Mainz Cathedral

Mainz Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Mainz Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saint Martin, stands on the market square in the centre of Mainz, on the Rhine, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and entry to the cathedral is free, while the Cathedral Museum is ticketed. It is one of the three great Romanesque imperial cathedrals on the Rhine, together with Speyer and Worms. Guided tours of the cathedral are offered and include areas not normally accessible.

Walking tours of Mainz combine the cathedral with the Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of printing with movable type, who was born in Mainz, the Church of Saint Stephen with stained glass by Marc Chagall, and the old town. Mainz is about half an hour from Frankfurt by train, and it is a starting point for Rhine river cruises through the Rhine Gorge. The market around the cathedral is held on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. Guided tours of the cathedral are offered in German, and English tours can be arranged in advance.

Visiting Mainz Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in 975 by Archbishop Willigis, and it burned on the day of its consecration in 1009; it was rebuilt, and much of the present building dates from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries, in the Romanesque style, with Gothic and baroque additions. The cathedral's red sandstone exterior has six towers, and the tall eastern and western towers dominate the city skyline. The archbishops of Mainz were among the most powerful men in the Holy Roman Empire, as electors and arch-chancellors, and seven German kings were crowned in the cathedral. Inside, the nave is lined with the tombs and memorials of archbishops, carved in stone, forming one of the finest collections of funerary sculpture in Germany.

The cathedral also holds a Gothic cloister, a baroque choir and the Memorie, a medieval chapter room. The museum displays sculptures, including works by the Master of Naumburg. The cathedral's western choir has a baroque roof and the tomb of Archbishop Willigis's successors. The eastern choir is the oldest part, with Romanesque arches. The cloister's walls hold carved gravestones. The Memorie, a chapel off the nave, has a vaulted ceiling. The cathedral's crypt holds the relics of saints. The pulpit and choir stalls are carved in Gothic and baroque styles. The cathedral's bronze doors, from the eleventh century, are among the oldest in Germany. The museum includes the Headdress of Saint Martin and medieval sculptures.

Mainz Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with shorter hours on Sundays and during services. Mainz is famous for its carnival, with a huge parade on Rose Monday in February, when the city is full of costumed crowds. The Johannisnacht festival in June celebrates Gutenberg, and the wine market in August and September brings wine from the Rhine region. The Christmas market around the cathedral is one of the most beautiful in Germany. Allow about forty-five minutes for the cathedral, and visit the Gutenberg Museum nearby. The Church of Saint Stephen, about fifteen minutes' walk uphill, glows with blue stained glass windows by Marc Chagall.