Leichhof
Ignaz Michael Neumann, the son of the renowned baroque architect Balthasar Neumann, built the cathedral houses on the Leichhof, the former cemetery. He provided them with fireproof stone roofs.
Market places
The Hoefchen is the first of three market places found near the Dom, its name, "Little Court", reveals that the residence of Mainz's archbishops was located here until the 15th Century. Continuing on straight ahead we come to the Markt or market place, the heart of Mainz's municipal life. The market fountain is made of sandstone and is one of the oldest and most beautiful Renaissance fountains in Germany.
Kupferberg sekt winery
In Germany, sparkling wine is called “Sekt” and the Kupferberg in Mainz is the Museum of Sekt in the headquarters of one of Germany’s oldest sparkling wine vinters, the Sektellerei Kupferberg. The museum offers a journey through the history of effervescent wine along with tours into the historic wine caves and deep vaults which go down several levels with massive decorated oak wine barrels and one of the largest collections of champagne glasses with over 600 examples.
Church of St. Stephen
St. Stephen's is an attraction. Tourists from all over the world go up to Stephansberg, for watching the blue glowing stained glass windows by the artist Marc Chagall.
St Stephen's is the only German church for which the russian Jewish artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) designed stained glass windows. Blue light shines into the church through these windows. This light brings the angels and other biblical images to life. "These colors address our vital consciousness directly because they express optimism, hope, and the love of life."
Old Town
Embark on a discovery journey through Old Mainz’s historical inner city: Mainz’s historic Old Town extends itself from the shadow of the southern façade of Mainzer Dom, St Martin’s Cathedral, to the Mainz-South Rail Station. Life pulsates in the zick-zack alleys with their funny names like Little Nose Way, Hering’s Fountain Alley or Corpse Yard. There’s always something happening in Old Town.
During the day, there’s heavy street activity and business is brisk in the boutiques, shops and stores. After work as the day concludes, Mainz folk and their guests take time out to enjoy something to drink in the cozy-comfortable, ancient wine bars and taverns. It is easy to forget the hectic, stressful day when you sit back and enjoy a good Schoppen (a 1/4-liter) of our local Rheinhessen wine at Klingelbeutel’s, Beichtstuhl’s or Goldstein’s vinotheque.
Augustinerstraße and Augustinian Church
The picturesque Augustiner-Street is Mainz’s “stroller’s mile,” our 5th Avenue or Champs Elysée. Up until the 17th Century it was the city’s main business thoroughfare. Today you can find the atmosphere that is typically Mainz – small business and boutiques, shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants, taverns and winehouses. Surrounded by all this seething activity and embedded within the row of house-fronts is the magnificent Baroque façade of the towering Augustiner Church. Built to accommodate the needs of the former Augustinian hermit s monastery between 1768 and 1776, it is now a seminary church. Also of impressive beauty is its interior. The ceiling frescoes provide insights into the life of St Augustine as well as the history of the mendicant order which had its home in the Augustinerstrasse since the 13th Century. In contrast to many other Mainz churches, the Augstinerkirche had the great good fortune to survive WWII undamaged.
Cherry Garden
The Kirschgarten (Cherry Garden) with its romantic half-timbered houses and Marian-Fountain counts as one of Mainz’s most beautiful little squares. There is precious little of the cherry orchard from which it got its name, only a cherry tree stump which can be found at the Zum Beymberg bakery, House #19. The unmistakable charm of this little patch of Old Town in addition to the architectural array of buildings and the pretty, decorated shops within this historical ambience is augmented by the fountain which was erected in 1932 in the style of a flowing Baroque fountain.
The cathedral
A Roman pillar basilica built by Archbishop Willigis, and first consecrated in 1009. The leaves of the market portals date back to the 11th century. The west chancel is christened St. Martin, and the east St. Stephan.
Mainz was proclaimed the Holy See during Willigis' reign (975-1011). This archbishop, simultaneously Arch chancellor of the First German Empire, started to build it for the Ottons in 975, modelling it on the old St Peter's cathedral in Rome. Seven coronations took place in the Mainz cathedral.
Johan Gutenberg-Museum
The name of Johan Gutenberg remains notable even in today's breathtakingly rapid world of visual and audio media. The museum bearing this name in the city centre is a hommage to the inventor of the printing with moveable letters, with his world renowned 42 line bible being one of the prime exhibits.
One can watch as "live" demonstrations are made of printing the way it was done 500 years ago in the museum's workshop.
Gutenberg Bible
The height of Gutenberg’s art of printing is considered to be the 42-line bible (B42).
The 2-volume bible with a total of 1,282 pages was created with the help of a staff of 20. Today, 49 copies remain in existence. Of these, two are owned by the Gutenberg museum. With this bible that remains until today one of the most beautifully printed books of the world Gutenberg proved that the "nova forma scribendi" was aesthetically equal to hand-writings that were at their height at that time.
Rhine River Cruises
Optimal enjoyment and certainly the most leisurely way to enjoy Mainz is by indulging one‘s self in a cruise. What better way to take all in than from the decks of a ship plying Germany’s most famous waterway?
There are several alternatives to be considered. One option is to travel one way by train between Mainz and say Cologne, about 160 kilometers north, taking the boat coming or going, or going by boat round-trip.
State Parliament ( Deutschhaus)
The Deutschhaus or Deutschordenskommende (German for "Commandry of the Teutonic Knights") is the seat of the Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag in Mainz, Germany.The baroque palace was built from 1729-1740 for Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg, Prince-elector and Archbishop of Mainz 1729-1732. Since he was at the same time Hochmeister of the Teutonic Knights, he built the Deutschhaus as his second residence for representative purposes in his duties as Hochmeister in the immediate neighborhood of the Electoral Palace, his other residence.
Electoral Palace
The Electoral Palace in Mainz (German: Kurfürstliches Schloss zu Mainz) is the former city Residenz of the Archbishop of Mainz, who was also Prince-Elector of his electoral state within the Holy Roman Empire. It is one of the important Renaissance buildings in Germany.
Stylistically the Electoral Palace is one of the last examples of German Renaissance architecture.
Fort Malakoff
Fort Malakoff was built of red sandstone blocks as part of the Rhine shore fortifications in 1873. Behind it lies the Fort Malakoff Park. In addition to the gastronomic activity here including bars, bistros, restaurants and stands, are a number of other activities including a gallery of stores, the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the Mainz Chamber Players Theater and several office complexes.
Roman Germanic Central Museum (ancient shipbuilding research section)
Located in the former market hall near the historic quarters, the ancient shipbuilding research section of the Roman Germanic Central Museum became an independent museum in 1994. In a collection unparalleled in Germany, the museum presents the original remains of five ships dating back to the late antiquity era. These were discovered in 1981/82 during excavations for the extension of the Hilton Hotel of Mainz. The shipwrecks were located about 7.5 metres below the current street level, apparently in a shut-down section of the harbour. Based on their typical shape, these were military ships that were abandoned following the catastrophic defeat of the Roman Rhine army by invading Teutons in 407 AD.
