Mainz travel guide
Gutenberg's press, Chagall's blue windows and Rheinhessen wine by the glass
Mainz is the Rhine capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, home of Gutenberg's printing press, a thousand-year-old cathedral, Chagall's windows at St Stephan and Rheinhessen's wine taverns. Go from May to October, or in February for carnival. Two days covers the city, three with a Rhine Gorge trip. Prices are high, and many nationalities enter Germany visa-free.
Mainz faces Wiesbaden across the Rhine, opposite the point where the Main flows in, about 40 km west of Frankfurt. The Romans built a legionary camp here in about 13 BC and called it Mogontiacum. A thousand years later its archbishops were among the seven princes who elected German kings, and in the 1450s a local goldsmith, Johannes Gutenberg, printed the first major book in Europe with movable metal type.
This is the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate and a university town, but the reason most visitors come is the pairing of history and wine. The red sandstone cathedral of St Martin stands over a market where winegrowers from Rheinhessen, Germany's largest wine region by vineyard area, pour glasses on Saturday mornings. Up the hill, Marc Chagall's blue windows fill St Stephan with light. The Altstadt behind the cathedral is small, with half-timbered lanes and old wine taverns.
Twice a year the city goes slightly mad. Carnival, or Fastnacht, peaks with the Rosenmontag parade, and the Johannisnacht festival in late June honours Gutenberg with fireworks over the river. Two days is enough for Mainz itself; three lets you take a boat into the Rhine Gorge.
Explore Mainz by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Mainz.
Mainz at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Germany
Pick a place by travel style: nature, cities, heritage, hills, islands.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Mainz
Mainz combines Roman remains, a thousand-year-old cathedral, Gutenberg and Chagall with wine taverns and a riverfront promenade.
No things to do in Mainz are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Mainz
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Warm and sunny by German standards, with the Johannisnacht in late June, the Weinmarkt in the city park around the end of August and the grape harvest in September and October.
Fastnacht officially opens at 11:11 on 11 November and climaxes on Rosenmontag in February or March, when the parade fills the centre and hotels sell out.
Cool, grey and damp; the Christmas market by the cathedral brightens December, otherwise a season for museums and wine taverns.
On Rosenmontag the centre is closed to traffic and packed with costumed crowds from morning on; book months ahead or stay in Wiesbaden or Frankfurt and come in by S-Bahn.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Mainz are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Mainz
Traveling to Mainz? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Mainz Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
S8 from Frankfurt Airport to the Römisches Theater
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the gateway and is close: S-Bahn line S8 toward Wiesbaden runs at least every 30 minutes from the regional station under Terminal 1 and reaches Mainz Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes, with a stop at Mainz Römisches Theater first. Regional trains toward Koblenz and Saarbrücken use the same tariff and are faster. Frankfurt-Hahn, the low-cost airport in the Hunsrück, has bus links to Mainz. Mainz Hauptbahnhof, on the western edge of the centre, is the only station with ICE and InterCity trains, including services along the Rhine to Cologne. ÖBB Nightjet sleepers also stop here during the night. Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is about 40 minutes away by S8. On the far bank, Mainz-Kastel station has S-Bahn lines to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt. Motorways A60 and A643 which ring the city; the centre has plenty of garages.
- Frankfurt Airport
- S8 every 30 minutes or faster regional trains, about 30 minutes
- Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
- Bus links to Mainz
- Frankfurt Hbf
- S8 about 40 minutes
- Hauptbahnhof to the cathedral
- 15-minute walk
- If your hotel is in the south of the Altstadt, get off the S8 at Mainz Römisches Theater; it is closer than the Hauptbahnhof.
Where to stay
Kirschgarten lanes, the Neustadt grid or across the bridge in Kastel
Stay close to the cathedral to have the Altstadt wine taverns on your doorstep, or in the Neustadt for longer stays and a younger crowd. Everything central is within a 20-minute walk. Rooms vanish during carnival, the Johannisnacht in late June and big trade fairs in Frankfurt, so book early then.
