England fans warned over Frankfurt’s ‘zombie land’
Football fans have been warned to avoid a drug-riddled slum dubbed “zombie country” in the centre of Frankfurt.
England supporters and others enjoying the Euro 2024 will struggle to avoid the Bahnhofsviertel district, which sits between the city’s main train station and the fan zone.
Despite UEFA including the area on a list of places to stay, it is home to the city’s red-light district, is plagued by drugs and has the highest crime rate in Frankfurt.
Drug users reportedly line the streets openly taking crack, heroin and meth while dealers harass passersby to purchase narcotics.
There are more than 300 dealers in the area and up to 5,000 drug users, according to German media.
The area resembles Skid Row in Los Angeles or the Tenderloin area of San Francisco, with cleaners needing police protection to clear up litter.
Some American firms with offices in the city have told workers to take taxis even for short trips.
Tourists coming from the north of Frankfurt are likely to have to walk through the area to get to the 10,000 capacity fan zone.
England’s European Championship campaign continues against Denmark on Thursday at the Frankfurt Arena, also known as the Waldstadion.
Police from Belgium, who lost 1-0 to Slovakia in the German city, have told fans to avoid the area and described it as the “zombie country”.
Jan Vanmaercke, a police officer, told Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad that fans should get out of the area as soon as possible
“Together with four German colleagues we looked at the entire city,” he said. “The Frankfurt station area is the only conflict zone.
“The use of hard drugs on the street is normal. Passers-by are harassed, drug users ask for money. Foreign media describe the neighbourhood as ‘zombie country’, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s not safe there.
“We ask Belgians who come by train to leave the station area as quickly as possible and go to the fan zone.”
‘Junkie jogging’
Shop owners described police attempts to move drug users on as “junkie jogging” as they just move to the next street, German newspaper Bild said.
In a column yesterday it said the host city is in “ a disastrous state” and described the train station district as the “worst drug hell in Europe”.
Dr. Stefan Naas, state parliament member, told the German tabloid: “At the 2006 World Cup, it was still ‘The world is a guest of friends’ - now Europe is a guest of dealers and junkies.”
Hessen Police have been approached for comment.
