---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Mainz, Germany | Wimup"
description: "Mainz in one page: a thousand-year cathedral, Gutenberg’s Bibles, Chagall’s blue windows, Roman stones and wine taverns pouring Rheinhessen Silvaner."
url: https://wimup.com/city/mainz
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-27
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Mainz

Mainz, Germany · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 13 min read

Mainz began as a Roman legion’s fort in 13 BC, spent a thousand years as the seat of powerful archbishops, and is the town where Gutenberg printed with movable type. It is now the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate: a red sandstone cathedral over the market, and wine taverns in the lanes below it.

## Quick answer

Start at the cathedral and the market, on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday morning if you can, then walk south through the Kirschgarten and Augustinerstraße. Give the afternoon to Chagall’s blue windows in St. Stephan and the two Gutenberg Bibles at the museum’s interim home. The evening belongs to a Weinstube and a glass of Silvaner. Day two is Roman Mainz and the Zitadelle, or a boat into the Rhine gorge.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** May · Jun · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 2 days
- **Budget per day:** €90–160
- **Language:** German, with Meenzerisch spoken locally
- **Getting around:** The old town on foot, MVG trams and buses beyond it
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.mainz.de/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Mainz

### 1. Mainz Cathedral

Cathedral · Domplatz, 55116 Mainz

Archbishop Willigis laid the foundation stone in 975, and his first cathedral burned on the day of its consecration in 1009. The red sandstone church that replaced it has a choir at each end, and the bronze doors of the market portal still date from Willigis.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Weekday morning
- **Tip:** Services take priority, and on Sundays the nave opens to visitors only in the afternoon

Links: [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/zu-gast-in-mainz/sehenswertes/dom-st.martin?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 2. Gutenberg Museum (interim)

Museum · Reichklarastraße 1, 55116 Mainz

The museum of printing left its Liebfrauenplatz home in 2024 so a new building can rise there. Its interim show, Gutenberg-Museum MOVED, sits inside the natural history museum, and two original 42-line Gutenberg Bibles are kept in a walk-in treasure chamber.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Weekday opening
- **Tip:** The Liebfrauenplatz site is a building plot now, so go straight to Reichklarastraße

Links: [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/microsite/gutenberg-museum/Museum/interimsplanungen?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. St. Stephan and the Chagall windows

Church · Kleine Weißgasse 12, 55116 Mainz

Marc Chagall glazed this Gothic hall church on the Stephansberg in the last years of his life, and the nave glows a deep blue at any hour. The cloister beside it is quieter still. Entry is free, and services and weddings close it to visitors.

- **Time:** 40 min
- **Cost:** Free, donations welcome
- **Best at:** Sunny morning
- **Tip:** A short talk on the windows follows the 11:00 Sunday mass, with no booking needed

Links: [Website](https://bistummainz.de/pfarrei/mainz-st-stephan/english/meditations---guided-tours---explanation/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Markt and the Saturday wine market

Market · Markt, 55116 Mainz

Growers fill the squares around the cathedral on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. From March to October the Saturday Marktfrühstück adds winemakers pouring by the glass, split for now across Fischtorplatz, Tritonplatz and Schillerplatz while Liebfrauenplatz is rebuilt.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free to browse
- **Best at:** Saturday morning
- **Tip:** Order a Fleischworscht with a roll and a glass of wine, the Mainz breakfast

Links: [Website](https://www.rheinhessen.de/en/a-mainzer-marktfruehstueck?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 5. Kirschgarten and Augustinerstraße

Old town · Kirschgarten, 55116 Mainz

Half-timbered houses, some from the 15th century, ring the small Kirschgarten square, and Augustinerstraße runs south from it past the Augustinerkirche. The wine taverns sit in the lanes either side, Grebenstraße and Jakobsbergstraße among them.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Early evening
- **Tip:** Walk it south from the cathedral, then come back along the Rhine

