No city so neatly encapsulates Germanys post- war economic miracle as Frankfurt. The city centre on the west bank of the River Main that was virtually razed by Allied bombers in 1944 today thrusts skywards with the self-confidence of Germanys Mainhattan. The jostling skyscrapers of the Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank & spear-like Trade Fair Tower attest to Frankfurts vitality buoyed up by banking & stock market activity. Indeed, itseemed the natural choice as the headquarters of the European Bank. The main shopping area is Zeil, leading from the Hauptwache, a characteristically carbuncular German pedestrian precinct, although the shops are pretty good. Nestling roughly between the two is the posh residential suburb of Westend. Heading east from the Alte Oper, you can find interesting speciality shops in & around Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse. South of the river is Sachsenhausen, an area of smart residential streets & coruscating nightlife. ,