While seeing ancient Roman ruins is always interesting and educational, the staff member at the…read morefront desk was the only blatantly rude person we met on our entire vacation. She talked down to us and other visitors, said rude comments, and seemed to either hate her job or tourists. Never again would I go here.

I've never really been interested in antiquities. It's too far back to visualize in a way I can…read moreconnect to I think. Since I moved to Germany something has sparked for me because now I find myself fascinated that before all this super old stuff there's all this OTHER super old stuff from a totally different CIVILIZATION. Awesome, right? The Temple of Isis is really cool. It was unearthed in 2000 during the construction of the Romer Passage shopping center. The mall was built up around it, and the archaeology site turned into a museum, complete with lots of artifacts like fertility sculptures and pottery. Oh yeah, this once in a lifetime discovery? Free to the public.

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.

Mainz, Germany was beautiful place to visit. The area was clean and quiet. Not too crowded at this…read moretime. It preserved the beauty and aesthetic of the old era. Loved the colorful buildings and cafes. Enjoy walking looking at the cathedral, hotels , gift shops and more. We had coffee and dishes from this fish market. Definitely a place to visit that brings you back in time

Mainz was founded by the Romans as a fortress city on the Rhine in the 1rst century BC. Later in…read morethe 8th century AD, it became the seat of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany. It is not surprising that today evidence of it's past is still visible. One place to look for evidence of Roman occupation is in the Romano-Germanic Central Museum. Also, take note of Jupiter's column and Drusus's Mausoleum, as well. . Mainz also has many houses of worship like the Mainz Cathedral. The patron saint at this cathedral is St. Boniface whose statue is in front of the cathedral. St, Stephan's Church is often visited by tourists mainly for it's Marc Chagall blue stained windows. The most important landmark and museum in the city is the Gutenberg Museum. Johannes Gutenberg created his movable-type while in Mainz. His most important work was the Gutenberg Bible. Copies of that bible can be seen in the museum. as well as, other examples of his printing. Although Mainz was heavenly damaged during WWII, a great majority of the buildings, statuary and art have been reproduced to their original likeness. The Altstadt is a collection of Medieval and Renaissance architectural features. As you enter the the city take note of the 13th Century Iron Tower, city gate. The Renaissance fountain is a stand-out in the main square and can not be missed. Gardens, floral displays, cobbled pedestrian walk-ways, 15th-18th century buildings and outdoor cafes complete the picture. In the market square stands the Heunensaule, a monument symbolizing the history of Mainz. The monument displays an Imperial Roman helmet, a Bishop's mite and a French foul's cap. Across from the State Theater is a statue of Gutenberg. In this area there are many restaurants without door seating. In Germany the waiter's service fee is included included in the price. They have an excellent Museum called the Museum of Ancient Ship Building for those that are interested in such things. Mainz is wine country so many shops sell the local wine products. Blue Nun wines developed by the Sichel family is one offering you might be familiar with.

The German word "Schloss" is very efficient. It can mean castle, palace, chateau and even…read more"padlock." This can be confusing when you're looking for old castles to explore and wind up at what is more accurately described as a large manor. When I arrived at Schwetzingen Schloss I was surprised that it wasn't more of a castle, but it's vast, beautiful landscape and interesting history made me glad I had come. Like most old buildings and grand constructions, Schwetzigen Schloss started as a place to entertain the constituents of a rich, influential man. The striking statues, winding paths and ornate buildings really make it hard to not be impressed. I imagine arriving here from a smaller village in Germany, unable to even see the other side of the enormous garden. There are a few different buildings which each had their own purpose, which through the years had changed. My favorite was the Orangerie, a tropical greenhouse of sorts. The ingenuity of these past Germans will surprise you, and their method to produce an Orange where an Orange has no business growing is really something. Wandering in between buildings you may find yourself enjoying the journey at least as much as the destination. I found many little "dead ends" which were so comfortable it was hard not to take out a book and enjoy the serenity for a while. Symmetry is the name of the game here, and I encourage you to stop at every intersection and look around. You'll likely notice that someone paid very close attention to angles and lines. This makes for a remarkably sane experience as you are almost unable to get lost. The buildings are beautiful, but you might find yourself unable to break away from the calm water, cozy paths, and enveloping nature. I went during Fall. The skies were grey and it was chilly. I know I'm in the minority here but I absolutely recommend you do the same. The colors were indescribably vivid and the calmness of the environment was only enhanced by my girlfriend and I finding ourselves alone more often than not. Usually, most people want to come when it's nice out. (We actually tried to, but it turned into a classic Fall day which, just like the "Schloss", was a surprise that turned out alright) While there is an English brochure available at the beginning which has a handy map, every display I came across had only German writing. Keep that in mind if you aren't with someone who can translate for you, or if your girlfriend doesn't want to read every single sign Luke we have to go it's been 3 hours I don't want to read about Oranges any more. Schwetzingen Schloss isn't a castle, but it's absolutely incredible.

This location is closed due to renovations and I wasn't able to go inside. However, the…read moreexhibition was relocated to the natural history museum which is close by. Yelp needs to be updated.

We are in the Ville for a few days. So today was a perfect time to visit…read more So much more than we expected. The Survivor Gutenberg bibles in a bank safe. With a watcher. Floor after floor of printed rare books, Hand scribed bibles , tiny -tiny books and every imaginable printing press. A small furnace model with a mold and bronze casting as a example of how individual letters could be cast and finished. A engraving machine to make plates for bond certificates. Similar to money certificates. And a movie theater explaining the history of the man. Birth to death. Really great 3 hours. Nice little Art shop at the end.

Wow. The castle is stunning!!!! Our daughter lives in the area and we decided to walked up to the…read morecastle when we visited. It is steep walk up but very doable. It took us less than 10 min to get to the top. The grounds where buzzing with tourists but even tho there where a lot of people it didn't feel crowded. We walked around the grounds for a while and I honestly couldn't get enough of the view! It is out of this world-- it is overlooking beautiful, historic Heidelberg and Neckar river!!! To get the whole experience we opted to tour the ruins and castle courtyard. The 11Euro to go inside the castle is totally worth it. The giant wine barrel in one part of the castle is insane-- it is so big that the is even a dance floor on top of it! Overall, an unforgettable experience and a must-see if you're in the area!

It was quite walk , a 15 mins to climb from downtown square up to the castle. There's alternative…read morethe train round trip. Only setback long line by the time you get to the castle you wasted 30 mins and you have to pay the fee. It was worth the steepest stair and cobble stone walk. The castle was well preserved. Beautiful color scheme of the old wall . Once your on top the entire view of Heidelberg was mesmerizing. Bring water and apply sunblock it was hot this month of visit.