BEAUTIFUL STAINED GLASS WINDOWS BY MARC CHAGALL…read more=============================================== My husband and I had a day to explore Mainz and this church was probably on the top of my list. I had previously seen stained glass windows created my Marc Chagall in Rheims, France and I wanted to see the ones at St. Stephan's too. If you are in Mainz for a day I highly recommend a visit.

St. Stephan is a large Gothic church in Mainz that although the original structure was built in…read more990, the building you see today was started in 1267 and through the years additional sections were added thru the 14th century. It is the oldest Gothic hall Church in the Upper Rhine district of Germany and is known for it's stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall. The church was heavily damaged by bombing during WWII and parts of the vaulted ceiling were unable to be restored leaving sections with a flat ceiling. Nine blue stained glass windows were created by Marc Chagall between 1978 and 1985. His contribution to post-war Jewish-German reconciliation. It's really not and easy location to access by car. GPS took us through a neighborhood and then wanted us to go down a street that was blocked off by bollards. We did end up happening upon the church luckily after a couple of attempts. There is not much parking here at all so it's probably best to park elsewhere and walk in. The church itself is not ornate or filled with murals as many other European churches are. If that is what you are hoping for, you will be disappointed. This is an historical structure. Read up on the structure's history and Marc Chagall's contribution before visiting. Definitely worth a visit for it's architectural and historical significance.

Very nice cathedral in the heart of Mainz. If you go during the week, you can enjoy the farmers…read moremarket. Make sure you check out all the sculpted depictions in the church.

Okay so if you read my travel reviews you'll know I'm a sucker for old cathedrals and churches…read more They always have amazing antiquities, beautiful art, and in my opinion, give you a sense of the story of a place. This one is no different. I love that it's free to explore, and that despite it being a church, there is actually quite a bit to see. It's very large, has beautiful stained glass, and even a courtyard to explore. Due to the time difference between KC and Germany I ended up getting a facetime call from my toddler while I was here so I popped out about midway through our time here to take a break, so I feel like there might be even more to see than what my time permitted. One extra thing to add that is important is that this is one of few churches I've been to that has public restrooms! I think they cost one or two euro but it was so nice to be able to use them while out and about in Mainz. If you're visiting Mainz this is a must visit - it's cheap, and gives you a really good sense of the history of the place.

Wonderful English mass every Sunday at 5:00pm. Do not miss it if you are in Mainz. The priest has…read morethe most beautiful voice and kindest heart. He spent time with me after mass and shared stories about the church and how the English mass came to be from airline crews laying over in Mainz. He did not speak English but learned so he could say mass for us. So grateful.

This is basically another one of those absolutely gorgeous Catholic Churches. While I happen to be…read morea protestant, I still love walking into Catholic churches in Europe and simply letting the beauty of the place just wash over me. Okay, this church actually isn't all that big, but they have managed to squeeze a whole lot of awesomeness into what is effectively quite a small place. The other great thing about this church is that it is generally open, and quiet as well, which means you can simply wander in there during the day and have a look around. For some reason it seems that they don't actually have a huge problem with thieves over on the continent, at least where churches are concerned. While it is small, it is beautiful, and incredibly peaceful.