One of Frankfurt's oldest and most important main streets is the 1.2 kilometre long Zeil.
It was first located outside the Staufer city walls and served as a cattle market.
Frankfurt grew and expanded, and the Zeil became the city's main west-east connection.
It owes its name to the original single-line development.
From the end of the 17th to the middle of the 18th century, the Zeil developed into Frankfurt's most distinguished residential and business street. Here stood the most prestigious hotels and the finest inns.
In the air raids of March 22, 1944, the buildings on the Zeil and its surroundings were almost completely destroyed.
Today, the Zeil is one of Germany's highest-turnover shopping miles.
The western part of the street, also called Westzeil, has been a leafy pedestrian zone since the 1970s and is bordered by two large squares, the <link https: www.frankfurt-tipp.de freizeit s die-hauptwache-das-herz-frankfurts.html _blank>Hauptwache in the west and the Konstablerwache in the east.
The eastern part of the Zeil, the Ostzeil, extends from the Konstablerwache to the Friedberger Anlage.
A well-attended producers' market with regional and international specialties has been held on Konstablerwache every Thursday and Saturday since 1989.
The Konstablerwache is also used for events of all kinds.
The Zeil is subject to permanent change.
Outdated building structures and long-established businesses have to make way for modern, globally operating department store groups and retail chains.
The MyZeil shopping centre, an imposing steel and glass construction, together with the neighbouring office tower, the adjacent hotel tower and the rebuilt Thurn und Taxis Palais, form one of the most important city centre projects in Europe - the PalaisQuartier. The futuristic shopping temple with around 100 shops further enhances the attractiveness of the Zeil as one of the highest-turnover shopping streets in Germany.
The problem of "vacancy after closing time and on Sundays" of many city centers and shopping streets is countered by the initiative "Zeil Aktiv e.V." with a diverse program of events
Text from: Frankfurt-Tipp.de
