PAULINE LEIGHTON finds old meets new in Frankfurt, where culture, history, great food – and bad sausages – are all at your fingertips...

THE blind were leading the blind... literally. Six sighted people (albeit the odd contact lens-wearer or two) were being marshalled around in total darkness by a man who had lost his vision at the age of 10... and we were nervous to say the least.

We were in the Dialogue Museum, an innovative concept on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Not necessarily a tourist magnet... but an hour and a half of pure enlightenment and, as one of our party put it, a hell of a team-building exercise.

Basically visitors are given a white stick and ushered into a pitch black room where they are led by a blind guide (ours was Andy) through a series of sensations designed to heighten the senses and give sighted people some idea of what it is like to be blind.

We were taken on a boat ride, made to cross a busy road, plant a seed in a tub of soil and order drinks at a bar... all without being able to see a thing in what we suspected was a very small room. As we emerged into daylight, feeling dizzy, we were unanimous... that was an experience and a half.

Frankfurt is full of surprises. It’s compact enough to walk around, yet has a skyline of skyscrapers indicative of the finance hub it has become.

The city, with a population of some 700,000, was destroyed during World War Two, but has rebuilt and re-established itself with aplomb.

Narrow cobblestone lanes and small squares sit alongside towering glass buildings housing some of the world’s biggest banks and companies.

In the tourist district of Sachsenhausen you’re spoiled for choice with restaurants and bars selling apple wine (Ebbelwei) from the singularly-designed ribbed glasses. And yes, there’s an Irish bar too.

Apple wine is a bit of an acquired taste... we sampled it on the Ebbelwei Express, a streetcar that takes you past some of the historical sights of Frankfurt, accompanied by a bottle of said wine and a bag of pretzels. It’s a fun distraction. According to aficionados, Ebbelwoi takes a bit of getting used to and, depending on what time of year you drink it, can have lesser or stronger effects. Apparently it starts to get sweet in late summer and slowly and steadily becomes more alcoholic and bitter as the year goes on. So if you want to be sloshed at Christmas, this could be your tipple. Me? I’m sticking with the Pinot Grigio.

German cities, in my experience, are cosmopolitan with their cuisine. You won’t have to look far for a Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian or Italian restaurant... and naturally, the typical sausage-selling, beer-drinking taverns for which they are famous.

The Sachsenhausen area is where you will find these in abundance.

I’m always amazed that, while the German food markets sell a variety of fresh, gorgeous veg, it somehow never appears on a German restaurant menu. Greens? What are greens?

Our party were a bit daunted one night, having ordered a typical local meal, to be presented with a platter of pig. Various parts of the animal were piled on the plate, boiled, roasted, in sausage form... you name it, everything but the head was there for our delectation, accompanied by plates of mashed potato. To say it was overwhelming is an understatement.

The next day, however, we found a fantastic Italian restaurant in the shadow of the Westhafen Tower near the banks of the Main River where a fabulous lunch was washed down with a couple of carafes of cold white wine. Perfect.

And speaking of food, Kleinmarkethalle in the middle of the city is a fabulous place to visit. Stalls selling sausages (of course), cheeses, breads, meats, fish, vegetables, olives, tapas, flowers… anything you can think of. You could make a hearty lunch just munching on the samples, and upstairs there’s a wine bar where you can enjoy strawberries or oysters with a cool glass of whatever you fancy.

Particularly amusing was the massive queue jostling for position outside one of the sausage stalls.

“They sell the worst sausages in here,” grinned Mikael, our guide. “That’s why it’s so popular.”

A touch of the Basil Fawltys about that one.

If it’s culture you’re looking for, Frankfurt boasts plenty of museums and one of the city’s famous sons was the writer and statesman Johann Goethe. The house where he spent his childhood was destroyed in the war and slavishly rebuilt between 1946 and 1951 to an exact replica of its former glory and furnished with items from the original home.

TRAVEL TIP A Frankfurt Card is the best way to get around the city... although most sights are in walking distance. The card will give you unlimited travel on the caity’s impressive public transport system, and a number of discounts at a variety of attractions including museums, the zoo and the botanical gardens. It will also save you money at many bars and restaurants.

TRAVEL FACTS Paulline Leighton flew to Frankfurt with bmi and stayed at Maritim Hotel Frankfurt for two nights on a bed and breakfast basis. Maritim Hotel Frankfurt features 543 rooms and suites, three restaurants, conference and event facilities for up to 400 delegates and a wellness centre including swimming pool, sauna and steam bath. Double room rates start from 119.00 Euros in a single room, including breakfast. For further information on Maritim Hotels or to book a room, please visit www.maritim.com or call 0500 30 30 30. The hotel has a resident magician/singer, Jerry, who keeps residents entertained for hours in its cosy bar.