Walk to explore the city
The morning in Mainz
Discover the well-known Mainz old town with its beautiful half-timbered houses. Worthwhile are also the various Mainz museums. Of course, a detour to the cathedral should not be missed.
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Walk to explore the city
Discover the well-known Mainz old town with its beautiful half-timbered houses. Worthwhile are also the various Mainz museums. Of course, a detour to the cathedral should not be missed.
The old town of Mainz bears the marks of a long and eventful past, which is still clearly reflected in the cityscape today. It is visible in the mighty medieval cathedral, in the historic patrician houses, in the Elector's Palace, as well as in the narrow, winding streets and atmospheric squares. This historical heritage is complemented by modern buildings such as the town hall built in 1971 by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, the Brand shopping center, the Rheingoldhalle, and Fort Malakoff, which illustrate the city's ongoing…
The Mainz Cathedral has experienced a lot in its more than 1,000 years. At the junction of significant trade and traffic routes, the city developed into a religious center north of the Alps and received the honorary title "Holy See." Archbishop Willigis had the cathedral built from 975 based on the model of the old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. However, the first grand celebration ended differently than planned: On the day of the consecration in the year 1009, a fire broke out and destroyed the new building. It was not until 1036 that the…
The carnival museum, opened in 2004, vividly conveys the history of Mainz Carnival. The exhibition showcases everything from jester hats, orders, guard uniforms, and costumes to songbooks, programs, and historical audio and video recordings, as well as excerpts from the famous television shows "Mainz, wie es singt und lacht" – thus making an important part of Mainz's history and culture tangible. The exhibits cover the carnival from its beginnings in 1837 to the present day. In particular, the politically literary tradition of the…
The Gutenberg Museum, one of the oldest printing museums in the world, is closely connected to the city of Mainz. After decades at Liebfrauenplatz, the previous location in the so-called Schellbau was closed in early October 2024 to make way for a new building. Since the end of November 2024, the museum has been hosting the interim exhibition "Gutenberg Museum MOVED" at the Natural History Museum Mainz, Reichklarastraße 1. In the restored rooms of the former Clarissan convent, the museum presents itself with a modern exhibition concept…
The Bishop's Cathedral and Diocesan Museum, with an exhibition area of more than 3,000 square meters, is one of the largest institutions of its kind in Germany, ranking second nationwide. Particularly remarkable is the unique sequence of rooms from the early, high, and late Middle Ages, in which artworks from a period of around a thousand years – from about 500 to 1500 – are presented. The ground floor is reserved for changing special exhibitions. In the basement of the museum, early and high medieval vault halls extend,…