Mainz impressed me. It is a big city, the capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate, yet has a small-town ambiance. It’s a historical treasure house, especially with the Gutenberg Museum. Yet, with its numerous long-lasting festivals, it’s definitely a party city as well.

Highlights:
Mainz has plenty of interesting things you should see, but at the top of the list is visiting St. Stephan’s to experience the majestic stained glass windows of Marc Chagall. Trust me, absolutely do not miss this.

At the Gutenberg Museum, you’ll be taken out of the world of bits and bytes and returned to the Middle Ages to see how Gutenberg revolutionized the world of printing.

Do plan to visit local restaurants such as the fun Eisgrug-Brau, where you’ll be able to feast on a hearty luncheon buffet, as well as wash it down with their very own brew. Ah, the Germans are such great brew masters. Make a point to see the historic section of the city, as well as the Roman ruins in Mainz, especially the boats that were found in the harbor. Also try to plan your visit during one of Mainz’s fabulous festivals, to enjoy this fun-loving party city.

Quick Tips/Suggestions:
If you have come to Mainz on a KD cruise, then it will be really easy for you to get around the city because they offer their passengers an outstanding Mainz city map. It’s small and easy to carry around in pocket or purse, yet is large enough to be very easy to read, making it incredibly easy to see the major sites of the city.

Special paragraphs highlight important city sites, and there’s handy information about where the tourist bureau is as well, along with museum addresses and schedules. The map is done in conjunction with Mainz marketing, so you should be able to pick it up at the tourist office (which is at the information center at the train station or at the city hall, Rathaus).

Best Way to Get Around:
On Foot
Whenever possible, I like to see a city on foot because I feel that you really see more. You have greater flexibility, don’t have to waste time looking for a parking space, and, best all, have more opportunity to interact with local people. Sometimes I think that’s why I travel.

Cruise
I came to Mainz via a KD Cruise, and I’d definitely recommend this cruise line as a way to travel along the Romantic Rhine, because you can customize your itinerary to see the cities and villages you want.

Frankfurt, the fifth largest city in Germany, is not the most exciting city (to me, Berlin holds that title). However, its prominence as an important financial, communications, and transportation hub means that I have stopped by for a few times, in hourly or daily increments.

Highlights:
Main Tower: This is a viewing platform on the top of one of the city’s many skyscrapers. This is a great chance to get some nice panoramic photos of the city, which is just what I did.

Museumsufer: There are plenty of good museums in Frankfurt; many of them are part of the Museumsufer along the south bank of the Main River.

Hauptbahnhof area: The area just east of the Hauptbahnhof (central train station) is colorful but a bit seedy, as the red light district is located here. An amalgam of cheap foreign eateries and stores intermingle with sleazy sex shops.

Quick Tips/Suggestions:
Weather: A city where everything works and life is quite predictable. One thing that’s not - the weather. No matter what time of year you are visiting, it is best to pack a light raincoat. If you are there during the winter months, when there is always a chance of snow, you will need heavy clothes. Summers are usually warm, but not oppressively so. Nevertheless, beyond the weather elements there are elements in the city that make it enjoyable to visit and perhaps even stay.

Beer: Let’s not forget one thing Germans are famous for - BEER! The regional beer is quite good, and should be ordered with every meal (okay, maybe not breakfast.)

Speed Limit: Some of you may find this surprising…in Germany, there is no speed limit on their “autobahn” (highways). In fact you will be cautioned by police if you drive too slow. Isn’t it great!!

Best Way to Get Around:
Trains: Take the train! Take the train! Take the train! Local, regional, intercity, or international.

Bus: In between take the inexpensive, convenient, and very available city bus service that links with the trains of the inner city.

Metro: Do not forget the subway headquartered in the Main Station, which co-ordinates all parts of the city.

On Feet: When the September sun sparkles in a cobalt blue sky, walking can be the most pleasant and informative way to go. Up close and personal!

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The population is about 142,000, of which about 8% are students at the local university and about 10,000 are members or former members of the British armed forces. The vast majority of the armed forces’ members and families are located in the ward of Sennelager, due to the proximity of the large barracks on Bielefelder Strabe.

The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried. The Pader is Germany’s shortest river.

It is the headquarters of the former Nixdorf computer company, bought by siemens in the early 1990s and knows as Siemens-Nixdorf for about 10 years. The company is now known as Wincor-Nixdorf which is still located in Paderborn, but Siements retains a considerable presence in the city. Paderborn is also home of the “Brauerei Paderborner” brewery.

Paderborn has the biggest computer museum in the world, the Heinz Nixdorf Museums Forum. Every year, Paderborn hosts the German Open of Robo-soccer.