Things To Do in Mainz
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Mainz Shopping
The city's most active shopping area is Am Brand, a short boulevard near the cathedral that's lined with shops on either side (bus: 1 or 54). One of the town's best clothing emporiums is Peek & Cloppenburg, Am Brand 38 (tel. 06131/669200; www.peek-cloppenburg.de), which sells clothing for men, women, and children, in styles ranging from very formal to chic and casual. For German designer fashions, head to Sinn, Markt 19 (tel. 06131/971560; www.sinnleffers.de), which carries men's and women's clothing.
Whatever you can't find along the Am Brand will almost certainly be available among the vast inventories of Mainz's most visible department store, Kaufhof, Schusterstrasse 41 (tel. 06131/2540; www.galeria-kaufhof.de; bus: 54). For a treasure-trove of secondhand goods, shop the Krempelmarkt; this flea market is held along the banks of the Rhine on the first Saturday of each month, February to October (bus: 54).
Mainz Nightlife
The cultural center of the city is Frankfurter Hof, Augustinerstrasse 55 (tel. 06131/220438; www.frankfurter-hof-mainz.de; bus: 54), which stages concerts of classical music, jazz, folk, and pop. The center also hosts an annual tent festival featuring an eclectic mix of international performers. Tickets to all events cost 10€ to 75€. Call for scheduled shows, festival dates and performers, and ticket information.
Although you can buy tickets at the offices of any of the theaters and entertainment venues in Mainz, a more convenient way is to contact the Ticket Service, which is a division of the town's tourist office at Brückenturm am Rathaus, 55116 Mainz (tel. 06131/286210; bus: 54).
In terms of its nightlife, Mainz is sleepy enough to compel many residents to head to Cologne or Düsseldorf after dark. But if you don't want to get out of town too quickly, consider dancing the night away at the Disco Kuz, Dagobertstrasse 20 (tel. 06131/286860; www.kuz.de; bus: 60 or 61), where you'll find attractive people drinking, dancing, and talking. It's open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10pm until at least 4am, charges a 6€ to 10€ cover, and attracts ages 20 to around 35. The hottest address is Red Cat, Emmerich-Josef-Strasse 13 (tel. 06131/225656; www.redcat-club.de), in the heart of town, right off the landmark Schillerplatz. The club is tiny, as is its dance floor, but hip young Mainzers pack the joint anyway. Chapeau Claque, Kleine Landgasse 4 (tel. 06131/223111; www.chapeau-mainz.de; bus: 9), is a gay bar that's open nightly 6pm to 4am.
