Mainz Roman Theatre

The largest Roman stage north of the Alps. Mogontiacum (Mainz) was the capital of Germania Superior, home to two legions and 40,000 soldiers. The theatre seated 10,000 and hosted entertainments for troops who planted vines along the Rhine.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Stand in the Largest Roman Theatre North of the Alps History · Free

   This open semicircle of ancient stone seated 10,000 people. The Romans built it here, in Mainz, because Mainz was Rome.

   Where: Zitadellenweg, 55131 Mainz. Take the S-Bahn to 'Mainz Römisches Theater' station — the stop is named after this site. Walk down Zitadellenweg; the excavated foundations open before you.

   What: The largest Roman stage north of the Alps — 116 metres wide, 10,000 seats, built around AD 80. The Romans called this city Mogontiacum and it was the capital of an entire province, Germania Superior. Two full legions lived here, plus 25,000 civilians. A real Roman city, not just a fort. The theatre was built, scholars believe, specifically to host the annual funerary games for Drusus — the general who founded this city and died here in 9 BC. For centuries after his death, soldiers marched from this theatre to his monument 340 metres up the hill in a ritual procession of grief.

   How: Free entry, open 24 hours. Walk the semicircle of the cavea — the rows of seating tiers — and stand in the orchestra pit where important citizens once sat. Face the stage and understand the scale: the entire population of a modern university town could fill this space. The informational panels explain the German text. Allow 45 minutes.

   Backup: If the site is under temporary maintenance, the train station itself bears the theatre's name and the information panels at the perimeter are always accessible.

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2. 2 Touch the Stone That Broke Augustus's Heart History · Price: low

   The Drususstein is a 20-metre grief monument. It has stood on this exact spot for 2,033 years. Augustus himself wrote its inscription.

   Where: Southwest corner of the Mainz Citadel grounds, about 340 metres from the Roman Theatre. Walk up Zitadellenweg and through the Citadel gate. The Drususstein is the massive stone tower in the corner of the grounds.

   What: In 9 BC, Drusus — Augustus's stepson, the founder of Mogontiacum, the general who had pushed Roman legions to the Elbe — fell from his horse east of the Rhine. His lower leg was broken when the horse fell on it. He waited 30 days, Tiberius rushing to his side, while gangrene set in. He died. The soldiers back in Mogontiacum spontaneously decided to build him a cenotaph — an empty tomb, because his body was taken to Rome for burial in the Mausoleum of Augustus. Augustus, the emperor of Rome, personally composed the memorial inscription (the elogium) and had it attached to this stone. The monument you're looking at is one of only two funerary monuments north of the Alps from antiquity that have never been moved from their original location. It is not in a museum. It has not been relocated. It has stood HERE for over two thousand years, in the city Drusus built.

   How: The Citadel grounds are freely accessible. A small museum is built directly into the base of the Drususstein (entrance €4 adult): Fri 2–5pm, Sat–Sun 11am–5pm. Stand at the base and look up — 20 metres of Roman masonry, still rising, still mourning.

   Backup: If the museum is closed, the exterior of the Drususstein and Citadel grounds are always open. The view from the Citadel walls over the Rhine is free.

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3. 3 Count the Shards of a Smashed God History · Price: low

   Someone destroyed the Jupiter Column so thoroughly it took a century to reassemble. The 2,000+ fragments tell you exactly what early Christians thought of Rome's gods.

   Where: Landesmuseum Mainz, Große Bleiche 49–51, 55116 Mainz (GPS: 50.0037, 8.2679). Head to the Steinhalle — the baroque riding hall that now houses 2,000+ Roman stone monuments.

