Mainz
Mainz is a charming small city, the birthplace of Gutenberg, a stunning 1000 year old cathedral and 17th century citadel. It’s also the capital for the Rheinhessen wine region. If you're visiting, download the audio tour from Voicemap for highly informative guided walk through the old town, learning about its history including the Romans, French occupations, Gutenberg and the famous Marc Chagall windows.
This blog page compliments the Voicemap tour offering a few extra places to visit during the tour and more recommendations for places to eat drink and be merry!
Getting to Mainz from Frankfurt
The S8 runs regularly every 30 minutes to Mainz. Alight at Mainz Bahnhof, or a stop earlier at Mainz Römisches Theater. Both are less than a 10 minute walk to the old town but from Römische Theatre the walk is more pleasant, especially if following the route via Augustinerstraße.
When to visit
The best time to visit is from Spring through to Autumn, when most of the festivals take place. Friday and Saturday are the best days due to the farmers market at “Markt” in the heart of the old town. Tuesday is also a market day but on a smaller scale.
Market days
On Friday and Saturday the market bustles with locals buying groceries for the week. For visitors though the highlight are the market stand offering a bite to eat and a drink. There is the usual sausage vendor but there are places to grab a freshly filled bread roll and even a plate of cubed cheese to nibble on to compliment a glass of wine.
Saturday in Mainz is particularly good if you like wine as the market celebrates by offering Weinfrühstuck from 9am until 3pm. It’s the ideal opportunity to try one of Rheinhessens dry white riesling, pinot gris or pinot blanc. Usually hosted at Liebfrauenplatz, Weinfrühstück it is temporarily being hosted at three alternative places due to construction work, as follows:
Weinfrühstück Leichhof
Leichhof is on the tour, is very centrally placed with a lovely view of the cathedral. From 15th March until 8th November 2025 every Saturday. This link lists which wine producers are hosting each week: Termine Leichhof 2025 Nearest public bathrooms: Badergasse/Augustinerstraße.
Weinfrühstück Tritonplatz
Hidden behind the State Theater, follow the passage between the theater and cafe “Zum grünen Kakadu”. From 15th March until 8th November 2025 every Saturday with one or two exceptions - see the linked list Termine Tritonplatz 2025 Nearest bathrooms: Kleinen Haus des Staatstheaters or public bathrooms close to Schuhaus Buttler/Höfchen Mainz.
Weinfrühstück Fischtorplatz
A chance to enjoy a glass of wine along the River Rhein. It’s a very short walk down to the river banks from the old town and well worth the effort. From 15th March until 4th October every Saturday, but check the linked list in case of exceptions: Termine Fischtorplatz Nearest public bathrooms: Adenauer-Ufer/Rheinpromenade
Cafes and restaurants…
…and in addition are ice cream parlours and wine houses too. Wine houses are a speciality of Mainz, during the tour you pass a couple and I’ve listed a couple of extra ones here too.
Old Town
Dom Cafe (Markt 12-16) In the heart of the old town on the market place and by the cathedral. The perfect spot for a classic Kaffee and Kuchen. Closed Sunday.
Mainzer Kaffee Haus (Schöfferstraße 8) A coffee and pastry place with its own roasted coffee. Opens at early - closed Sunday.
Willems im Altstadtcafé (Schönbornstraße 9a) Tucked around the back of Kirschgarten. Great home-made soups and fresh lunches. Open from 9.30am.
Zum grünen Kakadu - Staatstheater Mainz (Gutenbergpl. 3-5) Open every day. Great for lunch.
Maldaner Brüh- & Espressobar (Augustinerstraße 19) A favourite with locals for specialty coffee.
Haus zum Spiegel (Leichhof 1) Closed Sunday and Monday
Weinhaus Michel (Jakobsbergstrasse 8) Friendly, with simple but good menu. Closed Sunday & Monday.
Weinstube Hottum (Grebenstraße 3) Lots of good wine by the glass and traditional menu.
Aller guten Dinge (Mainz Graben 3) Good coffee and light lunch snacks.
Eis Rialto (Leichhofstrasse 2) Open from 10am-10pm, in the heart of the Altstadt. A popular ice-cream parlour with locals and tourists alike.
Eis Cafe Florenz (Hopfengarten 6) If you wish to stop, have an ice-cream and enjoy a little people watching this is a great place.
Towards St. Stefans and the Chagall windows
Wilma Wunder (Ballplatz 2) Open all day, every day. Great for lunch, afternoon coffee etc, and has outdoor seating in a quiet square.
Amore Vino (Stefansplatz 1) Lovely platters of hmas and cheese, plus good wine too. Open from 5pm.
DELICIOUS & more (Gaustraße 57) Gluten-free and vegan options! Check opening hours, though!
Restaurant Citadel (Am 87er Denkmal) Only open during the week around lunchtime to serve the people working up at the Citadel, but they will offer visitors a coffee or a drink, if you’re gasping! Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Towards the riverside
N'Eis (Dagobertstraße 24) Natural, locally produced ice-cream, possibly the best in Mainz!
Am Holztor (Holzstraße 40) Very traditional wine house…popular with the locals!
Weinhaus Schreiner (Rheinstraße 38) Another traditional wine house with an outdoor garten area in the summer.
2019 Frankfurt Christmas market events calendar
Frankfurt Christmas market special events by date - the peeling of the city church bells, special steam engine rides, Christmas concerts and music and special Christmas arts fairs too!