### 6. Zitadelle and the Drususstein

Fortress · Zitadelle, 55131 Mainz

A 17th-century star fort above the old town, its grounds open as a park. Inside stands the Drususstein, the core of the monument Roman troops raised to the general Drusus in 9 BC: the marble is long gone, but some 20 m of masonry still stand.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Afternoon
- **Tip:** The underground shelters open only on tours run by the citadel initiative

Links: [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/gruenes-mainz/gruenanlagen_und_parks/zitadelle?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Landesmuseum Mainz

Museum · Große Bleiche 49–51, 55116 Mainz

The state museum covers the region from prehistory onward, and its Roman stones are the reason to come: legionaries’ tombstones and the original Jupiter column of Mogontiacum. The permanent galleries are being remodelled, so check what is open.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** €6, reduced €5
- **Best at:** Tuesday evening
- **Tip:** Open until 20:00 on Tuesdays and closed on Mondays; under 6s go free

Links: [Website](https://landesmuseum-mainz.de/en/home/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 8. Museum für Antike Schifffahrt

Museum · Neutorstraße 2b, 55116 Mainz

The wrecks of late Roman warships, dug up in Mainz in the early 1980s, lie here beside two full-size reconstructions. It shows the Rhine as Rome saw it: a guarded frontier patrolled by boat.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** See website
- **Best at:** Rainy afternoon
- **Tip:** It stands by the Römisches Theater station, so pair it with the Roman theatre next door

### 9. Rhine embankment and Electoral Palace

Riverfront · Adenauerufer, 55116 Mainz

The riverside promenade runs past the red sandstone palace of the prince-archbishops and on to the Kaisertor, with Wiesbaden across the water. Pleasure boats into the Rhine gorge leave from this bank in season.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Sunset
- **Tip:** Rhine cruises run from Easter to mid-October and not on Mondays

### 10. Kupferberg Terrasse

Sekt cellars · Kupferbergterrasse, 55116 Mainz

A sparkling wine house on the hill above the station, built over some 60 cellars that reach about 50 m down, the oldest of them medieval. Tours end with a glass, and the restaurant garden looks over the 19th-century cellar building.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30
- **Cost:** Ticketed tours
- **Best at:** Saturday
- **Tip:** Tours run by registration, so book ahead rather than turning up

## Best wine taverns in Mainz

Rheinhessen wine by the glass, Spundekäs on the side, in the lanes south of the cathedral.

1. **Weinstube Hottum** (Weinstube · Rheinhessen · Grebenstraße): A small, rustic Weinstube for regional plates and wine by the glass.
2. **Hof Ehrenfels** (Weinstube · Regional · Grebenstraße): A listed house by the cathedral, with regional cooking and a long list.
3. **Weinstube Lösch** (Weinstube · VDP wines · Jakobsbergstraße): Tall carved oak panelling, a regional kitchen and wines from VDP estates.
4. **Altdeutsche Weinstube** (Weinstube · Local wine · Liebfrauenplatz): Billed as the oldest wine tavern in Rheinhessen, on the square behind the cathedral.
5. **Weinhaus Wilhelmi** (Weinhaus · Evenings · Rheinstraße): Handkäs and Spundekäs with Rheinhessen wine, from 17:00 only.
6. **Zum Spiegel** (Weinstube · Traditional · Leichhof): A traditional wine house on the Leichhof, a few steps from the cathedral.

## Best restaurants in Mainz

A family wine restaurant, a medieval hospital hall and somewhere for breakfast.

1. **Geberts Weinstuben** (Regional · Bib Gourmand · Neustadt): Family-run since 1887, a Michelin Bib Gourmand, over 150 regional wines. [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/essen-und-trinken/gebert-s-weinstuben?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Heiliggeist** (Brasserie · Historic hall · Altstadt): A restaurant since 1863 in the vaulted hall of a hospital founded in 1236. [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/essen-und-trinken/mainzmagazin-empfiehlt-heilig-geist?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Restaurant Kupferberg** (Regional · Garden · Oberstadt): Regional cooking at the Sekt house, with a garden in good weather. [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/essen-und-trinken/mainzmagazin-empfiehlt-kupferberg-mainz?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Wilma Wunder** (All day · Market square · Markt): Breakfast to late, with the market square and the cathedral out front.
5. **Rentschlers** (Modern · Terrace · Altstadt): Old-town dining with a conservatory and a covered terrace.

