Rhineland-Palatinate Region People & Culture

Lovely city, but very touristic. A beautiful restored castle, and very friendly people. Wonder if it has anything to do with the excellent wine they sell at very low prices :-D? The food there is good and very cheap, but the hotels are expencive, and parking your car is unpayable.

K-town is not a major attraction, but is also known as "Little America" because so many military people live there. Good donner kabobs and bars, and shopping. Name means "kings Lake" was King Friedrich's hunting area.

Edenkoben is in the Pfalz near the Weinstrasse (wine road) and has a few good winerys. There are also some good places to get a bite to eat as the people in the Pfalz also enjoy good food.

Dornbach is a small German Village with about 200 people. When I was there in 1983-1986, it had two businesses: a bakery and a resturaunt. It was nice, quiet place, so don't go if you expect excitement.

If you are going to Mainz to study, stay in Hechtsheim Wohnheim! We had many a GREAT party here :D (there's a bar downstairs open three nights a week). Red Cat (on Schillerplatz) is a quaint little club that can be good fun if you go with a good crowd! Then afterwards head over to Subway for a nice sandwich! I discovered the delights of 50 Grad on Klubnacht Semester 2 (this is for students) and the music that night was brilliant and the place was packed! It really does depend on the nights you go out. Some nights are surprisingly full and others not so much... Overall, Mainz is a good spot to go out but make sure you go with a few people to guarantee a few laughs!

Mainz is the state capital of Rheinland-Pfalz and is remarkable for the way its 2,000-year history is woven into its culture: its founding by the Romans , the forces of medieval Christendom, revolution caused by the invention of mechanical printing, occupation by the French, and other links to the past have become ingrained in the present-day city. They can be seen in the cathedrals and churches, palaces, winding old streets, numerous museums and galleries, and the neighborhoods rebuilt after World War II. Roman relics that continue to be uncovered tie the present city to its ancient past.

In recent years, excavators unearthed the second largest amphitheater north of the alps right next to the train station Mainz Süd. Several Roman ships dating from the fourth century are on display and an Isis-Temple is now open to the public underneath the Roemerpassage, one of the city's shopping malls.
The Roemerpassage may be representative of the city's success in combining the remnants of its past with a lively and modern while cosy atmosphere defined as much by the 'Gemuetlichkeit' characterizing the Rheinlaender as by the fact that Mainz is a city of 35.000 students. Since the city is located at the heart of what is called the 'Rhein-Main-Gebiet" forming one of Germany's cultural and economic centers, students have easy access to Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, and, last but not least, Frankfurt (25 min train-ride), where international companies and important banks do business within the vicinity of one of the major centers of world economics, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Due to this central location, a lot of major newspapers, radio- and TV-stations have their offices here, among them the ZDF. Due to the many opportunities the city offers specifically to students and due to the high standard of living and countless cultural events throughout the year, Mainz was voted the most student-friendly city in 2002.

If you are going to Mainz to study, stay in Hechtsheim Wohnheim! We had many a GREAT party here :D (there's a bar downstairs open three nights a week). Red Cat (on Schillerplatz) is a quaint little club that can be good fun if you go with a good crowd! Then afterwards head over to Subway for a nice sandwich! I discovered the delights of 50 Grad on Klubnacht Semester 2 (this is for students) and the music that night was brilliant and the place was packed! It really does depend on the nights you go out. Some nights are surprisingly full and others not so much... Overall, Mainz is a good spot to go out but make sure you go with a few people to guarantee a few laughs!

This tip is not just for Mainz, it's for most small towns and/or cities in Germany. Most restaurants and shops do not take travelers checks (some places no credit cards). If you take money with you, the best place to exchange for their money is at a bank because you will get the best exchange rate.

Some restaurants will supply ice if requested.

If you find an outdoor event that is selling items such as clothing, linen, etc., I recommend you check prices at other places and then check theirs, usually you can get a little better price with the outdoor event.

Like beer or wine? Then you're going to find both in Germany. The best places to go are biergartens because you meet the citizens, and they are fun to drink with. Certain times of the year, there are wine fests you can go to. Each town has their own fest which will sometimes have music and/or dancing.

An often overlooked place, it is stunning. There are several Roman bridges that are original and still in use 2000 years later. The town entrance is dominated by a huge 3-story black stone Roman gateway that you can tour. A 10 minute walk into the country reveals an excavated coliseum where you can walk through the slave quarters and imagine being the next victim. Features an incredible Roman bath structure with an amazing underground heating system that you can walk through. The attached museum is interesting for Roman buffs. The surrounding countryside is pastoral and romantic, the train ride there from Berlin follows the river and every hilltop sports a castle or ruin.

- there's a good and big camping right oposite the city center on the other shore of the Mosel. - visit the palace on the other side of the Rhine. It's nice and the view over the city is great! - Hiking on the steep hills of the Mosel is very nice.

The castle here is among the biggest along the Rhine! It's a must see if your into castles! OOOH and I hiked up to it, but I would say hop on a tour bus... it's a steep 2 mile incline.

Idar-Oberstein (Two Towns, One Name) is a great destination for families. You can see the "Church in the rock." which is a massive catholic church built into the face of the hill overlooking the villages. It's a hike getting to it but, the view is great! The village is a former mining town where gems were culled for centuries. You can still find great jewelry bargains if you take your time. Also, Freunberg is nearby and it's medieval parappets are awesome to walk on a foggy and dark night- the castle ruins sit in the middle of a dense forest, you walk a trail to get to it. It was built by a suiter to the countess of Frauenberg. Lots of fun!

Make sure to hike the vineyards and try some local Riesling. (wine)

I went to Germany not expecting to fall in love with it. I thought it would be cold and antiseptic and, well, Germanic. And my first stop, in Trier, wiped the slate entirely clean. Trier has been occupied since Roman times (the most notable evidence of which is the Porta Nigra, a former city gate). It's a lovely city for wandering about, and its cathedral is, if you're into ecclesiastical architecture, a marvel of Romanesque style, blunt but elegant and haunting in its austerity. The surrounding countryside is what stole my heart, though. The Mosel river, to me, tops the Rhine in scenic value. The slate bluffs are ideal for growing the grapes that go into the incredible white wines of the region (this is an ideal place to go for an on-site education in Rieslings, Gewurtztraminers, Eisweins, etc.). Come to Trier and you will leave enchanted.

On our way to Trier our guide took us off the beaten path to Berg Eltz. This is a castle that is untypical in the sense that it was built not on high ground but in a rather large gully. it has been owned by the same family since it was built and is open for a look. there is a gift shop and a small place to get a bite. The walk from the parking lot to the castle is long and all downhill one way, very steep, and all uphill back. fortunatley there is a van taxi that will run you down and back for a reasonable price. Well worth seeing.

Bollendorf is so small, just a municipal campingsite and some small shops. Just great when traveling around the Eiffel and Luxemburg areas

Bacharach is a lovely town you will find when travelling up the Rhine River Valley in Germany. There you will find an amazing 11 century castle named Burg Stahleck, perched on the top of the hill overlooking the town, and surrounded by vineyards. You also get a bird's eye view up there, of the Rhine River and the valley. The castle is now a Youth Hostel, so if you are in the area, do try and get a room for the night, it will be well worth it!

excellent white wine there; breathtaking landscapes