Once the seat of medieval German kings and Roman emperors, Frankfurt is now home to Europe’s Central Bank — the continent’s largest financial center. Yet, in spite of its gilded past and present prominence, the city is refreshingly free of the painfully hip superiority complex associated with Western Europe’s more celebrated metropolises.

Rather, Frankfurt am Main (translation: Frankfurt on the Main, referring to the Main River that runs through the city) takes greatest pride in its agrarian leanings, brewing culture and hometown hero: 18th-century writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

In your 24 hours navigating this imperial city’s straßen (streets), you’ll undoubtedly come across some homage to Goethe, an open-air market of fresh food and — if you so choose — a refreshing glass of bubbly beer or wine.

9:15 a.m.

Plot your day at 01 Café Karin while enjoying the brotkorb (“breadbasket”) with a choice of Camembert, Gouda, or jam and butter (€7,50, or about US$10). Situated in the center of Frankfurt, the café is a short stride from the luxe designer boutiques on Goethestraße as well as Museumsufer — the city’s row of a dozen museums — and just opposite the house-turned-museum where Goethe was born.

10:00 a.m.

After breakfast, choose from Museumsufer’s lineup of galleries, including ones devoted to fine art, ethnology, furniture and film. Most notable is the nearly 200-year-old 02 Städel Museum, home to centuries’–old works by Gaugin, Rembrandt and the anonymous 15th-century “Master of Frankfurt,” as well as contemporary pieces by Pollock and Warhol. Admission is €12 (€14 on weekends/holidays).

Antique hounds shouldn’t miss 03 Goethe Haus. The building’s parlorsized rooms feature stunning period pieces, including the puppet theater Goethe used as a child, a pyramid-shaped piano and furnaces hand-painted like fine china. Admission is €7.

12:00 p.m.

From the museum, walk 15 minutes to 04 Römerplatz, where a group of gingerbread-house-like buildings forms a tourist square. (Make sure to take the route that passes through Mainkai Street, so you can cross the famous Eisner Steg pedestrian bridge. An infinite number of padlocks hang upon its trusses, engraved with the names of lovers.) The surrounding buildings, which were restored after World War II, provide the perfect backdrop for the requisite photo-op.

12:30 p.m.

Next, sample some of the city’s best street food at one of the popular outdoor food markets, where you’ll find wursts (sausages) smoking on massive grills, sandwiches and more. Depending on the day of the week — the markets have a rotating schedule — you can walk 10-15 minutes to 05 Konstablerwache (open Thursdays and Saturdays) or 06 Schillerstraße (Fridays).

If you’re in town on an off day, stay in the square and enjoy a traditional German lunch at 07 Zum Schwarzer Stern. Chef Jürgen Laschewski serves a seasonal menu that includes prime boiled beef served with cold herb sauce. Lunch here runs anywhere from €10 to €50.

2:00 p.m.

After lunch, catch the U-Bahn (subway) to 08 Leipziger Straße in Bockenheim. You’ll find an eclectic mix of shops in this humming student center near Goethe University, including emerging designer boutiques, independent bookstores and pubs. Make sure to check out Hinterhaus 37, a chic little shop in a backyard setting that stocks upstart designer labels and refreshes customers with steaming shots of Espresso.

4:00 p.m.

Head to the pub-lined cobblestone streets of 09 Old Sachsenhausen to take your place among lovers of apfelwein (a popular apple wine). In September, the rare federweißer wine (translated “feather white” for its cloudy color) is often enjoyed with the German onion cake Zwiebelkuchen.

6:00 p.m.

Return to the city center for dinner (and perhaps an overnight stay) at the 10 Gerbermühle Hotel. This 4-star hotel right on the Main River famously occupies the site of a 14th–century tannery and mill and is allegedly where Goethe met his married lover for trysts.

A three-course meal in the hotel’s restaurant starts at €25. Try one of the traditional favorites on the menu, such as Himmel und Erde (“Heaven and Earth”): a plate of mashed potatoes and fried blood sausage with stewed apples and frankfurters.

8:30 p.m.

Before retiring at the Gerbermühle (room rates range from €101 to €160), stop for a drink in the hotel’s Tower Bar. The bar, decorated with horn chandeliers and dark leather armchairs, retains remnants of the original mill upon which it was built.

Reserve in advance — the Gerbermühle has only 13 rooms and six suites. If it’s booked, try the 4-star Mercure Hotel Kaiserhof, a 10-minute taxi ride away, where rooms start at €62.

After a full day surveying the city’s coolest quarters, and now full from a satisfying meal and perhaps a little apfelwein, there’s no doubt you’ll have a gute nacht’s sleep.