Mainz and Gutenberg

After our glorious tour of the castles, we arrived in Mainz, which is situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers. It is a picturesque little town best known for its most famous son, Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the movable-type printing press in 1456.

Even though it was Good Friday and everything was closed the Gutenberg Museum opened especially for us; the passengers on Uniworld Empress received an exclusive guided tour. Needless to say, we felt special. The two high points of the tour were watching our guide demonstrate how Gutenberg's printing press functioned and viewing the Gutenberg Bibles. Steve managed to take a few photos of the Bibles until the guide told him to stop.

One of the most interesting things I remember about Mainz (and Cologne, too), is that these two cities celebrate Carnival from November 11 until Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I couldn't believe that Carnival would actually go on for months. I spent my 20th birthday in Rio de Janeiro many years ago and I know the Brazilians are big party animals, but the Germans? I thought they were too concerned about efficiency to be indulging in months-long parties. So much for stereotypes! (And this was just one of the many things I learned during our river cruise). Our guide told us that it was important to belong to a Carnival Club if you live in Mainz.

Even though the shops weren't open due to the Good Friday holiday, we had a good time wandering through the charming streets of Mainz.

More pictures of Mainz