Mainz

 7/12/2025

Arrival in Mainz this morning was in the dark at around 8 am. It looks like we are+in for another overcast day, but rain does not appear to be on the horizon. The stay in Mainz will be one of our longer ones as it seems they reprovision here. We have a walking tour organised for 9 am, and departure isn’t planned until midnight, so plenty of time to either have a rest or spend a lot more time in town. It is Sunday, so most shops are closed, however the Christmas markets remain open until 8.30 pm.

Our guide is waiting for us at 9 am and after a brief introduction it becomes clear that the person that put Mainz on the map was Johannes Gutenberg, and the highlight of this morning’s tour will be a visit to a museum to get more information on his life and achievements.

On the way to the museum we stopped in a square that included the home where  Gutenberg was thought to have been born, the church in which he may have been baptised baptised and the building occupying a site where he may have passed away. It became pretty clear that much of Gutenberg’s personal life remains a mystery.


The church in which Gutenberg may have been baptised was badly damaged in WW11, and it was decided not to repair it, but to leave it in ruins as a reminder of the destruction of Mainz during the war.


St Christophs Church
 

Our walk continued till we reached the Museum of Natural History, where the Gutenberg exhibition is now housed awaiting the completion of its own dedicated museum. The foyer of the museum featured a replica of a relative of the wooly mammoth but we were soon guided off to a separate building where the Gutenberg exhibit is now.



Our guide dons a printers apron and proceeds to tell the Gutenberg story, including a full demonstration of the whole printing process he invented.


Explaining how the metal letters were made and typeset


For the demonstration the ink was applied to the typeset letter using rollers




However, in Gutenbergs time, the ink was applied using pads (above)


The typeset pace is mounted on the press, ink applied and then pressed


A volunteer from our group was asked to apply the muscle to operate the press and was rewarded with the printed sheet at the end

Overall it was an excellent presentation. Next we are taken to a different room where we are shown one of only 47 of the original Gutenberg bibles of the 180 that were printed. 

Prior to Gutenberg’s invention, Bibles were handwritten, radically limiting the number that could be produced. Even with Gutenberg’s process it took roughly 3 years to produce a Bible by the time all off the finishing processes took place.


Handwritten Bible


Gutenberg Bible

It is estimated that the current value of a Gutenberg Bible is around USD 20 million.

Now we have our brief city walking tour before free time at the Christmas Market.


Mainz State Theatre


Mainz Cathedral

As it is Sunday morning, Mass is under way and we are unable to see inside the Cathedral, but did get a view of the cloisters.



Our short tour now completed, it was off to the Christmas Market. It is quite a large market near the Cathedral.


The first stall you normally see at these markets is the one selling alcohol


The food offering at this market is better than most, this vendor is cooking salmon using an open fire


There are various rotisserie meats including this pig on a spit




Gluhwein stalls come in all shapes and sizes


Potato pancake stall are always busy


Chocolate coated fruit is popular. They love their chocolate.


After another Gluhwein mug is added to the collection, it is time to walk back to the ship for lunch and an afternoon rest.


Not far from the ship this old Church Hospital has been repurposed into a restaurant although not much is going on as it is Sunday.

We have the option of going back ashore after lunch as the ship doesn’t sail until midnight, but we look forward to having a bit of a rest instead.

Tonight, after dinner, we are treated to some local entertainment. A medieval music performance has been organised in the lounge on board and a very talented local with a good sense of humour arrived with a wide range of medieval musical instruments, which he proceeded to play.

Here are a few people excerpts from his performance.




Tomorrow morning we will be in Mannheim and then after lunch we will move on to Speyer.



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