Main Panorama in the Toll Tower

Inside the Toll Tower, visitors can enjoy a historical and contemporary panorama of life on the Main.

Frankfurt owes its origins and development to its favorable location on the river. With its abundance of fish, the Main was an important source of food for the city's inhabitants and also offered protection from attackers. However, the river could also be dangerous for the city's inhabitants: Violent floods regularly threatened the city. In the basement of the Toll Tower, photographs and films from the 19th and 20th centuries together with light markers show the flood levels.

The floor above, where the "Rent Office" was located from the end of the 15th century, is dedicated to Frankfurt's economic and commercial history. The Rententurm was built between 1454 and 1456 as part of a later city fortification. It was intended to control comings and goings in the city and enable the collection of customs duties. The port on the shore in front of the Rententurm was the economic center of the city. All kinds of goods were landed here and sold directly on the shore or at the nearby markets.

The tower lost around three meters of its visible height when the banks of the Main were raised in the 19th century. During the Second World War, it was partially burnt out, the striking roof was destroyed and the clockwork was lost. After the war, the damaged parts were rebuilt true to the original. However, a suitable clockwork mechanism was only reinstalled in 2012 and today sets the "beat" in the clock room of the pension tower.

The top floor, which is freely accessible, offers the most beautiful view of the surrounding area and the opposite bank of the river. Four telescopes on the balustrades of the gallery allow the views from the windows to be compared with the same perspectives from the last three centuries.