The Frankfurt 2019 Christmas Market opens on Monday November 25th and runs until December 21st. It’s opening hours are 10am - 9pm Monday to Saturday and 11am - 9pm on Sundays. In the city centre the Christmas market is hosted on the Römerberg, Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz and Hauptwache. Additional markets are held at the Thurn & Taxis Palais, and the Goetheturm and Paradiesplatz in Sachsenhausen.
Listed below, by date are the events taking place during the Frankfurt Christmas market. The following link has a map of the Christmas market locations. Meanwhile, click on this link for a general guide which will get you round to all the central Christmas market sites and has suggestions for typical Frankfurt Christmas treats.
Daily - at 9.05am, 12.05pm and 5.05pm the beautiful carillon bells of St. Nicholas church (Römerberg) ring out. Played by Yuko Tajima
25 Nov - 5pm Official Opening of the Frankfurt Christmas Market, outside the Römer (town hall).
25 Nov - 22 Dec - Opening of the Weihnachtsmarkt Goetheturm. Daily from 4pm. Click here for details.
25 Nov - 31 Dec - Opening of the Thurn & Taxis Weihnachtsmarkt. Daily from 4pm- 11pm. Click here for details.
26 Nov - 22 Dec Daily 12pm – 8pm Christmas Arts Market in St. Paul's Church (Paulskirche). An arts fair hosted by local artists with items for sale.
27 Nov - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
29 Nov - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
30 Nov - 4.30pm Pealing of the church bells 50 bells from 10 churches ring out across Frankfurt simultaneously.
30 Nov - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
30 Nov - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
01 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
4 Dec - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
06 Dec - 22 Dec Opening of the Alt-Sachsenhausen Christmas Market on Paradiesplatz Click here for details.
06 Dec - 5.30pm A visit from St. Nicholas, starting at the Römerberg stage by the town hall.
06 Dec – 21 Dec - Christmas Market Arts Fair in the Townhall (Römerhallen), daily from 12pm – 8pm. Entrance is behind the large Christmas tree! An arts fair hosted by local artists with items for sale including ceramics, photographs, sculptures and jewellery.
06 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
07 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
07 Dec - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
08 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
11 Dec - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
13 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
14 & 15 Dec - 11am - 8pm Historic steam engine rides with St. Nicolas - last ride at 7pm. Departing at the Eisener Steg. Tickets can be bought at embarkation or in advance. Click here for more information and timetable.
14 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
14 Dec - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
15 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
18 Dec - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
20 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
21 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
21 Dec - 6pm Brass chorus from the balcony of the St. Nicholas church (Römerberg).
22 Dec - 5.10pm Advents concert on the Römerberg.
24 Dec -5pm Pealing of the church bells, 50 bells from 10 churches ring out across Frankfurt simultaneously.
How to spend one day in Frankfurt
Things to do on a sunny day
Download an Audio Tour and enjoy a self-guided walking tour taking in all the main central sights, or buy the Walk Frankfurt book, paperback and kindle formats, available on global Amazon sites. This blog page highlights all the main Frankfurt attractions which are typical during a Walk Frankfurt tour.
Simply relax along the River Main and watch the World pass by. On the south bank of the river, during the summer months, boats are moored by the Eiserner Steg where you can buy a coffee, beer or whatever you fancy. By the Untermainbrücke there is also the Maincafe, right on the river bank, with lots of outdoor seating.
Join in with local life at the farmer's markets. On Thursday and Saturday the market is hosted at the Konstablerwache. On Friday there is a market on Schillerstraße (09:00 - 18:30), right outside the Stock Exchange (Börse).
Take a 100 minute Primus Line cruise up and down the Main river. The boats offer refreshment on board and a cool breeze on a hot day.
Go for a walk around the Frankfurter Wallanlage. The ring of parkland that surrounds the city centre follows the old path of the 14th century city battlements and is approximately 5km long with interesting art and artefacts to see on the way.
Walk east along the northern banks of the River Main towards the European Central Bank. There you will find a cafe/restaurant Oosten, with great food and a sunny terrace.
Enjoy cafe life in Frankfurt city centre. This link suggests a few places to hang out and look like a real local.
Things to do on a rainy day
Visit the multiple museums in Frankfurt - if you are going to use the public transport consider the Frankfurt Card which gives you free travel and 20% discount on entry to many museums and attractions. If you don't need transport then consider buying a Museums Card. Once bought it will give you free entry into all of Frankfurt's museums for two days. For more information on museums pricing and buying tickets see this blog post on Frankfurt's museums.
Visit the churches - the Kaiserdom, Alte Nikolai and Katherinenkirche are all very centrally located and welcoming. Paulskirche hosts a permanent, free, exhibition dedicated to the first National Assembly of 1848 and has an amazing mural by Johannes Grützke.
Head to the Kleinmarkthalle, browse the stalls including the famous Schreiber stall serving freshly boiled sausage, snack on regional produce, or go upstairs to the first floor and sample a glass of local Riesling at the Rollanderhof.
Go and see the 16th century fresco in the Karmelitekloster. Entry is free and you can hire an English audio guide for 2€ from the reception desk with 90 minutes of information about the fresco and the artist, Jörg Ratgeb.
Take a look around a German concept shop called Manufactum, opposite the Alte Oper on Reuterweg. The shop stocks a variety of different objects and has a tasty cafe too.
