Europe's 'most beautiful airport' has undergone a £3.5-billion expansion and won a prestigious architecture award. Frankfurt Airport was the only European location on the Prix Versailles list of the world's most beautiful airports for 2026.
Frankfurt Airport Wins Architecture Award
The world's most beautiful airports for 2026 have been announced, and only one European hub made the list. Prix Versailles published its World's Most Beautiful Airports List 2026, which included airports from around the world, each exhibiting extraordinary, distinctive architecture. Among the winners were Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China and Pittsburgh International Airport in the US.
The sole European destination to make the cut was Frankfurt Airport, which unveiled its brand-new Terminal 3 in April, primarily for passengers taking long-haul flights. The £3.46 billion expansion took over 11 years and became one of the continent's largest infrastructure projects.
Terminal 3 Features
Sitting on 1.3 square kilometres of land, the terminal is roughly the same size as Frankfurt's core city centre. It includes a 2,900-square-metre culinary space, 112 check-in counters, premium lounges, and upmarket boutiques. The terminal is connected to the rest of the airport via a 3-mile-long Sky Line people mover, which can carry up to 4,000 passengers, with the journey taking just eight minutes. Terminal 1 has two train stations connecting the airport to passengers' final destinations: a Regiobahnhof that takes passengers into the city centre and Fernbahnhof where you can take Germany's high-speed ICE trains across the country.
Terminal 3 was designed by architect Christoph Mäckler, and the awards announcement said it was conceived to be a lively urban environment. It added: 'To give travellers a smooth, familiar experience, its piers, boarding gates and lounges emulate the streets and squares of a city. Its aesthetics rely on noble materials in warm tones, like Jura limestone and travertine. Vast spaces, bathed in natural light thanks to large plate glass windows, create a soothing atmosphere while minimising the use of artificial light sources.'
Frankfurt as a City Break Destination
Frankfurt is not generally a city break destination chosen by Brits, but it has a colourful old town with medieval houses and historic charm. Römerberg in particular is popular with tourists, and the cosy half-timbered houses make the perfect backdrop for Frankfurt's famous Christmas market. The Städel Museum is another must-visit for tourists, with works from the Middle Ages to the present day, as well as impressive visiting exhibitions such as a Monet show that's on until July 5. If you don't have much time to see the city, head for the Main Tower, which stands at 240 metres, for impressive 360-degree views.
Frankfurt is also known for being the financial capital of continental Europe, and its financial district is sometimes known as 'Mainhattan' after the River Main and its skyline's resemblance to New York. Wander around and you'll see lots of unique, contemporary architecture such as the glass-panelled Commerzbank Tower and art-deco style Messeturm.
