The first station in the old town is the Kirschgarten, characterized by its romantic half-timbered houses and the Mary Fountain. The parallel rows of half-timbered houses along the "Weihergarten" are important testimonies of Mainz's architectural culture. The square and the alley share the same name, which, however, does not originate from the tree stump at the bakery "Zum Beymberg" – this is an oak post. The name "Kirschgarten" goes back to the spring "Kirschborn," and the square has been documented since 1329.
In the middle of the ensemble of half-timbered houses, sandstone, and cobblestones stands the Haus zum Aschaffenberg, the oldest known half-timbered house in Mainz, built around 1500. Its late medieval predecessor was mentioned for the first time in a document in 1448 in connection with Johannes Gutenberg.
