West Harbor
The West Harbor (in German: Westhafen) of Frankfurt is a mixed-use development area and is located on the banks of the Main river south of the Central Station. The West Harbor belongs to the Gallus district and was mostly built by 2010. The last real estate project in the West Harbor was completed in 2020 with the completion of the building Harbor Arch (Hafenbogen). The Living Quarter at West Harbor, which is directly adjacent to the West Harbor area, is currently being built.
West Harbor borders in the east Main Bank West, an area which is to be upgraded in the coming years with several high-rise buildings.
Westhafen Tower, a glazed office high-rise on a circular floor plan, has stood at the eastern entrance since 2003. It was one of the first buildings to be completed on the former West Harbor. At the same time, the Westhafen House and the Bridge Building were built along with the Westhafen Tower.
On the western side of the bank section, shortly before the Main-Neckar Bridge, the modern office buildings West Harbor Gatehouse (Westhafen Torhaus) and the West Harbor Pier (Westhafen Pier) were built in front of the Thermal Power Station West (Heizkraftwerk West).
At the end of the Rotfeder-Ring street is the now preserved building of Pressurized Water Works, the last historical building of the former port facilities. The Pressurized Water Works building is part of the Rhein-Main Industrial Culture Route, a route to discover industrial heritage.
The harbor mole on Karpfenweg is now built up to the Flusskrebssteg (lit. “River Crab Footbridge”) with twelve individual seven-story houses, which are also called solitary buildings. Some of them stand on stilts in the water and have their own jetties.
Location and Accessibility
The harbor mole on Karpfenweg is now built up to the river crab footbridge with twelve individual seven-story houses, which are also called solitary buildings. Some of them stand on stilts in the water and have their own jetties.
Development of West Harbor
The West Harbor was originally built between 1883 and 1996 and opened on October 16, 1886. Previously, the winter harbor, where ships were protected from the ice during the cold season, was located west of the Old Town.
For many decades, West Harbor was an important inland port for the city of Frankfurt and was shaped by industry. Here, for example, was also the large granary of Frankfurt, which was intended to supply the population with grain in an emergency. However, due to the relocation of goods to other modes of transport, the Westhafen lost its importance. At the same time, the need for central living and working opportunities increased with the influx of people.
In 1993, the city council finally passed the resolution to develop the West Harbor with a total area of twelve hectares into a modern city quarter with apartments for around 2,000 people as well as offices, shops and restaurants and a total of around 3,000 jobs. The port basin was to be preserved, bridged with two jetties and used as a marina. The large-scale construction work for this began in 2000 and was largely completed around 2010.
Visitor Tips for West Harbor
It is always worth taking a stroll through the district along the river Main. Cross the Flusskrebssteg bridge (lit. “Crayfish Footbridge”) and go to the top of the West Harbor island tip. On your way you can stop in one of the restaurants such as Frankfurter Botschaft, L’Osteria, Chameleon, Cron and Druckwasserwerk.
In addition, the Marina West Harbor is located in the city quarter, a privately operated port, from which boat trips on the river Main are also offered. A well-known provider of skyline tours on the river is Skyline Boating, where private individuals can rent a boat for up to 90 minutes without having a boat license.
