Mainz

Mainz: Explore Germany’s Wine Capital & The Famed Gutenberg Museum

Pick up a German travel book and dog-ear “Mainz.” You’re likely reading that book thanks to printing press guru Gutenberg, who began printing books using movable type back in the early 1450s – right here in Mainz. The Gutenberg Museum celebrates his life, and possesses Gutenberg’s first Bible, as well as the world‘s tiniest Bible.

The city goes beyond words, into sights and sounds, which is what draws nearly 80,000 travelers every day into Hauptbahnhof - the main train station.

Mainz boasts 2000 years of art, culture and religious history to look back upon. Its famous and magnificent Roman-Catholic cathedral celebrated its 1000-year anniversary in 2009. Christ Church, or Christuskirche is the largest Protestant church in the city, and was the first building constructed solely for the use of a Protestant congregation. St. Stephen’s church boasts Chagall stained-glass windows.

Mainz combines historical surroundings with the modern Congress Centre, located in the middle of the town directly by the River Rhine. The center is known for hosting numerous events like workshops, seminars and conferences. Even the Palace of the Counts Elector (Kurfürstliches Schloss) offers an exclusive framework for events; originally built in the 17th century, it is today one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Europe.

Mainz is more than history. This is Germany’s great wine capital. Downtown you can visit the House of German Wine as well as the German Wine Academy and the famed wine market. The surrounding region of Rheingau produces some of Germany’s most famous wines, such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. And the entire Upper Middle Rhine Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Exploring this fertile, beautiful landscape is easy with a German Rail Pass.

In Mainz, life truly is a cabaret, evident by the Cabaret Walk of Fame. Running north to south between Münsterstraße and Schillerstraße, the “walk” is embedded with more than 40, seven-pointed, irregularly shaped stars featuring the names of cabaret celebrities. The city is home to many clubs, including the Staatstheater, Kammerspiele and Frankfurter Hof which blends music with comedy.