## Best museums in Mainz

Five more, from the cathedral treasury to the city’s carnival.

1. **Dom- und Diözesanmuseum** (Treasury · Cloister · Domplatz): Ten centuries of cathedral treasure, entered from the cloister.
2. **Naturhistorisches Museum** (Natural history · Altstadt): The renovated natural history museum, built for families.
3. **Mainzer Fastnachtsmuseum** (Carnival · Proviant-Magazin · Altstadt): Costumes, floats and the story of organised Mainz carnival.
4. **Kunsthalle Mainz** (Contemporary art · Zollhafen): Contemporary art only, in a converted building on the old customs harbour.
5. **Stadthistorisches Museum** (City history · Zitadelle · Oberstadt): The city’s own story, told inside the Zitadelle.

## Best Roman sites in Mainz

The legion’s town under the modern one, free to see in four places.

1. **Isis and Mater Magna sanctuary** (Temple · Taberna archaeologica · Römerpassage): A 1st-century temple found in 1999, kept in the basement of a shopping arcade. [Website](https://www.rheinhessen.de/en/mainz-3/a-isis-and-mater-magna-sanctuary?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Roman theatre** (Theatre · Excavated · Südbahnhof): One of the largest Roman theatres north of the Alps, beside the station named for it.
3. **Römersteine** (Aqueduct · Zahlbach · Zahlbach): Pillars of the aqueduct that carried water to the legion’s fort.
4. **Drususstein** (Monument · 9 BC · Zitadelle): The core of the cenotaph raised to Drusus in 9 BC, inside the Zitadelle. [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/zu-gast-in-mainz/sehenswertes/drususstein?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best churches in Mainz

Four more, from a Merovingian church to a rococo seminary.

1. **St. Johannis** (Merovingian · Excavation · Altstadt): The oldest church in Mainz, its 7th-century walls 16 m high; likely the first cathedral. [Website](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/zu-gast-in-mainz/sehenswertes/st.johannis?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Augustinerkirche** (Rococo · Seminary · Augustinerstraße): The seminary church, baroque outside and rococo within.
3. **St. Peter** (Rococo · Parish church · Deutschhausplatz): Rebuilt in rococo from 1749 after the Swedes destroyed the old collegiate church.
4. **St. Ignaz** (Classicist · Parish church · Kapuzinerstraße): A classicist hall church of 1763 to 1775 with a sandstone front.

## Best neighborhoods in Mainz

Three quarters, each a different century of the city.

1. **Altstadt** (Old town · Altstadt): The lanes south of the cathedral, half-timbered and full of Weinstuben.
2. **Neustadt** (19th-century quarter · Neustadt): The 19th-century grid north of the centre, student bars and corner cafés.
3. **Zollhafen** (Riverside · New build · Neustadt): The old customs harbour on the Rhine, rebuilt as a new quarter around the Kunsthalle.

## Best day trips in Mainz

The Rhine gorge, the Rheingau and two cathedral towns, all within reach by rail or boat.

1. **Rhine Gorge cruise** (Boat · Easter to mid-October · Middle Rhine): KD boats run downriver past Rüdesheim to St. Goarshausen, below the Loreley.
2. **Rüdesheim am Rhein** (Rheingau · Cable car · Rheingau): The Drosselgasse, then a cable car up to the Niederwald monument.
3. **Kloster Eberbach** (Abbey · Wine · Eltville): A Cistercian abbey and wine estate, where The Name of the Rose was filmed. [Website](https://kloster-eberbach.de/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Wiesbaden** (Spa town · Across the river · Hesse): The capital of Hesse, straight across the Rhine, with its spa-town Kurhaus. [Website](https://tourism.wiesbaden.de/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Worms** (Cathedral · SchUM · Rheinhessen): The Romanesque cathedral and the Heiliger Sand, an old Jewish cemetery in the SchUM listing.
6. **Oppenheim** (Cellars · Gothic · Rheinhessen): A labyrinth of medieval cellars under the town, toured with a guide, and a Gothic church.

