Mainz Germany Rhineland-Palatinate

827 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

AmaWaterways (51 Cruises)

Avalon Waterways (36 Cruises)

CroisiEurope (121 Cruises)

Cruise CE Croisieurope MS Beethoven ship

MS Beethoven

178 Passengers
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Cruise CE Croisieurope MS Symphonie ship

MS Symphonie

105 Passengers
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Emerald Waterways (91 Cruises)

Emerald Destiny.

Emerald Destiny

227 Passengers
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Emerald Sky.

Emerald Sky

227 Passengers
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Emerald Sun

Emerald Sun

227 Passengers
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Riviera Travel (44 Cruises)

Scenic Cruises (34 Cruises)

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise (28 Cruises)

Viking River Cruises (422 Cruises)

Viking Longships Alsvin.

Viking Longships Alsvin

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Viking Longship Herja.

Viking Longships Herja

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Viking Longships Hild.

Viking Longships Hild

243 Passengers
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Viking Longships Idi.

Viking Longships Idi

243 Passengers
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Port of Mainz, Germany | Cruise Port Guide

It takes barely five minutes to get from the gangway to the old lanes, and that is one of Mainz's great assets. River ships moor along the Rhine quays, right by the old quarters, and the visit begins without transition: a walk beneath the plane trees of the promenade, a few cobblestones, and already the red sandstone towers of the cathedral rise above the rooftops. Roman city, city of prince-archbishop electors, city of Gutenberg: Mainz stacks two thousand years of history on the left bank of the river, at the very spot where the Main joins the Rhine.

A Thousand Years Beneath Red Vaults

St. Martin's Cathedral stands at the exact centre of the old core, surrounded by squares on nearly every side. Consecrated in the early 11th century, it forms, along with Speyer and Worms, the trio of great imperial cathedrals of the Rhine. Its dark red stone, six towers and two opposing choirs are puzzling at first; you walk around it as you would a mountain, before entering a nave where generations of prince-archbishops are laid to rest, men who for centuries ranked among the most powerful figures in the Empire.

The Man Who Changed Reading

Mainz celebrates the native son who developed movable-type printing around 1450, and its Gutenberg Museum holds two copies of the 42-line Bible printed around 1455; people whisper in front of these volumes as they would before relics. While awaiting its new building, under construction on its historic site, the museum displays its collections a few streets away, in the restored halls of a former Poor Clares convent that it shares with the natural history museum. The exhibition traces the story of print, from the earliest writing to digital media. Few museums tell the story of a revolution so vividly.

Squares, Half-Timbering and Blue Stained Glass

Behind the apse, the Kirschgarten quarter lines up its half-timbered houses around a fountain, in lanes where wrought-iron signs sway in the wind. On market days, stalls of fruit, flowers and cheese encircle the cathedral, and locals enjoy a standing aperitif between the stands, glass of Riesling in hand. Heading up toward the heights, St. Stephen's Church holds one of the surprises of the visit: its blue stained-glass windows, designed by Marc Chagall late in his life, bathe the nave in an aquarium-like light, a gesture of reconciliation from a Jewish artist toward a German city.

The Rhine as a Final Backdrop

The walk back to the ship naturally follows the riverbanks, laid out as a continuous promenade. Locals jog, cycle and watch the barge convoys heading for Rotterdam or Basel. On clear days, the opposite bank reveals the first slopes of the Rheingau, the wine region that accompanies the river downstream. Mainz lives with its river without turning its back on it, and this familiarity can be felt right down to the terraces set up facing the water.

Port Essentials

  • Mooring on the Rhine quays, about a five- to ten-minute walk from the old lanes depending on the berth.
  • St. Martin's Cathedral: at the heart of the route, with entry from the market squares.
  • Gutenberg Museum: two Bibles from 1455; collections displayed in the former Poor Clares convent while the new building is completed.
  • St. Stephen's and its Chagall windows: a short climb from the centre.
  • Comfortable shoes recommended, as the historic core is entirely cobbled.

Before Heading Back on Board

Many passengers allow themselves one last stop at the market or on a bench along the quays, where everything slows down in front of the current. Mainz leaves an impression of happy solidity: Roman stones beneath the cellars, a thousand-year-old cathedral, the living memory of the first printed book, and everywhere people at tables taking their time. You walk back up the gangway thinking that great inventions are sometimes born in mid-sized cities that know how to live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Along the Rhine quays, level with the old quarters. Allow five to ten minutes on foot to the old lanes depending on the berth, walking under the plane trees of the promenade.
Yes, and that is one of the great strengths of this call. The cathedral, the Gutenberg Museum, the Kirschgarten quarter and St Stephen church are all within walking distance of the quays.
St Martin Cathedral, the Gutenberg Museum, the half-timbered Kirschgarten and Chagall blue windows at St Stephen. The way back follows the riverbank, laid out as a continuous promenade.
Its dark red stone, six towers and two opposing choirs. Consecrated in the early eleventh century, it forms with Speyer and Worms the trio of great imperial cathedrals of the Rhine, and generations of prince-archbishops are buried there.
Yes. The Gutenberg Museum holds two copies of the forty-two-line Bible printed around 1455. While its new building is under construction on the historic site, the museum shows its collections a few streets away in a former Poor Clares convent.
At St Stephen church on the heights, a short climb from the centre. Marc Chagall designed these blue windows late in his life; they flood the nave with an aquarium light and are one of the surprises of the call.
Yes, but the historic core is entirely cobbled and the climb to St Stephen takes some effort. Comfortable shoes change the day.
The euro. Cards work at museums and restaurants, but market stalls and riesling stands often run on cash. Keep some notes.
German is the everyday language. In museums, hotels and city-centre shops, English generally works well; at the markets, rather less so.
May to September, when the quayside terraces are open and the market around the cathedral is in full swing. Rhine cruises run from April to October.