Frankfurt, in the state of Hesse, has been Germany’s financial center for centuries, and it is the home of more than 300 national and international banks. The pillars of the city’s economy are finance, transportation and trade fairs. (The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung is the world’s largest motor show; the Frankfurter Buchmesse, the world’s largest book fair; and the Musikmesse, the world’s largest music fair.) Frankfurt also has its charms, including a neighborhood of prewar villas right across the river from downtown, many of which now house museums. The suburbs of Königstein (location of the Villa Rothschild) and Kronberg also merit exploration. Each has a pedestrianized historic center with sidewalk cafés, upscale galleries and shops, plus hilltop castles.