Don't Mention the War (Mainz)

Member Name: h27gooner

Product:	Mainz
Date:	03/08/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good weather, close to Frankfurt, cheap flights

Disadvantages: It's not Rome or Barcelona

I've just returned from a week in Germany with my family and we visited Mainz. It was a hot day and we arrived at the main train station. This was clean and well sign posted. On exiting into a cobbled square we found a local map which guided us towards the town centre. As you take the 20 minute walk to the main square you pass an array of high street shops, not many of which were familiar names but provided the usual mix of retailers - clothes, toys, "euro" shops and food outlets.

Closer to the main square which is dominated by the "Dom" (a huge Cathedral) there are a large number of pavement cafe's which were all bustling with trade. There are also many food kiosks selling bretzeln or sweet cakes. The main square is a traditional German looking area with well maintained and colourful old germanic buildings. At the time we arrived there was a busy and quite large food market selling vegetables, fruit, meats and cheeses, all of which smeeled great!. Again, there are a number of cafes directly on the square.

Further on from the square (5 mins walk) you come to the River Rhein. There is a modern embankment from which you descend the steps and find yourself on the pavement area beside the river (just next to the Mainz Hilton). Walk along this for about 10 minutes towards the large bridge and you find a beach! It is a full Caribbean sandy beach which is purpose built for the summer. There are loads of deckchairs and sun loungers and a couple of bars. There is also a shower, very clean toilets and a beach volleyball court. From the posters it is clear there are evening music events. It is called "Mainz-strand" (strand means beach) and they have a website at http://www.mainzstrand.de/. As the sun was blazing and the temperature was 30c we sat and had a beer and the kids played in the fountain which is in a shady park adjacent to the beach.

Elsewhere the town has an "old" area which is the traditional cobbled european streets and the "Dr Flotte" pub is worth a visit. For those with such urges, the red light area can also be found in this part of town.

In terms of tourist attractions, there are regular boat trips along the Rhein which vary in time and distance depending on what you want; there is the Johannes Guttenberg museum (the founder of the modern printing press) and the Cathedral which, when inside provides a cool serenity as well as ornate architecture. The tourist info centre is easy to find and will give you details on what's happening.

We found the people friendly and most spoke english. We met an Englishman who had lived there since 1980 and now ran a dog training school a short train journey outside the town in a place called Ingelheim. He invited us to come along (even though our dogs were at home!) and we found, to our amazement, a community of dog lovers who enjoyed the social aspects of dog ownership as well as the benefits. Phillip, the owner, was well respected for his skills and his own dog, Friday, is amazing!. So, whilst it might be a bit off the wall in terms of places to visit, "ROKOS" dog school is well worth a trip (http://www.rokosdogtraining.de/index.html). Friday and Weds evenings are "social nights" where the dogs and there owners all meet for a beer (the humans) and a good run (the dogs). It costs 3 Euros and if you go over there with your dog, it would be a great place to let the dog exercise and play while you get to chat to the real locals!

All in all a great place to go!

Summary: A nice snapshot of the German wine region.