- Altstadt around the cathedral and Kirschgarten
- Half-timbered lanes, wine bars and the market; noisy on summer nights and pricey
- Neustadt
- 19th-century grid north of the centre with cafés, student bars and good-value apartments; 15 minutes' walk to the cathedral
- Around the Hauptbahnhof and the Bleichenviertel
- Chain hotels handy for trains and the airport S-Bahn; less atmosphere
- Mainz-Kastel
- Across the Theodor Heuss Bridge on the Hessian bank, cheaper and with views back to the cathedral; a bridge walk from the centre
Getting around
MVG trams, the Mainzelbahn and KD boats on the Rhine
The Altstadt, the cathedral and the Rhine promenade are an easy walk from the Hauptbahnhof, and signposts and maps are everywhere. For the hills and outer districts, the city company MVG runs trams and buses; the newest tram line, the Mainzelbahn, climbs to the university and the ZDF television centre at Lerchenberg. Mainz and Wiesbaden share one fare zone in the RMV system, so a single or day ticket also covers buses and trains across the river. Get a ticket before boarding, from machines or the RMV and MVG apps. For trips further afield, the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket gives a day of unlimited regional trains for up to five people across Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The riverbank paths are flat and good for cycling, and the meinRad bike-share has stations across the city. From spring to autumn, KD and other boat lines sail from the Rhine bank near the town hall toward Rüdesheim and the Rhine Gorge.
- Tram and bus
- MVG network; Mainz and Wiesbaden share one RMV fare zone
- Bike share
- meinRad stations across the city
- Rhine boats
- Seasonal sailings from the Rhine bank to Rüdesheim and the Gorge
- Watch the pedestrian lights: many show the Mainzelmännchen, the cartoon figures of the ZDF television channel based in the city.
Know before you go
Gutenberg, carnival and Rhine wine taverns. These are the things to know before visiting Mainz.
Why travelers love it
- St Stephan's Chagall windows, nine panels of deep blue glass that turn the Gothic interior into a blue cave on sunny mornings.
- The Saturday market under the cathedral, where winegrowers pour Riesling and Silvaner to a crowd eating sausage rolls.
- Roman warships in the Museum für Antike Schifffahrt, the remains of late-Roman river patrol boats found during building work in the 1980s (closed for a redesign since 2022; the museum has announced its reopening for 7 March 2027).
Good to know
- St Stephan closes for weddings, often on Saturday afternoons, so visit in the morning.
- Carnival in Mainz is serious business: expect closures and crowds around Rosenmontag.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Mainz, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Mainz are being researched.
The Dom, the Kirschgarten and Chagall's windows at St Stephan
Mainz fills two days. Spend the first on the cathedral market, the Cathedral of St Martin, the Gutenberg collection now shown in the Naturhistorisches Museum, the Kirschgarten lanes and Chagall's windows at St Stephan. Use the second for Roman Mainz, the Zitadelle and a Rhine boat to Rüdesheim.
Day one, morning. Go to the Markt early on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, when farmers fill the square under the cathedral. Then enter the Cathedral of St Martin, a thousand years old, with choirs at both ends and the tombs of the Prince-Electors lining its pillars; the Dom Museum shows its treasures. Then walk to the Naturhistorisches Museum, where the Gutenberg Museum's collection is on show during the rebuild, for the 42-line Bible and the story of the press.
Afternoon. Walk the Altstadt south of the cathedral: the half-timbered Kirschgarten, the baroque Augustinerkirche on Augustinerstraße and the lanes around the Leichhof. Climb the Stephansberg to St Stephan for the late afternoon, when the light through Marc Chagall's windows is at its strongest. Spend the evening in an old Weinstube in the Altstadt with a glass of Rheinhessen Silvaner.
Day two. Walk to the Museum für Antike Schifffahrt near the Römisches Theater station to see the Roman ships if it has reopened after its long redesign, then explore the remains of the theatre itself and climb to the Zitadelle, where the Drususstein, the core of a memorial to the Roman general Drusus, still stands. After lunch, walk the Rhine promenade past the Electoral Palace, or take a boat down to Rüdesheim and the Rhine Gorge, returning by train along the river at dusk.
Weck, Worscht un Woi and Spundekäs at the Rheinhessen wine tavern
Mainz eats and drinks Rheinhessen style. The local snack is Weck, Worscht un Woi: a roll, Fleischwurst sausage and a glass of wine. Order Spundekäs or Handkäs mit Musik in an Altstadt Weinstube, drink Federweißer with Zwiebelkuchen in autumn, and join the Saturday Marktfrühstück by the cathedral in the warmer months.
The local formula for happiness has three parts. Weck, Worscht un Woi means a bread roll, a hot Fleischwurst sausage and a glass of wine, and it is eaten everywhere from carnival stalls to the market. On Saturdays in the warmer months, winegrowers from Rheinhessen set up the Marktfrühstück by the cathedral, and half of Mainz stands around tall tables drinking Riesling at ten in the morning.
