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.

Another beautiful, but very different church in terms of size and architecture. Really cool…read morepastels and a very "homey" feel. Definitely worth the nice walk to this church.

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.

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.

Tucked away in the hills that overlook the Rhine, you'll find Kloster Eberbach. It is stunning in…read moreits serenity and impressive to think that it was built long ago without the help of modern construction. You may recognize it from the 1986 Sean Connery film "The name of the Rose". My family is emigrated from a city just down the road and that used to be a part of the Monastery's estate, and I'm fortunate to stay in touch with the relatives that stayed behind. On Christmas day last year when everything is closed (and the parents wanted to tend to the Christmas roast -- think the same fuss as a Thanksgiving turkey), we young 'uns headed down to the Abbey to check things out. The buildings were closed, but the grounds were open, and we and some other locals meandered around, finally winding up by the sheep and goats. One little guy kept poking his head out to have his chin scratched, and I was happy to oblige him. I'll look forward to my next visit, hopefully on a day when the place is open so I can tour it and learn more about the Abbey's history!

This was my first time visiting a previous monastery dwelling and was surprised to know that only…read more120 monks lived on such a beautiful estate. I came here with a group from work for a team building adventure. We started out breaking into teams for a scavenger hunt around the monastery; then hiked up the top of the hill to see a breath taking view of the countryside and had a light snack at the summit; then returning for a formal tour of the monastery followed by wine tasting in the cellar; and finally we had dinner here at their restaurant to wrap up our 5 hour excursion. Today this place is used for festivals and concerts but you get an appreciation of the dedication and effort of a few men that resulted in an amazing historical landmark. There was also a movie filmed here in the 1980's by Sean Connery. This was a humbling and fantastic experience all rolled into one great adventure that I would highly recommend as a must see place that you will appreciate.