## Festivals & annual events in Mainz (2026)

- **Start of the Fastnacht season** (11 November): Carnival opens at 11:11 on the eleventh of the eleventh, around the Fastnachtsbrunnen.
- **Rosenmontagszug** (February): The Rose Monday parade leaves the Neustadt at 11:11 for the cathedral; 2026’s ran on 16 February.
- **Mainzer Rheinfrühling** (Late March to mid-April): A spring fair on the Adenauerufer between the Kaisertor and the Electoral Palace.
- **Marktfrühstück season** (March to October): Winemakers pour beside the Saturday market, the most Mainz hour of the week.
- **Open Ohr Festival** (Whitsun weekend): Political song, theatre and talks inside the Zitadelle, past its 50th edition.
- **Mainzer Johannisnacht** (Late June): Four days for Gutenberg across the old town; 2026’s ran 19 to 22 June.
- **Mainzer Weinmarkt** (Late August to early September): Two long weekends of Rheinhessen growers pouring outdoors.
- **Christmas market** (Late November to 23 December): Stalls across Domplatz, Höfchen and Liebfrauenplatz, under the cathedral.

## Must-try dishes in Mainz, Germany

- **Spundekäs**: Cream cheese, quark, paprika and garlic, eaten with pretzels and wine.
- **Handkäs mit Musik**: Sour-milk cheese marinated in vinegar, oil and onions.
- **Fleischworscht**: A thick pork sausage, hot or cold, with mustard and bread.
- **Weck, Worscht un Woi**: A roll, a sausage and a glass of wine: the Mainz snack.
- **Zwiebelkuchen**: Onion tart for autumn, eaten with young Federweißer wine.
- **Kartoffelsupp mit Quetschekuche**: Potato soup served with plum cake, sweet against savoury.
- **Rheinhessen Silvaner**: The region’s dry white, the house pour in every Weinstube.
- **Sekt**: German sparkling wine, made in Mainz cellars since the 19th century.

## Mainz transport & airports

- **Frankfurt Airport** (FRA): Take the S8 from the airport’s regional station to Mainz Hauptbahnhof, about 25 to 30 minutes; the S9 does not stop in Mainz. RMV tickets cover it. [Website](https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Mainz Hauptbahnhof** (ICE): ICE and regional trains on the Rhine line, with fast links to Frankfurt, Cologne and the Middle Rhine. The cathedral is a walk or a short tram ride east. [Website](https://www.bahn.com/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Trams and buses** (MVG): Mainzer Mobilität runs the trams and buses. Mainz and Wiesbaden share fare zone 65, so one ticket crosses the river. [Mainzer Mobilität](https://www.mainzer-mobilitaet.de/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Mainz Card Plus** (Pass): Unlimited RMV travel in zone 65 plus the airport route, with reduced or free museum entry, for one person or a group of up to five. [RMV](https://www.rmv.de/c/en/fahrkarten/die-richtige-fahrkarte/tickets-overview/local-tickets/mainzcardplus?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Mainz at a glance

- **Country:** Germany
- **Region:** Rhineland-Palatinate, its capital since 1950
- **Population:** 223,888 in the city (31 December 2025)
- **Founded:** As the Roman fort Mogontiacum, 13/12 BC
- **Nickname:** Gutenbergstadt, for the inventor of movable-type printing
- **Language:** German, with Meenzerisch spoken locally
- **Currency:** Euro (EUR)
- **Time zone:** CET (UTC+1), CEST in summer
- **Calling code:** +49, city code 6131
- **Airports:** Frankfurt (FRA), about 30 km east by S-Bahn
- **Power:** 230V, type F sockets
- **Emergency:** 112 for any emergency, 110 for police

## Interesting facts

- The first cathedral burned down on the day of its consecration in 1009, and was not in use again until 1036.
- Two original 42-line Gutenberg Bibles are held by the city’s Gutenberg Museum.
- Mainz took over as capital of Rhineland-Palatinate from Koblenz in 1950.
- Carnival season opens at 11:11 on 11 November, and the Rose Monday parade starts at 11:11 too.
- The old Jewish cemetery is part of the SchUM sites, listed by UNESCO with Speyer and Worms in 2021.

