Mainz, Germany

My most recent project was in the small German city of Mainz.  If you haven’t heard of it, you are not alone.  The city is only about 40 minutes west of Frankfurt, but it is often overlooked because of its much smaller size.  Fortunately for me, Mainz has all the German charm that Frankfurt lacks.  It really is a fantastic place to soak up the crisp fall weather in a fairy-tale setting.

Seriously, could this place be any cuter?

For the first week of my project, I was working with three colleagues from Chicago.  Whenever I work with my American counterparts, this means we will be snacking all day long, catching up on news from the office, and eating our meals at some of the best and most unique restaurants we can find. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the dining options, which were much better than I would have expected from a small German city.   My favorite place was Citrus Restaurant, which had a really trendy atmosphere and good food without absurd prices.  If I lived in Mainz, I would be a Citrus regular.

Another restaurant I would recommend for the atmosphere alone is called Heilig Geist Restaurant.  It is actually in an old church that has been completely renovated.  Have you ever eaten venison with sour cherry sauce and dumplings in an old European church?  It's pretty much the best thing ever.  And, if this environment doesn't excite you, there is a Croatian restaurant called Konoba, which serves incredible seafood that will make you feel like you are on the coast.  At the end of the meal, they send a shot of honey-flavored liquor to the table which must be pretty nice in the winter. Actually, it's pretty nice any time.   

We also had the good fortune of being in town for Mainzer Winzer, which happens in early fall each year when something happens with the wine (I'm not sure if this is when the grapes are harvested, wine is barreled, bottled, or something else).  Wine producers set up kiosks around town and people stand around hollowed-out barrels to enjoy the excessively sweet wine.  The alcohol content is more similar to beer, but at only 4.50 per bottle, it’s hard to complain. 

Locals enjoying some wine...at 11AM on Saturday morning

For me, the most charming aspect of the town is that the central square hosts a different market every day of the week.  One day, carnival rides.  The next day, produce market.  Every day, wine and brats.  We are still in Germany, after all...  

Huge fruit market one morning.

Anyone want some fresh eggs?

Produce vendors interact with customers

The cathedral was the centerpiece of the town and I was intrigued by its unique design because it has altars in both the front and the back.  It’s almost like the architects could not decide where the priest should stand, so they created two options and put the main entrance along the side.  (I tried looking up more information about this but it turns out no one documented a clear rationale 1000 years ago when the cathedral was built).  By the way, I'm not exaggerating about the age of this cathedral - it really was built in the 900's.  

View of the incredibly old Mainz cathedral

My hotel is located along the river, which made for some really nice morning running, not to mention relaxing views from the room.  I also love hotels that incorporate modern designs into historic buildings and this hotel has turned an old fort into the bar area.  The rooms are located in a much newer adjacent building, but it's nice to be in Europe and actually feel the history all around you.  

Here's a view of my hotel, including the gates from Fort Malakoff

At first, I was not so excited to spend three weeks in a German town that I had never heard of.  However, it ended up being an ideal place to enjoy autumn in Europe.  Mainz doesn't have many tourist attractions to visit but the city is so full of life that it is absolutely worth a visit.