"Mainz 57" Top 5 Page for this destination Mainz by yooperprof

Where the Main meets the Rhine and the wine is fine.

Mainz is, and has been, a cosmopolitan place ever since the Roman occupation of Germania 2000 years ago.

The Rhine River "defines" the place, in the sense that it made sense to build a city at the confluence of the Rhine and Main - and also that there is a peculiar "microclimate" which makes this region so well suited to the growing of grapes and the creation of a wine culture.

Mainz is a long way from the ocean, but because it is located on a wide and influential (!) river, it has long been linked to many places far far away.

Yes, this is a city of religious significance, the home of an Archbishopric which was at one time the most significant in Central Europe.

In the European Middle Ages, the presence of a great cathedral gave this city a wealth and sophistication that few other places could rival. And with the work of a certain printer named Johannes Gutenberg, the fame of Mainz would soon reach around the world. Not surprisingly, Gutenberg worked in the shadow of the Dom, which was one of his earliest and most important clients.

The Carnival monument, in Schillerplatz

Let yourself go! Feel free to relax and have a good time! This is the fun Germany - especially during Carnival.

You might even feel like dancing.

• In a nutshell:Well worth a few days' stay - and very convenient for FRA