, north west mall) you can find a gigantic 3 floor Primark located on the top level of the mall. Primark is a clothing store that sells just about everything from lingerie to housewares. It's for men and women, and the prices can only be described as "liquidation ON liquidation"!

Primark's can be found all over Europe, and in Frankfurt it is definitely one of the cheapest places to shop! I left with a garbage bag sized bag full of clothes, purses and accessories for €30 !!

Also the Nordwestzentrum has a beautiful indoor open roof terrace, with what seems like, the only Starbucks in Frankfurt with wi-fi!!

Food in Mainz

After scoring some great shopping deals I made my way to Mainz where along the riverside is the Heiliggeist restaurant. The restaurant is a great venue for couples looking for a place to enjoy a special evening together, families looking for somewhere to enjoy a meal and even groups of friends who fancy trying somewhere new. The actual building in which the restaurant is located, boasts a very unique history. The building was originally constructed in 1236, when it was used as a hospital church. Through the years it was used for many different purposes such as a women's correctional facility and even as a place where American soldiers would party and dance to live music until the very early hours of the morning during the second World War. It was in 1999 that the building was transformed into the Heiliggeist, which is a an up-market establishment serving local inspired dishes with a modern twist, best of all the prices are pretty reasonable too! - www.buzzoffbase.com

Heiliggeist translates into “Holy Spirit” which is a really cool name for this once-apon-a-time Hospital Church. The atmosphere now looks like a hollowed out cathedral, equipped with lots of candles, candelabras and lanterns. This Restaurant includes a bar and lounge. Pictured below is the bar area with faux “kneelers” complete with wooden crosses on the front, beside the bar.

Not only is this restaurant a trendy atmosphere to have a drink in, it also serves up some of the best “croustade” (Pizza) in Mainz. Not to mention tasty salads and a delicious “ Schwien hax” (pig’s Knuckle)

Pictured above is a salami, bacon and red pepper pizza with Gouda cheese! YUM! When ordering that croustade  you can just ask for “Die Acht”! (Or “The number eight”) Another one of my favorite “croustades” there is the chicken breast sauteed in BBQ sauce, red onion, black olives, and gouda cheese! Is your mouth watering yet? After your Croustade and wine, why not indulge in a delicious piece of Tiramisu and fresh strawberries!

Relaxing in Wiesbaden

So your in Frankfurt, or Mainz and you want to relax after a long day of shopping and schnitzel? Hop on a bus and head over to Wiesbaden! Wiesbaden is know for its thermal spring spas. It boast tons of spas in the area with competitive prices, most only costing about €10 for access to the entire facility, all just steps from the main train/bus station. But BEWARE, bathing suits are forbidden! So keep an open mind to the nudity that surrounds you and relax in one of the many baths, pools and hot springs!

Also, missing home and your fellow Americanos? Wiesbaden plays host to about 12,000 United states citizens, mostly associated  with the American military.

I'm always on the lookout for other great budget friendly shopping, restaurants and activities. Do you have any layover secrets? If so please let me know in the comments below!

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