Holiday in Mainz
City in Germany — tips, highlights & best time to visit 🇩🇪
Country
Germany
Type
City
Best time to travel
May to October (17-26 °C). August for the wine market. February for Fastnacht. Spring in the vineyards is particularly beautiful.
Budget/day
65-140 €
Getting there from Germany
ICE: Frankfurt 25 min., Cologne 1.5 h, Stuttgart 1.5 h, Berlin 4 h. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) reachable in 25 min. by S-Bahn.
Deals for Mainz:
What makes Mainz special as a destination?
Mainz, the state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, is the city where Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type printing around 1450, triggering a media revolution that changed the world. Today, Mainz is a media city (headquarters of ZDF), a wine city, and one of the carnival strongholds of Germany. The Gutenberg Museum at Liebfrauenplatz is one of the oldest printing museums in the world and houses two of the 49 remaining Gutenberg Bibles — the so-called 42-line Bibles, considered the most beautiful printed books in history. In the printing workshop, visitors can work on a historical printing press themselves. The Mainz Cathedral of St. Martin is one of the three great Romanesque imperial cathedrals on the Rhine, alongside those in Worms and Speyer. Over 1,000 years old, it combines Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque elements and towers over the entire old town with its west tower. The Mainz Fastnacht (not Carnival!) is legendary: The Rosenmontag parade is one of the largest in Germany, and the sessions with political cabaret in the Rheingoldhalle are broadcast live on television. The fifth season begins on November 11 and reaches its peak in the week before Ash Wednesday. Mainz is the wine capital: Located directly on the Rhine, surrounded by Rheinhessen, the largest wine-growing region in Germany, the Mainz Wine Market presents over 100 wines from local winemakers at the riverside at the end of August.
What are the top highlights in Mainz?
The top highlights in Mainz include Gutenberg Museum, Mainz Cathedral of St. Martin, Mainz Fastnacht, Mainz Wine Market, Citadel & Roman Theater.
The places you absolutely must not miss.
Gutenberg Museum
World museum of printing: two original Gutenberg Bibles, historical printing workshop to participate — Gutenberg's legacy up close.
Mainz Cathedral of St. Martin
Over 1,000 years old Romanesque imperial cathedral: one of the most significant sacred buildings in Germany with magnificent tombs.
Mainz Fastnacht
Legendary Rosenmontag parade and political cabaret: one of the three major carnival strongholds in Germany alongside Cologne and Düsseldorf.
Mainz Wine Market
End of August at the riverside: over 100 wines from Rheinhessen, the largest wine-growing region in Germany, directly from the winemaker.
Citadel & Roman Theater
Baroque fortress complex with a Roman stage theater underneath: 2,000 years of history on a hill above the old town.
Hotels in Mainz
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Pauschalreisen & Rundreisen
Berge & Meer – 170 Tage Cookie
When is the best time to visit Mainz?
The best time to visit Mainz is May to October (17-26 °C). August for the wine market. February for Fastnacht. Spring in the vineyards is particularly beautiful.. 18-27 °C, warm and sunny, one of the warmest areas in Germany In winter: 0-5 °C, mild due to the Rhine location, snow is rare
Recommended travel time
May to October (17-26 °C). August for the wine market. February for Fastnacht. Spring in the vineyards is particularly beautiful.
Summer
18-27 °C, warm and sunny, one of the warmest areas in Germany
Winter
0-5 °C, mild due to the Rhine location, snow is rare
How much does a holiday in Mainz cost?
Budget travellers: 35-55 €/day, mid-range: 65-140 €/day, luxury: 160-320 €/day.
Average costs per person per day
Budget
35-55 €
Hostel, Street food, Public transport
Mid-range
65-140 €
Hotel, Restaurant, Excursions
Luxury
160-320 €
Boutique hotel, Fine dining
How do I get from Germany to Mainz?
ICE: Frankfurt 25 min., Cologne 1.5 h, Stuttgart 1.5 h, Berlin 4 h. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) reachable in 25 min. by S-Bahn.
Book a package holiday to Mainz
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Compare package holidays nowWhat travel tips are there for Mainz?
Insider knowledge that makes your holiday better.
Gutenberg Museum printing workshop — for 3 € you can make a print on the historical press yourself. A perfect souvenir and experience for children.
Wine tasting in Rheinhessen — dozens of winemakers around Mainz offer tastings. Nierstein, Oppenheim, and Nackenheim are reachable in 20 min.
Fastnacht session tickets — the TV sessions are sold out months in advance. Street Fastnacht on Rosenmontag is free and accessible to all.
Affordable commuting Mainz-Frankfurt — RMV day ticket from 9.50 €. The S-Bahn S8 connects Mainz, Frankfurt Airport, and Frankfurt Hbf.
Augustinergasse & Kirschgarten — the most beautiful half-timbered corners of the old town, away from the tourist paths. Ideal for photos and small wine taverns.
What should you eat in Mainz?
Typical specialities in Mainz: Handkäs mit Musik — sour milk cheese marinated with onions, vinegar, and oil: the music comes later, they say in Mainz. Typical Hessian-Rheinhessian., Spundekäser — creamy fresh cheese dip with bell peppers and onions, served with pretzels: a classic of the Rheinhessian beer and wine garden., Wingertsknorze — rustic bread in the shape of grapes: a Rheinhessian specialty, ideal with wine and cheese., Mainzer Rippchen — cured pork chop with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes: a hearty traditional dish from the Mainz wine taverns., Rheinhessian Federweißer — young, still fermenting grape juice in autumn: sweet-sparkling, served with onion cake — the perfect autumn duo..
These specialties you must try!
