Culture on the hiking trail
The Kaiserdome in Worms and Mainz, the Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim or the Rote Hang in Nierstein are known far beyond Rheinhessen and are an absolute highlight of every hike. But the RheinTerrassenWeg lives especially from the gems and moments in the wine villages. People like to talk about their regional attractions. Let yourself drift and enjoy the culture and the stories on the RheinTerrassenWeg.
In 2012, the view from the Brudersberg in Nierstein was voted "Most Beautiful Wine View 2012" in Rheinhessen. In 2012, for the first time, the German Wine Institute (DWI) and the regional wine promotions awarded a "Most Beautiful Wine View 2012" in each of the 13 German wine-growing regions. These are vantage points that offer particularly spectacular views of the wine landscapes. From the Brudersberg, in good weather, you have an optimal distant view into the Hessian Ried all the way to Frankfurt (view direction east), further to the Taunus…
The red hillside is a wine growing area with special optics between Nierstein and Nackenheim. The former formation emerged over 280 million years ago because of a collapse of the rhine ditch between the basin of Mainz and the upper rhine ditch. Another special feature is the red ground which was also determining for the name. The colouring happened because of embedded iron compounds which emerged under the subtropic climate of another era. The substance of the ground is consists of clay and sandstone and in combination with the climate…
The Catholic Parish Church of St. Gereon, built in 1716, is imposingly situated on a hill that offers visitors a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. The church is listed as an architectural monument in the list of cultural monuments in Rhineland-Palatinate and houses an impressive high altar (1698) and beautiful ceiling paintings in the choir room by Hans Thumann from 1936. The RheinTerrassenWeg leads directly past the baroque hall building.
Carl Zuckmayer set a literary monument to his birthplace Nackenheim with his play "The Merry Vineyard". Open-air performances of his works take place here regularly. You can find out about his family history in a permanent exhibition in the local museum. A bust in front of the town hall commemorates Nackenheim's most famous son.
The town hall in Bodenheim is a typical example of the Franconian-Hessian half-timbered construction style of the Renaissance around 1600 and is considered one of the most beautiful half-timbered houses in Rheinhessen. The renovation was completed in 2023; it now shines in new splendour in the old town centre of the wine-growing community of Bodenheim. It was built in 1608 under the then lord of the village, Provost Anton Walpot von Bassenheim, as a new courthouse for the Mainz Knights' Abbey of St Alban. In the bay window, we recognise the…
"This cathedral above the Rhine Valley with all of its might and glory would have remained in my memory even if I had never seen it again," wrote the German author Anna Seghers. The majestic Cathedral of Mainz is a key feature of the cityscape even today – over a thousand years after its construction. Mainz, located at the intersection of important trade routes and the place where Saint Boniface worked and lived, became an important centre of Christianity from 746/47. The city was eventually promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of…
An over-life-size bronze statue of Johannes Gutenberg adorns the square that bears his name. The statue is based on a model by the Danish sculptor Berthel Thorvaldsen. Fully restored in 2010, the monument depicts the famous inventor of movable type. As we do not have a contemporary portrait of Gutenberg, the statue is of an idealised scholar of his time – bearded, well dressed and carrying a bible and a printing plate. When the monument was first unveiled in 1837, the people of Mainz celebrated for three full days. Even today, the area…
Experience the history of printing, books, and type-setting. One of the oldest book and print museums is located right at the heart of Mainz, just across from the cathedral. Founded in 1900 by a group of citizens from Mainz, the Gutenberg Museum is dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg, the man behind one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind. Among the biggest treasures of the collection are two original Gutenberg Bibles printed around 1450. Another highlight is the recreated workshop of Gutenberg where skilled printers…