Mainz: Germany

Mainz: Germany
Mainz (French Mayence) is a city in Germany, which is the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz is located on the left bank of the river Rhine, opposite the confluence of the Main river with the Rhine. Population (2002): 183,822 (an additional 18,619 people maintain a primary residence elsewhere but have a second home in Mainz). Mainz is easily reached from Frankfurt International Airport in 25 minutes by commuter railway (S-Bahn).
The city consists of 15 districts: Altstadt, Neustadt, Mombach, Gonsenheim, Hartenberg-Münchfeld, Oberstadt, Bretzenheim, Finthen, Drais, Lerchenberg, Marienborn, Hechtsheim, Ebersheim, Weisenau, and Laubenheim. Until 1945, the districts of Bischofsheim (now an independent town), Ginsheim and Gustavsburg (which together are an independent town) belonged to Mainz. The former suburbs Amöneburg, Kastel, and Kostheim—in short AKK—now belong to the city of Wiesbaden (on the north bank of the river). The AKK was separated from Mainz when the Rhine was designated the boundary between the French occupation zone (the later state of Rhineland-Palatinate) and the US occupation zone (Hessia) in 1945.
Sights – Roman-Germanic central museum (Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum) – Roman, Medieval, and earlier artifacts – Antique Maritime Museum (Museum für Antike Schifffahrt) – the remains of five Roman boats from the late 4th century, discovered in the 1980s – Mainz Cathedral of St. Martin (Mainzer Dom) – over 1,000 years old – The Iron Tower(Eisenturm, tower at the former iron market) – a tower from the 13th century – The Wood Tower (Holzturm, tower at the former wood market) – a tower from the 14th century – The Gutenberg Museum – exhibits an original Gutenberg Bible amongst many other printed books from the 15th century and later – The Mainz Old Town – what’s left of it – The Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss) – residence of the prince-elector – Christ Cathedral (Christuskirche) – built 1898–1903, bombed in ’45 and rebuilt in 1948–1954 – The Church of St. Stephan – with post-war windows by Marc Chagall