'''Mainz''' [http://www.mainz.de] is the capital city of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.
Understand
Once the episcopal seat of the influential Prince-Electors, the "civilized" origins of Mainz date back to around 38 BC, when the Romans built a citadel here. The city's location at the confluence of the Rhine and the Main is ideal for trade, something reflected by the artifacts kept in the Landesmuseum, that show there have been settlements here since 300,000 BC! The most logical starting point is the Dom, or Cathedral of St Martin and St Stephan, especially on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, when the farmers market is open. Although the cathedral was actually started in 975, most of what is seen today was built from the 1000's to the 1200's. At the Dom und Diozesanmuseum in the cathedral cloisters, you can truly witness the opulence and wealth controlled by the Church in Mainz. Mainz is also the home of the man identified by Time magazine as the most important individual in the last millennium, Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the moveable type printing press.
Mainz is also the home of the music publisher Schott Music.
Get in
By plane
From Frankfurt International Airport, the local train S8 towards Wiesbaden stops at '''Mainz Hauptbahnhof''' (or optionally '''Mainz Romisches Theater'''). Also regional trains towards Koblenz and Saarbrucken stop in Mainz. Both options share the same local tariff, regional trains are faster and somewhat more convenient. Cologne/Bonn Airport is served by a direct ICE connection and from low cost hub Frankfurt-Hahn Airport there is a direct shuttle bus connection.
By train
Mainz has several train stations. The biggest and the only one in which InterCity trains do stop is '''Mainz Hauptbahnhof''', it is located on the western edge of the city centre and works as a general hub for local traffic. Another noteworthy station is '''Mainz Romisches Theater''', south of the centre, but it is only served by regional and commuter trains. Both are served from Frankfurt, about 45 minutes way, by S-Bahn line S8.
By car
A60 from Lille, Charleroi, Liege (E42)
A61 from Koblenz, Bad Kreuznach, Worms
A63 from Kaiserslautern
A66 from Fulda, Frankfurt am Main
By bus
A number of long range buses (including Eurolines) serve Mainz, usually halting at '''Hauptbahnhof'''. The station is also a hub for local bus traffic, serving the surrounding countryside and Wiesbaden.
From '''Frankfurt Hahn Airport''' for those arriving with Ryanair, there is a direct bus service to Mainz roughly every 90 minutes. The ORN bus stop which services this route is just outside the main train station's police department. The service takes aprox. 60-70 mins [http://www.hahn-airport.de/default.aspx?menu=by_bus&cc=en#].
By boat
There is a number of companies offering river cruises, typically leaving from Cologne or Koblenz and terminating in Mainz (and vice versa). The '''KD Rhine River Cruise Pass''' [http://www.kdrhine.com/] offers a cruise of the Rhine river around all the way to Cologne with the possibility of stops along the way.
Get around
Some good offers to explore the surroundings include the ''Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket'', offering unlimited travel in local trains for up to 5 persons inside the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The ticket costs 25 ? per day (as of March 2008) and is available at all train stations. For Hessen (including Mainz, but not the rest of Rhineland-Palatinate) exists the otherwise similar ''Hessenticket'', costing 30 ? per day.
You can take a virtual tour to view the points of interest on City Panoramas Mainz [http://www.panorama-cities.net/mainz/mainz_germany.html].
See
Romanesque cathedral (one of Germany's oldest; others are in: Worms, Speyer)
"'''Stephanskirche'''", world-famous Chagall windows (blue)
River Banks with lots of restaurants and (night) clubs.
The '''Theodor Heuss Rhine Bridge''' between Mainz and Mainz-Kastel is one of three Rhine bridges that connect Mainz with Wiesbaden and the state of Hesse. Like almost all other German Rhine bridges, the former bridge had been destroyed in World War II. The bridge was rebuilt in the early 1950s and named after the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss. Kastel, a former Mainz suburb and several other villages on the right side of the Rhine, has been separated from the city after the war, as the Rhine was the border between the French and American occupation sectors. Even today, Kastel, Kostheim, Amoeneburg, Ginsheim, Gustavsburg and the other former suburbs consider themselves part of Mainz, although they are administered by Wiesbaden and Hesse.
The '''City Hall''' was built in the early 1970s by Danish architects, who used many tons Swedish marble for the facade. Considered ''modern'' at the time it was built, the city hall is not very popular today, many consider it too monumental, some even ugly. From the extensive city hall platform there is a beautiful view on the Rhine promenade and the river.
Schillerplatz. Beautiful, leafy square in central Mainz with the fountain said to represent the jesters and fun of Mainz's fastnacht celebration.
Mainz is also the home of the man identified by Time magazine as the most important individual in the last millennium, Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the moveable type printing press. At the Gutenberg Museum (Liebfrauenpl 5, Ph: 011 49 06131 1266-4044, Website: www.gutenberg.de), there are reconstructions of print shops and Gutenberg's hand press, an exhibition of incunabula, and the first two Gutenberg bibles are on display in a strong room. They also have a section devoted to the far East with colored woodcarvings and prints from Japan, China and Korea. Only key displays have information translated into English. You can purchase a guide in several different languages with your admission.
