Introduction
Frankfurt has played a central role in the political history of Germany and the German states for centuries. From 855 to 1792 Frankfurt was the electoral city for the Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. In the 1848~1849 revolutions it became a sort of revolutionaryrevolutionary adj.革命的 capital and was the seat of the first democratically elected German parliament， the Frankfurt Parliament， which met in the Frankfurter Paulskirche， or the St. Paul，s Church.
The three pillarspillar n.［建］ 柱子， 栋梁， 重要的支持者 of Frankfurt，s economy are finance， transport， and trade fairs. Frankfurt has been Germany，s financial capital for centuries， and it is the home of a number of major banks and brokerages. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is Germany，s largest， and one of the world，s most important. Frankfurt houses the European Central Bank， which sets monetary policy for the Eurozone economy， and the German Bundesbank. It also houses a number of major commercialcommercial adj.商业的， 贸易的 banks， including Deutsche Bank， Dresdner Bank， and Commerzbank. Frankfurt，s financial industry gives it the highest GDP per capita of major cities in Europe and makes it fifteenth in total GDP production as a city.
Frankfurt has an excellent transportation infrastructure and a major international airport and European transportation hub， the Frankfurt International Airport. Depending whether total passengers or flights are used to measure， it ranksrank n.等级， 横列， 阶级 adj.繁茂的， 恶臭的， 讨厌的， 下流的 vt.排列， 归类于， 把……分等 vi.列为， 列队 n.［数］ 秩 as the second or third busiest in Europe alongside London Heathrow Airport and Paris， Charles de Gaulle. And many large trade fairs take place in Frankfurt each year， notably the Internationale AutomobilAusstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show) and the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Yet Frankfurt has a different feel from New York City，and many residents prefer its nickname of “the smallest metropolis of the world”. Despite the central concentration of tall buildings， the city has many open natural spaces and a spreadout city plan， which make some of the large buildings look a bit lonely in comparison to other global financial centers such as those in New York， Singapore， or Shanghai.
Visit the City
Frankfurt is a good choice for a visit in this country. If you are a newcomer to the area or haven，t visited for a while， the information provided on this and related pages will prove invaluableinvaluable adj.无价的， 价值无法衡量的 in assisting you to make your holiday or business venture here， as simple as a stroll down your local street back home.
Frankfurt， neatly pocketed in a valleyvalley n.(山)谷， 流域 below the northern Taunus Hills， equidistant from Hamburg and the Alps， is a city of contrasts. Often seen only as a transit hub or business centre， Frankfurt is so much more. It boasts Germany，s most spectacular skyline and one of Europe，s tallest office buildings. It，s also the country，s most international town with more than a quarter of its citizens being foreign.
The Main River flows eastwest through the city， separating the north bank，s skyscrapersskyscraper n.摩天楼， 高耸的烟囱 and bustle from the south，s more laidback charms.
Most of the city，s visitors come for one of the numerous trade fairs and congresses. Among the largest on the international circuit are the International Book Fair (Buchmesse Frankfurt) and ACHEMA (chemical engineering， environmental protectionprotection n.保护) and biotechnology. Frankfurt however has got another side worth your discovery.
As the birthplace of Germany，s most revered writer， Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749~1832)， the city will impressimpress with 使对……留有深刻的印象 使铭记 with its cultural pedigree. Excellent museums， highcalibre performance groups and local festivals entice the discerning guest away from the boardroom and the exhibition hall. Frankfurt is a true arts capital and a trip to the city without at least one visit to one of its groundbreaking exhibitionsexhibition n.表现， 展览会， 展览品， 显示 at one of its museums is a must.
Its history， which spans more than 1，200 years is fascinating. It was one of the joint capitals of Charlemagne，s empire； the city where Holy Roman emperorsemperor n.皇帝， 君主 were elected and crowned； the site of Gutenberg，s print shop and the city where the first German parliament met. The historic district of Sachsenhausen is as gemütlich (fun， friendly and cozy) as you will find anywhere.
Modern Frankfurt has worldclass ballets， operas and other live shows worth seeing. It，s an important piece of Germany，s publishing industry； has a large university famous for such modern thinkers as Theodor Adorno and Jürgen Habermas； and two of the most important daily newspapers in Germany， the Frankfurter Allgemeine and the Frankfurter Rundschau.
In Frankfurt you will find yourself in the heart of a powerful， sophisticatedsophisticated adj.诡辩的， 久经世故的， and cosmopolitan nation. There may not be that much here to remind you of the Old World， but there，s a great deal that explains the success story of postwar Germany.
Frankfurt is a city of trade fairs， a financial centre， a transportation hub， a major European metropolis， but also a city of intellect， of apple wine， of smalltown friendliness， green spaces and many nationalities. If you are seeking a little of everything this fascinatingfascinating adj.迷人的， 醉人的， 着魔的 country has to offer， then Frankfurt pretty much has it all. Discover it for yourself and fall in love with the place as have so many that have gone before.
Cologne
香水产地——科隆
科隆位于德国面积最大、人口最为稠密的联邦州——北莱因·威斯特法伦州（北威州），以其大教堂闻名于世，是德国继柏林、汉堡与慕尼黑之后的第四大城市。该市面积40 515公顷，人口100万。科隆经济区是德国第三大工业区，也是欧洲化学工业最重要的基地之一。汽车制造业在科隆地区也具有重要地位。其他重要的工业行业为：机械制造、食品加工、五金加工和电气技术、 传媒、软件、电讯及商贸。
科隆位于莱茵河畔，早在罗马时代就已经成为重要的贸易集散地。科隆悠久贸易传统的标志是如今的科隆博览会，每年在科隆举办的各类博览会与展览会达40多个，其中在25个行业里在世界上首屈一指。着名的世界性博览会有世界食品博览会（ANUGA）、世界摄影技术博览会（photokina）、世界实用五金制品博览会（Practical World）等。科隆经济区是欧洲心脏地带闻名遐迩的生产基地，着名的跨国集团如拜耳、欧倍德、丰田、索尼以及雪铁龙的德国或欧洲总部均设在这里。
1987年9月14日科隆市和中国北京市缔结了姐妹城市关系。科隆与中国各省市的经贸关系都得到了良好发展。越来越多的中国国有和私营企业已在科隆落地生根。科隆已经成为中德双边经贸关系的重要核心城市之一。中国丝绸公司欧洲中心、中国国际人才交流中心德国总部、中国通用技术集团控股总公司欧洲总部（Genertec Europe Temax）均设在科隆。
