Stand on the Markt in front of the red sandstone bulk of Mainz Cathedral and the city's layers stack up around you: Roman foundation, medieval archbishopric, the birthplace of the printing press, and a wine culture that runs through the taverns of the Old Town. The Rhine is a few minutes' walk downhill, and on a summer evening the promenade fills with people watching the river traffic go by.
Mainz suits travellers who like their cities walkable and their history dense, and who are happy to spend an afternoon over a glass of Rhenish wine rather than racing between sights. It also works well as a day trip from Frankfurt, since the Rhine-Main S-Bahn connects the two.
This guide covers the churches, squares, museums and riverside spaces worth your time, followed by a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Mainz
1. Dom St. Martin (Mainz Cathedral)
The 1,000-year-old Romanesque cathedral on Markt 10 has a double-chancel design and numerous funerary monuments of former Prince-Electors. The interior and the associated cathedral museum hold religious artworks spanning a millennium of the city's history.
Public tours run on the last Saturday of each month, with registration by email. The cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 09:00-17:00 and Sunday 13:00-17:00, and it sits directly on the Markt, so you can combine it with a walk through the surrounding Old Town streets.
2. Gutenberg Museum
On Liebfrauenplatz 5, this museum holds reconstructions of print shops and Gutenberg's hand press, an exhibition of incunabula, and the first two Gutenberg bibles in a strong room. There is also a section on the Far East with coloured woodcarvings and prints from Japan, China and Korea, and an exhibition on the electronic future of books.
Most displays have an English translation, and a guide in several languages can be bought with your admission. Every hour or so someone demonstrates how the hand press works by printing a bible page on a replica, and watching is included in the entry fee. It is closed on Mondays.
3. Stephanskirche (Church of St. Stephan)
Founded in 990 and rebuilt as a Gothic hall church between 1267 and 1340, St. Stephan is the city's second most significant church, with a distinctive double-choir layout, a large octagonal bell tower and a late-Gothic cloister. It is visited above all for its nine blue stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall, which depict biblical scenes and bathe the interior in a unique blue light.
Opening hours are seasonal: March to October Monday to Saturday 10:00-18:00 and Sunday 12:00-18:00; November to February Monday to Saturday 10:00-16:30 and Sunday 12:00-16:30. The church closes to visitors during weddings, which frequently take place on Saturdays between 13:45 and 15:00, and because these are announced only in the local parish bulletin they cannot be checked online in advance.
4. Altstadt (Old Town)
The Old Town is characterised by well-preserved half-timbered houses and narrow, winding alleyways, and serves as the atmospheric heart of the city, blending medieval architecture with local shops, traditional wine taverns and historic landmarks. Augustinerstraße and the historic Kirschgarten square are the areas to aim for.
Walk it without a fixed route and let the lanes lead you; the Augustinerkirche sits on Augustinerstraße, so the two fit naturally into the same wander.
5. River Banks
Stretching from the Zollhafen in the north to the Winterhafen in the south, the Rhine promenade is the city's primary outdoor leisure area. In summer the banks become a social hub with beach clubs, beer gardens and walking paths, popular for evening strolls, after-work drinks and views of the river.
Come in the late afternoon or evening, when the light softens and the promenade is at its liveliest.
6. Augustinerkirche
A prominent example of Rococo architecture with a distinctive red sandstone façade that contrasts with the surrounding buildings, built in the late 18th century as part of an Augustinian monastery. It is one of the few churches in the Mainz Old Town to survive the bombings of 1945 largely intact, preserving its ornate interior and a rare original Stumm organ.
It is open Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00 and Saturday 09:00-14:00, and its position on Augustinerstraße makes it an easy stop while exploring the Old Town.
7. Schillerplatz
One of the city's central squares, with an ensemble of historic buildings including the rococo-style Osteiner Hof and the Schönborner Hof. It is dominated by the Fastnachtsbrunnen, a bronze sculptural fountain designed by Blasius Spreng in 1967 depicting traditional carnival figures and allegorical scenes.
The square is a major social hub, especially during the carnival season, and a useful starting point for exploring the historic streets of the Old Town.
8. Christuskirche (Christ Church)
Built between 1896 and 1903 in Renaissance Revival style, this Protestant church on Kaiserstraße 56 features a massive dome designed as a counterbalance to the Catholic cathedral. Guided tours, including the tower, are available by appointment.
Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday 11:00-17:00 and Friday 12:00-18:00. Tower access is closed from March to mid-August to protect nesting peregrine falcons, and the church offers a special visitor programme on the Open Heritage Day, held annually on the second Sunday of September.
9. Sankt Ignaz
Completed in 1775, this Neoclassical hall church on Kapuzinerstraße 36 has an impressive sandstone façade modelled after the Parisian church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais. It is notable for vaulted ceilings painted by Johann Baptist Enderle and a historic crypt containing over 190 "baker's oven" graves.