Unique to Mainz is the Museum fur Antike Schifffahrt (Museum of Ancient Navigation), where the remains of five 5th century Roman warships have been restored. These ships were found when the local Hilton was expanding its property.
Do
Walk around the town. It's a beautiful place to walk around and see the sights.
Go and explore the outdoor town market on Saturdays.
Visit the small but very pretty '''Altstadt'''(old-town) of Mainz. Located just behind the cathedral with a beautiful baroque church and a number of well preserved Fachwerkhauser (Medieval style houses) to be seen.
Learn
The University of Mainz is located in the north of the city. The student body is around 30,000.
Work
Buy
Eat
Mainz has two culinary specialities, both types of cheese. '''Spundekase''' is local cream cheese whipped with cream into a soft paste, served with chopped raw onion and pretzels — the taste is mild and it goes great with beer.
'''Handkase''' is a sour milk cheese with a pungent aroma, most often served ''mit Musik'', or marinated in vinegar and oil, then sprinkled with caraway seeds, resulting in a bizarre, firm, gelatinous mass that most people find to be a bit of an acquired taste — and the "music" refers to the flatulence it tends to cause!
Budget
Mid-range
'''Haus des Weines''', Gutenbergplatz 3, Mainz. Phone: +49 (06131) 221 300. Open late, they offer a great selection of wines to go with their delicious food that ranges from snacks to full meals and tends to focus on regional cuisine.
'''Geberts Weinstuben''' [http://www.geberts-weinstuben.de], Frauenlobstrase 94, 55118 Mainz. Phone: +49 (06131) 611 619, fax: +49 (06131) 611662, [mailto:info@geberts-weinstuben.de info@geberts-weinstuben.de]. With an excellent wine list (heavy on German wines), Geberts offers excellent versions of traditional regional favorites, including handkas-Suppe (cheese soup) and wildschwein (wild boar). They are closed for three weeks during the summer, on Saturdays, and at lunchtime on Sundays.
'''Heiliggeist''', Mailandsgasse 11, Mainz. Phone: +49 (06131) 225 757. Recently renovated into an upscale bistro, they offer an abbreviated, but very creative menu that goes with an extensive wine list, including wines by the glass, that enable you to experiment wines from around Germany.
Splurge
'''Atrium Mainz''' [http://www.atrium-mainz.de], Flugplatzstrase 44, 55126 Mainz-Finthen. Telephone: +49-(0)6131 491 0, fax: +49-(0)6131 491 128, [mailto:info@atrium-mainz.de info@atrium-mainz.de].
Drink
Bars
Fiszbah. aimundistr. 13. 49 6131 670330. ttp://fiszbah.de/. eekdays 7 PM-late, weekends from 9 AM . Legendary little dive bar with hot waitresses, cold beer, interesting people and wildly diverse music (eg. "Discopogo for Punks in Pumps" on Tuesdays). Limited food menu and breakfast/brunch on weekends as well.
</drink>
Hafeneck. rauenlobstr. 93. 49-6131-4801977. ttp://www.hafeneck.de/. Neighborhood bar that manages to simultaneously cater to football fans, local hipsters and an endless streams of niche musicians ranging from the "Whiskey Rabbi" to Vicky Vomit. The kitchen (open 5-11 PM daily) also serves up huge salads, a few German classics like schnitzel, plus giant savoury pancakes (''Eierpfannkuchen'') with unusual fillings, many of them vegetarian — try the "Hades" to add some spice to your life.
Pubs
'''Eisgrub-Brau''', 55116 Mainz Weissliliengasse 1a, [http://www.eisgrub.de/]. This cavernous "ice cellar" has brewed its own beer since 1872 and is still packed most nights. In addition to their own beers, pale and dark, they also serve up hearty portions of honest German grub.
'''Mainz Kastel Brauhaus''', located on the Otto Suhr Ring Road, 2 blocks(right) off the main Hwy 455 going to Wiesbaden, from Mainz across the Theodore Huess Brucke-1K. You can see the Biergarten's Umbrellas using Google Earth. It is the German equivalent of an American Microbrew Pub/Restaurant. Their light (''hell'') beer with Mainz's famous ''Spundekase'' and pretzels is great. Well worth the visit.
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Hyatt Regency Mainz"
address="Malakoff-Terrasse 1"
phone="+49 6131 73 1234"
email="mainz@hyatt.de"
url="http://mainz.regency.hyatt.com"
>Incorporates Fort Malakoff, Mainz's 19th-century castle, into its 21st-century architecture. It's the only 5 star hotel in Mainz on the river Rhine.</sleep>
Contact
Stay safe
Cope
Get out
Take the S8 Back to Frankfurt.
Continue down the most scenic part of the Rhine Valley towards Koblenz.