Our first day in Germany, and the pick for our first stop on our drive to Koblenz, where we were staying, was Mainz, a short 35-minute drive from Frankfurt Airport. We weren’t disappointed. Discover Mainz, the beautiful wine capital of Germany, with us.
Sitting on the left bank of the Rhine River, Mainz is the official wine capital of Germany and is surrounded by the largest wine-growing area in the country.
The city has more to offer than just wine, though. It has an old city filled with historic buildings and monuments—one of the reasons why we picked the city as our first stop.
Our top things to do in Mainz
Spend time in the Marktplatz
As with any medieval city, the Marktplatz is the hub. Mainz was no exception. It was still early in the day; however, locals had started to emerge, gathering at the cafes in the square for coffee.
A blend of coloured and decorated gabled houses stands opposite the most distinctive building in the square, the Mainz Cathedral.
Marktbrunnen Fountain
We took a closer look at the Marktbrunnen, an ornate three-columned fountain built, like the cathedral, of red sandstone, before we visited inside the cathedral. The fountain sits to one side, in a corner of the square and was built in the 16th century.
The fountain was commissioned by the elector Albert of Mainz and crafted by the Mainz sculptor Hans Backoffen. The Marktbrunnen is one of the first Renaissance fountains in Germany.
The Prince-Elector had the fountain built to commemorate his successful survival of the “Peasants’ War” of 1525 and to seal the deal with the adoption of the 31 articles of grievance that the peasants demanded from their ruler.
Mainz Cathedral
St Martin, the Romanesque cathedral, is over a 1000 years old. The red sandstone building with its six distinguishing towers, including an octagonal tower, dominates the Altstadt.
Built in 975 AD, the interior of the cathedral is as impressive as the exterior. The interior has a mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture and ornate tombs of prince-electors and archbishops. The small, well-manicured cloister is also accessible to the public.
The cathedral also has a museum section with religious artefacts and items from the treasury.
The Gutenberg Museum
The Gutenberg Museum honours the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg
Instead of visiting the museum, we opted to explore more of Mainz’s outdoor attractions; however, when researching things to do in Mainz, the museum was highlighted as a great place for book lovers and history enthusiasts. It has two of the 49 remaining Gutenberg Bibles, as well as a working reproduction of Gutenberg’s press.
In 1946, the city’s university, which was founded in 1477, was renamed Johannes Gutenberg University to honour the publisher.
Walk a little further to Schillerplatz
Next, we walked to another significant square, Schillerplatz. Lined with notable palaces, the square is named after the poet Friedrich Schiller, whose statue stands in the centre.
Another notable feature in the square is the Fastnachtsbrunnen fountain standing in the centre of the square. The fountain is decorated with 200 quirky bronze statues celebrating the Mainz Carnival, which starts in the square on 11 November every year.
With its colourful garden beds and benches under shady trees, the square is the perfect spot to relax and take a breather when exploring the city in the summer.
Old Town (Altstadt)
Mainz’s Old Town is a great place to explore. It’s full of narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses and some lovely squares.
St Stephan’s Church
St. Stephen’s Church is located above the old town. We walked up to this Gothic church, renowned for its stunning blue stained glass windows. The nine windows, created between 1978 and 1985, depict scenes from the Old Testament and fill the space with a blue glow.
Disappointingly, the church was closed to visitors when we arrived, and we were unable to visit inside. Instead, we enjoyed some of the views over Mainz from the church’s terrace.
Mainz Rhine Promenade
After exploring the sights around the old town, we strolled to the promenade alongside the Rhine River. It’s a beautiful spot to take in the scenery and watch the river and cargo boats go by.
Our conclusion
Mainz is unquestionably a town we would have liked to have had the time to explore further. It’s a city full of history, culture, monuments and landmarks, coupled with picturesque scenery.
A visit to Mainz is a great way to start your exploration of the scenic Rhine Valley vineyards and Castle route.
In case you’re interested
We stayed for several nights in Koblenz to explore the historic city, situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Read about this fascinating city through the link below.
Introducing fascinating Koblenz, the one German city you must visit.
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