Frankfurt / Oder: Culture and the Oder Landscape

Frankfurt / Oder lies on the western bank of the border river Oder. The city can be explored through a range of themes: Heinrich von Kleist and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach provide cultural points of interest, while the Alte Oder, Winterhafen and Oderpromenade bring the river into focus. When planning your stay, you can consider whether you would most like to experience literature and music, urban art venues, paths by the water, or a mix of these.

Kleist and Bach: two cultural highlights

The interactive Kleist Museum dedicates its permanent exhibition to the life, work and influence of Heinrich von Kleist. Frankfurt (Oder) is his birthplace and the city where he studied; the exhibition explores this connection. If you are interested in the writer, you can plan the museum as a separate stop. On request, it also organises individual themed guided tours for groups and school classes. This option is especially relevant if you are preparing a visit with a group or school class.

Another permanent exhibition on the life, work and legacy of a composer is located in the “Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach” Concert Hall. It is presented using multimedia and offers a musical perspective alongside the literary focus of the Kleist Museum. In Frankfurt (Oder), the Brandenburg State Museum of Modern Art lists the Packhof, Carl-Philipp-Emanuel-Bach-Straße 11, and the Town Hall Gallery, Marktplatz 1, as its locations. These venues offer a range of cultural themes to take into account when planning your days.

City walks and experiences along the Oder

The Kleist Route comprises five stops in total. It runs through urban areas and parks, passing monuments and places associated with Heinrich von Kleist (1777–1811) and Ewald Christian von Kleist (1715–1759). The route thus connects two people with the same surname, whose lifespans and places of significance differ. If you would like to explore literary history not only in an exhibition but also at locations throughout the city, this route offers another way to discover Frankfurt (Oder).

The Kleist Museum is located directly on the Oder–Neisse Cycle Route. For cyclists, this is a useful point of reference when considering a museum visit as part of their travel plans. By the river, the Oderpromenade offers a different way to explore the city: it invites you to stroll along the banks of the Oder, past sights and works of art. Depending on the season, passenger boats depart from the Oderpromenade landing stage for boat trips. These trips are seasonal; regardless, the promenade and the route offer different perspectives on a stay in the city.

River landscape and views of Ziegenwerder

The Alte Oder and Winterhafen follow an earlier course of the Oder and form numerous side channels. This origin gives the river landscape its own history. Holzmarkt in the city centre offers a view of Ziegenwerder Island. From there, you can see the groynes, the floodplain and the northern tip of the island. If you want to focus on nature and the waterside landscape, you will find specific features here to look out for, rather than getting to know Frankfurt (Oder) solely through museums and historical themes.

More destinations

If you would like to explore more destination pages: Brandenburg An Der Havel, Cottbus.

Return to the main travel overview: Brandenburg.