Mainz is a lively regional centre and capital of the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is known as an important historic wine region and the seat of the German Wine Academy, and is located approximately 40 kilometres south-west of Frankfurt on the southern bank of the River Rhine, opposite the confluence of the River Main and the River Rhine. A university city of 200,000 residents, Mainz is the centre of an important commercial and industrial economic region and part of the Frankfurt-Rhine-Main Metropolitan Area. Mainz, which is sometimes referred to as ‘Gutenberg’s City’, is home to important publishing houses and the centre of two broadcasting corporations. This, together with its involvement in the Carnival, through staging the wild and colourful Fastnach Parade, and its popular Beer and Wine Festivals continues the city’s cultural heritage. Historically this has always been a feature of the city from its early beginnings when it was an important Roman cultural centre, which has recently been confirmed by the discovery of ruins of a huge theatre. Home to a well kept and compact Old Town, or Altstadt which contains many half-timbered traditional houses, the fabulous 1,000 year old Mainzer Cathedral and the Gutenberg Museum where you can see the invention that revolutionised the world of printing, Mainz is today a magnet for countless visitors who come to enjoy this memorable city!!
This historical city is able, through its collection of well preserved buildings and informative museums, to trace its unique cultural heritage for over 2,000 years. The Romans, under Emperor Augustus, were the first to take advantage of Mainz’ strategic location, by building a military camp here in 12 B.C.. This was known as Mogontiacum, and the city grew to become the most important in Germania. Today, Mainz is home to several Roman ruins such as the town gate, the aqueduct, Jupiter’s Column and Drusus Monument, and countless artifacts from the 1st to 4th centuries, many of which can be seen in the city’s museums. The Landesmuseum, which is one of the oldest in Germany, contains many items from the Roman period in addition to the most important art collection within the state. The Antique Maritime Museum displays six Roman shipwrecks salvaged from the Rhine, and contains scaled replicas of the ships. The Roman-Germanic Museum is well known for its collections of items from Pre-historic, Roman and Early Medieval periods and is housed in the former Electoral Castle. Opposite the cathedral in the centre of the Altstadt stands the Gutenberg Museum. This museum is one of Mainz’ popular tourist attractions and visitors can see live demonstrations, printed and written material from the years gone by, and the famous ‘Gutenberg Bible’.
Located in the Altstadt are several interesting attractions which should be seen, such as the landmark of the city, the dominating Mainzer Dom, or St Martin’s Cathedral which is located in the Marktplaz, the hub of city life. The cathedral dates from the 10th century and with its Diocesan Museum is one of the city’s most popular attractions. The 19th century Christ Church with its 80 metres dome, St Stephen’s Church which is famous for its blue stained windows by the artist Marc Chagall and the Church of St. Peter with its twin onion-domed towers. Other popular historic buildings are the Wood Tower and the Iron Tower, which date from the 13th century and were part of the city’s fortifications, and the Citadel which stands on the fringe of the Altstadt. There are also beautiful locations such as the Kirschgarten, or Cherry Orchard which although no longer has any cherry trees is home to several old half-timbered houses, and Augustiner Street, the city’s main business thoroughfare until the 17th century. Today Augustiner Street exudes a charming atmosphere of yesteryear through its’ beautiful facades and architecture including the towering 18th century St Augustine’s Church with its splendid Rococo internal decorations, and is filled with busy boutiques, cafes and pubs. This is only a brief overview of the city and more information can be obtained from the Mainz Tourist Information Office, Im Brueckenturm am Rathaus.
The city is also well known for its Fastnacht Parade in February which draws huge crowds into the Old Town where they can see some of the 8,400 participants in 87 orchestras and 25 carnival groups!! Or the Beer Festival in July where more than 60 stalls serve more than 400 beers to ‘beer connoisseurs’, and in August is the famous Mainz Wine Festival which is considered to be one of the largest in the country attracting almost half a million visitors. The people crowd the streets and celebrate the end of summer through a variety of events, with of course wine tasting and drinking being the main focus!!
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