City centre, Mainz

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The old historic center of Mainz was severely damaged in World War II, but has been beautifully restored. It's very walkable, and has a number of historic buildings and city squares.

The Marktplatz, or Market Square, is the real center of activity in Mainz. Surrounded by half-timbered houses, it has a gorgeous fountain in the middle.

Perhaps the most important building is the Electoral Palace, once the residence of the Archbishop of Mainz who was also the Prince-Elector. Completed in 1678, this is one of the finest examples of German Renaissance architecture.

Another outstanding building is St Peter's Church, built in 1748, a fine example of German Baroque architecture.

The largest Protestant church here is the Christ Church, with its elaborate Renaissance-style dome.

Kirschgarten, or the Cherry Orchard, is another quaint medieval town square. The orchard is gone, but the pleasant ambiance remains.

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There are enough monuments to ponder at in the Old Town:
starting with Johannes Gutenberg monument in Gutenberg Square
and Friedrich Schiller monument in Schiller Square
to a queer stone monument not far from Market Square (picture 5)...
These are some interesting monuments I have seen:
* Johannes Gutenberg, a great inventor;
* Friedrich Schiller, a great German poet;
* the Carnival monument;
* Little Bronze Soldier (I called it so);
* Queer Stone (a modern surrealistic monument, to make you think, too…).