It is a short stop rather than a long visit, and pairs well with the surrounding Old Town streets.
10. Deutschhaus (Commandry of the Teutonic Knights)
This Baroque palace on Deutschhausplatz 12 was built between 1729 and 1740 as a residence for the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. Largely destroyed during World War II, its exterior was reconstructed and the interior modernised to serve as the plenary building for the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate.
It is historically significant as the site of Germany's first democratically elected parliament in 1793. View it from the outside as part of a walk through the surrounding streets.
11. Kurfürstliches Schloss (Electoral Palace)
The former city residence of the Archbishops of Mainz on Peter-Altmeier-Allee 1 is a notable example of German Renaissance architecture. After extensive destruction during World War II the exterior was reconstructed.
The palace is primarily an administrative and event venue and is not open for general public interior tours, but its historic façade and the surrounding grounds are visible from the outside. The Museum für Archäologie is housed in the former Electors' Palace.
12. City Hall (Rathaus Mainz)
Built in the early 1970s by Danish architects using many tons of Swedish marble for the façade, the city hall on Jockel-Fuchs-Platz 1 is considered modern for its time but is not universally popular today, with some finding it too monumental. From the extensive city hall platform there is a view over the Rhine promenade and the river.
Treat it as a viewing point rather than a destination in itself, and continue down to the river banks.
13. Theodor-Heuss-Brücke (The Rhine Bridge)
One of three Rhine bridges connecting Mainz with Wiesbaden and the state of Hesse, the bridge between Mainz and Mainz-Kastel was rebuilt in the early 1950s after the former bridge was destroyed in World War II, and named after the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Kastel and the other former suburbs on the right bank consider themselves part of Mainz even though they are administered by Wiesbaden and Hesse, which makes a walk across an interesting lesson in how the river drew the post-war borders.
14. Old Jewish Cemetery
Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "SchUM Cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz," this cemetery on Mombacher Straße 61 has served as a final resting place since the 10th century.
For safety reasons the interior of the historic burial ground is generally closed to the public, but the site is visually accessible from along the perimeter fence, and the lower section offers an overview of the gravestones. Guided tours providing deeper insight must be booked in advance via the official city website.
15. Museum für Antike Schifffahrt (Museum of Ancient Navigation)
Unique to Mainz, this museum on Neutorstraße 2b contains the remains of five 5th-century Roman warship wrecks salvaged from the Rhine in the 1980s, with true-to-life replicas reconstructed from the originals. Visitors can also glimpse behind the scenes in the research laboratory and the museum's workshops.
The ships were found when the local Hilton was expanding its property. Note that the museum is closed until late autumn 2026, so check before planning around it. Admission is free.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Dom St. Martin on the Markt when it opens at 09:00, then walk the Altstadt, taking in Augustinerstraße, the Augustinerkirche and the Kirschgarten. Continue to Schillerplatz to see the Fastnachtsbrunnen and the surrounding historic buildings.
Afternoon: Spend the early afternoon at the Gutenberg Museum on Liebfrauenplatz, timing your visit to catch the hand press demonstration. Then head to Stephanskirche for the Chagall windows, keeping in mind that the church closes to visitors during Saturday weddings between 13:45 and 15:00.
Evening: Walk down to the River Banks and follow the Rhine promenade, stopping for a drink at one of the beer gardens or beach clubs in summer. Finish with the view from the city hall platform over the promenade and the river, or cross the Theodor-Heuss-Brücke towards Mainz-Kastel if you still have daylight.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit the Rhine promenade?
The summer months, when the banks host beach clubs and beer gardens. Evenings are the most popular time for strolls, after-work drinks and views of the river.
Can I visit the Old Jewish Cemetery?
The interior of the historic burial ground is generally closed to the public for safety reasons, but the site can be viewed from along the perimeter fence, and the lower section offers an overview of the gravestones. Guided tours must be booked in advance via the official city website.
Are the churches open every day?
Hours vary. Mainz Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 09:00-17:00 and Sunday 13:00-17:00. Stephanskirche keeps seasonal hours and closes to visitors during Saturday weddings between 13:45 and 15:00. The Augustinerkirche is open Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00 and Saturday 09:00-14:00, and the Christuskirche Saturday to Thursday 11:00-17:00 and Friday 12:00-18:00.
Which museums are currently open?
The Gutenberg Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 09:00-17:00 and Sunday 11:00-15:00. The Museum für Antike Schifffahrt is closed until late autumn 2026, and the Museum für Archäologie is due to reopen in 2027.
Work out which of these fit your days in Mainz, check the seasonal opening times before you travel, and start building your itinerary around the cathedral, the printing press and the river.