Two cheeses dominate the snack menu. Spundekäs is soft cream cheese whipped with cream, onion and paprika, served with pretzels; it is mild and made for beer or a crisp white. Handkäs mit Musik is a strong, translucent sour-milk cheese marinated in vinegar, oil and onions, with caraway seeds on top. Locals joke that the music comes later. Autumn brings Federweißer, cloudy, half-fermented new wine, served with warm Zwiebelkuchen, an onion and bacon tart.
Rheinhessen is Germany's largest wine region by area, and the city's traditional Weinstuben, small wood-panelled taverns in the Altstadt, serve local Riesling, Silvaner and Dornfelder by the glass with simple, hearty food. The Neustadt has livelier bars and a range of international restaurants. In late summer, the Weinmarkt in the Stadtpark brings growers from across the region; in June, the Johannisnacht fills the Rhine bank with food and wine stalls.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Mainz. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Mainz
How we research our Mainz travel guide
Mainz is mid-rebuild at the Gutenberg Museum, so mainz.de is checked for reopenings, carnival and Johannisnacht dates. S8 and Rhine line trains come from Deutsche Bahn, and the German National Tourist Board adds context.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of MainzGerman National Tourist BoardDeutsche Bahn
See all 3 sources
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Mainz
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Mainz are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Mainz!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Mainz answers for first visits, carnival trips and wine weekends.
General
The Gutenberg Museum owns copies of the 42-line Bible. Its old building closed in October 2024 for a rebuild, and the collection is shown as Gutenberg-Museum MOVED in the Naturhistorisches Museum nearby.
Eleven is the fool's number in Rhineland carnival, so the season opens at that minute. It peaks months later on the Monday before Ash Wednesday, when the huge Rosenmontag parade winds through the centre.
Mainz dialect for bread roll, sausage and wine, the classic local snack served at markets, festivals and the Saturday Marktfrühstück.
A Saturday gathering in the warmer months beside the cathedral market, where Rheinhessen winegrowers sell wine by the glass and locals meet for a late breakfast.
A four-day festival in late June honouring Gutenberg, with food and wine stalls along the Rhine bank and fireworks over the river.
Yes, from spring to autumn KD and other lines leave from the riverbank near the town hall for Rüdesheim and the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge beyond.
Remains of several late-Roman river warships found in 1981-82 during construction near the Rhine, shown alongside full-size reconstructions. The museum closed for a redesign in 2022 and has announced it will reopen on 7 March 2027, with six original wrecks on show.
The Altstadt, the cathedral and the Rhine promenade are an easy walk from the Hauptbahnhof, and signposts and maps are everywhere. For the hills and outer districts, the city company MVG runs trams and buses; the newest tram line, the Mainzelbahn, climbs to the university and the ZDF television centre at Lerchenberg. Mainz and Wiesbaden share one fare zone in the RMV system, so a single or day ticket also covers buses and trains across the river.
Mainz is best known for:
- St Stephan's Chagall windows, nine panels of deep blue glass that turn the Gothic interior into a blue cave on sunny mornings
- The Saturday market under the cathedral, where winegrowers pour Riesling and Silvaner to a crowd eating sausage rolls
- Roman warships in the Museum für Antike Schifffahrt, the remains of late-Roman river patrol boats found during building work in the 1980s (closed for a redesign since 2022; the museum has announced its reopening for 7 March 2027)
Timing & weather
On sunny days, especially late morning to afternoon. Avoid Saturday afternoons, when weddings often close the church to visitors.
The best time to visit Mainz is May to Oct. One of Germany's warmest, driest corners; summer wine festivals and the September-October harvest with new wine and onion tart.
- Wine season: May - October (Warm and sunny by German standards, with the Johannisnacht in late June, the Weinmarkt in the city park around the end of August and the grape harvest in September and October)
- Carnival: November - February (Fastnacht officially opens at 11:11 on 11 November and climaxes on Rosenmontag in February or March, when the parade fills the centre and hotels sell out)
- Quiet months: December - March, outside carnival (Cool, grey and damp; the Christmas market by the cathedral brightens December, otherwise a season for museums and wine taverns)
Getting there
About 30 minutes to Mainz Hauptbahnhof, running at least every half hour. Regional trains on the same route are slightly faster.
Booking
Yes. Both cities share one RMV fare zone, so a city ticket covers buses and trains on both banks of the Rhine.
Visa & documents
As a Schengen member, Germany shares one set of entry rules with most of the EU. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing at large stations, Christmas markets and on big-city public transport is the main risk in a very safe country. Carry ID and validate paper tickets where required. Call 110 for police and 112 for fire or ambulance.
