The «Gasthof zum Goldenen Löwen», one of the most fashionable addresses in Frankfurt, stood at 41 Fahrgasse (today number 27). The house was rebuilt many times during the course of its history. Today, only a stone lion relief with an inscription and the lion fountain (erected in 1781) recall the once famous inn.

It was normal for concert tickets to be sold in the place where the artist lived and so it seemed like a good idea to Leopold to make their accommodation here, in keeping with their social status. In the Gasthof zum Goldenen Löwen, the family made all kinds of interesting acquaintances. Leopold reports of a «woman dressed in Amazon clothes», who together with a «chamber maid», coachman and servant came into the inn in a drunken state and of his fellow lodgers, among them the ambassador of Churtrier, a hussar captain from Brunswick and three English men, one of whom was in the habit of swimming in the Main before dinner and then appearing in the dining hall «like a babtized mouse».

With the exception of Augsburg, where Leopold Mozart was born, Frankfurt was the only city on the great tour, which was not ruled by a prince. Frankfurt was a «free city» and an international trade centre. The visitors, the traders and last but not least the Jews, who lived in their own quarter, brought life to the city.

During the fairs, the city was taken over by a colourful hustle and bustle. However in 1763, when the Mozart family were guests of the city, its economic circumstances were not the best. At the end of the Seven Year War, the French troops that had been stationed in Frankfurt were withdrawn, leaving behind an aching hole in the business life of the city. In August 1763, the massive bankruptcy of the Neufville brothers in Amsterdam shook the financial metropolis and led to a serious monetary crisis. Thirty businesses went bankrupt in Frankfurt alone and 95 more in Hamburg. «Now no-one trusts anyone until they know how serious the situation is for one or the other», wrote Leopold Mozart home.