If you are a fan of first-rate spectator sports, Hessen has much to offer. Here is a brief look at the professional sports teams.

Locals have more than one reason to call this team the "Wonder from Frankfurt". After Eintracht Frankfurt's stunning return in 2003 to the first division of Germany's professional soccer league (Bundesliga), the team was briefly relegated to the second league in 2004. But it managed to make another striking comeback to the first league in 2005 and hopes to become a permanent member of the first division. In a country that is mad about soccer – it is easily the most popular spectator and participatory sport in Germany – attending an Eintracht match is an experience that you will not want to miss. The team plays in the new Commerzbank Arena, a stadium that was completed as part of the 2006 World Cup, in Germany.

Tel: 069-95503-0
www.eintracht.de.

Having recently gained the Fraport AG as their most prominent sponsor, the Deutsche Bank Skyliners will compete as the Fraport Skyliners in the coming season. As the newest member of Frankfurt's professional sports scene, the Fraport Skyliners play in Germany's first division basketball league. Their home court is the Ballsporthalle in Höchst, a somewhat run-down facility that can accommodate up to 4,000 spectators. For more information, check out the Skyliners on their English-language website at www.fraport-skyliners.de. Tickets are available through their hotline at 069-928 876 19, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This professional bicycle race traditionally attracts the best European cycling talent and is considered one of the top events in Germany. First launched in 1961 as the Race around the Henninger Turm (sometimes called the Frankfurt Grand Prix), the event was recently re-christened Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt. The race now starts in Eschborn, winds through the Taunus mountains and finishes after nearly 200 kilometers in Frankfurt. More than 3,300 racers participate in the event, ranging from top European bicycling professionals to skaters and many amateurs. The race traditionally takes place on 1 May, which is a European holiday, and is accompanied by a street festival and outdoor events. www.eschborn-frankfurt.de www.eschborn-frankfurt.de