Mainz

The capital of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate covers around 100 km² and has 215,000 inhabitants. With the neighbouring Hessian state capital Wiesbaden, it forms a cross-state double centre. Mainz lies opposite the mouth of the Main River on the Rhine. Wine culture has an ancient tradition in the city and dates back to Roman times when they planted vines in Mogontiacum. The oldest document on viticulture in Mainz reports on a donation in 754. From the Middle Ages onwards, viticulture and the wine trade developed into an important economic factor and were even among the main sources of income until well into the 19th century. There have always been large areas of vineyards within the city limits, the former record being around 450 hectares. Today there are still over 200 hectares in the southern districts of Ebersheim, Hechtsheim and Laubenheim, which all belong to the Nierstein area in the Rheinhessen wine-growing region.

Mainz (linke Rheinseite) und Mainz-Kostheim mit Mainz-Kastel (rechte Rheinseite)

Mainz is home to the Johannes Gutenberg University as well as several television and radio stations such as Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF). Mainz is also famous as the stronghold of Rhineland carnival. The district of Hechtsheim is the headquarters of the wine and beverage company Hillebrand. Mainz is also the seat of the German Wine Academy in the House of German Wine and also of the association of German-speaking wine publicists Weinfeder. Its importance as a wine city is underlined by its membership, since 2008, in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. A rustic "national dish" in Mainz is called "Weck, Worscht un Woi" (Weck = roll, sausage and wine). A popular Schoppen glass here is called a Mainzer Stange.

Image: By AmtingJ - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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Mainz

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