The Römerberg is the heart of the old town and Frankfurt's most photographed view. The west side of the square is dominated by the Römer, a row of three stepped-gable houses bought by the city in 1405 and joined together to serve as the town hall ever since. The east side — the Samstagsberg — is a 1980s reconstruction of the half-timbered houses that lined the square before the 1944 air raids; from the right angle it looks medieval enough to be convincing.
In the centre is the Justitia fountain, a 1611 sandstone statue of blindfolded Justice holding her scales — placed here so that imperial coronation processions would pass under her gaze. The square hosts the city's main Christmas market in late November and December, and free open-air concerts on most summer weekends. Step inside the Römer, if you can — the Kaisersaal upstairs holds 52 portraits of the Holy Roman Emperors from Charlemagne to Franz II.