## Mainz travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Mainz?

Two. The first covers the cathedral, the market, the Kirschgarten and Chagall’s windows in St. Stephan, ending in a Weinstube. The second takes Roman Mainz, the Zitadelle and the Landesmuseum, or swaps them for a boat into the Rhine gorge.

### Is the Gutenberg Museum open?

Yes, in an interim home. The old building on Liebfrauenplatz closed in 2024 for a new one, and the collection moved to the natural history museum at Reichklarastraße 1, where two original Gutenberg Bibles are on show. Check hours before you go.

### When is carnival in Mainz?

The season opens at 11:11 on 11 November and peaks in the days before Lent, with the Rose Monday parade leaving the Neustadt at 11:11. The date moves with Easter: in 2026 the parade ran on 16 February.

### How do you get from Frankfurt Airport to Mainz?

By S-Bahn. The S8 runs from the airport’s regional station to Mainz Hauptbahnhof in about 25 to 30 minutes; the S9 skips Mainz. An RMV ticket also covers Mainz trams and buses, and the Mainz Card Plus includes the airport route.

### Can you see the Rhine gorge from Mainz?

Yes, as a day trip. KD boats run downriver from Mainz past Rüdesheim to St. Goarshausen below the Loreley, from Easter to mid-October and not on Mondays. The stretch to Rüdesheim is gentle, so many people take the train to Rüdesheim or Bingen and board there.

## Nearby guides

- [Dortmund](https://wimup.com/city/dortmund.md): Germany · 10 picks
- [Bamberg](https://wimup.com/city/bamberg.md): Germany · 10 picks
- [Maastricht](https://wimup.com/city/maastricht.md): Netherlands · 10 picks
- [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 150 cities

Part of the [Germany guide](https://wimup.com/country/germany.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md)

## Sources

- [Mainz tourism board](https://www.mainz.de/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Mainz Cathedral (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/zu-gast-in-mainz/sehenswertes/dom-st.martin?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Gutenberg Museum (interim) (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/microsite/gutenberg-museum/Museum/interimsplanungen?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [St. Stephan and the Chagall windows (official site)](https://bistummainz.de/pfarrei/mainz-st-stephan/english/meditations---guided-tours---explanation/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Markt and the Saturday wine market (official site)](https://www.rheinhessen.de/en/a-mainzer-marktfruehstueck?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Zitadelle and the Drususstein (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/gruenes-mainz/gruenanlagen_und_parks/zitadelle?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Landesmuseum Mainz (official site)](https://landesmuseum-mainz.de/en/home/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Geberts Weinstuben (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/essen-und-trinken/gebert-s-weinstuben?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Heiliggeist (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/essen-und-trinken/mainzmagazin-empfiehlt-heilig-geist?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Restaurant Kupferberg (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/essen-und-trinken/mainzmagazin-empfiehlt-kupferberg-mainz?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Isis and Mater Magna sanctuary (official site)](https://www.rheinhessen.de/en/mainz-3/a-isis-and-mater-magna-sanctuary?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Drususstein (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/zu-gast-in-mainz/sehenswertes/drususstein?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [St. Johannis (official site)](https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/zu-gast-in-mainz/sehenswertes/st.johannis?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Kloster Eberbach (official site)](https://kloster-eberbach.de/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Wiesbaden (official site)](https://tourism.wiesbaden.de/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Frankfurt Airport (official site)](https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Mainz Hauptbahnhof (official site)](https://www.bahn.com/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Trams and buses: Mainzer Mobilität](https://www.mainzer-mobilitaet.de/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Mainz Card Plus: RMV](https://www.rmv.de/c/en/fahrkarten/die-richtige-fahrkarte/tickets-overview/local-tickets/mainzcardplus?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.