   What: The Great Mainz Jupiter Column was built between AD 54 and 68 — the canteen keepers (canabarii) of the Roman military camp paid for it, dedicated to Emperor Nero's wellbeing. It stood 12.5 metres tall and depicted 28 different Romano-Celtic deities carved into its drums — Roman gods alongside Germanic ones, showing exactly how cultures fused along the Rhine frontier. Then, at some point in late antiquity, someone smashed it into more than 2,000 pieces. Almost certainly early Christians, making absolutely certain everyone knew Jupiter was a false god. Archaeologists found the fragments in 1904–1905 and spent years reassembling them, piece by chalky piece. The result stands before you: the oldest, largest, and most elaborate Jupiter column ever found in the German-speaking world.

   How: Open Tue–Sun 11am–4:30pm (closed Monday). Admission €6 adult, €5 reduced. The Steinhalle also holds the Arch of Dativius, Roman gravestones, military tombstones with legionary portraits — allow 90 minutes for the full Roman collection.

   Backup: The museum is the primary site; no direct substitute. If closed on a Monday, the Roman Theatre and Drususstein are both free alternatives for the day.

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4. 4 Find the Roman Temple Hidden in a Shopping Mall Adventure · Free

   Beneath the H&M and the shoe stores, there is a 1st-century sanctuary to Isis. It was discovered in 1999 when they were building the mall. Mainz simply put the mall on top of it.

   Where: Römerpassage shopping arcade, Römerpassage 1, 55116 Mainz (city center, near the cathedral). Enter the mall and descend to the basement. Follow signs for 'Taberna archaeologica' or 'Isis-Heiligtum'.

   What: In 1999, construction crews digging the foundations for this shopping arcade broke through into a 1st-century Roman religious sanctuary — the only excavated Temple of Isis in all of Germany. Dedicated to both Isis (Egyptian) and Magna Mater/Cybele (Anatolian), it was a mystery cult sanctuary where soldiers and civilians came for secret rites. Archaeologists found over 300 oil lamps, offerings of dates, figs, pine nuts, animal bones — and most remarkably, 19 lead curse tablets. The defixiones are written in Latin, invoking Isis and Magna Mater to punish enemies and right wrongs. They are extraordinarily rare surviving examples of Roman folk religion — real people, real grievances, real magic. The mall opened. The sanctuary stayed.

   How: FREE admission (donations welcome). The Taberna archaeologica is a small museum with the actual foundations visible, selected finds displayed, and a multimedia presentation. Check current hours as a shopping-arcade site; typically accessible during mall hours. Allow 30 minutes. Almost no tourists find this.

   Backup: If the Taberna archaeologica is temporarily closed, the Landesmuseum Steinhalle (Step 3) has additional Roman cult objects and inscriptions from Mainz.

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5. 5 Toast Mogontiacum at the Wine Breakfast the Whole City Attends Wine · Price: low

   Every Saturday morning, Mainz's winemakers pour Silvaner at the cathedral square. This is the world's largest Silvaner region — 10 million vines — and you're drinking it in the Roman capital that started it all.

   Where: Fischtorplatz (March–October) or Leichhof (year-round), both within 200 metres of Mainz Cathedral. The Saturday Weinfrühstück runs 9am–3pm.

   What: Rheinhessen — the vast wine region that starts at Mainz's edge — is the world's largest Silvaner growing area: 2,040 hectares, almost 10 million vines. A hundred years ago Silvaner covered two-thirds of all Rheinhessen vineyards. The Romans who built the theatre and the Drususstein planted vines along this exact stretch of Rhine to supply their legions — shipping wine from Italy was too expensive. The tradition has run without interruption. Every Saturday from March to November, Mainz winemakers set up their stands, pour Silvaner and Riesling into proper glasses, and eat Weck un Worscht (bread roll and sausage) with anyone who shows up. Glass prices are €4–6. Fischtorplatz has a direct Rhine view.

   How: No reservation needed. Walk up, choose a producer's stand, ask for Silvaner (say 'Silvaner bitte'). Order the Weck un Worscht alongside it. If you're there in asparagus season (April–June), this is the world's most famous Silvaner pairing. The winemakers are local — they'll talk.

   Backup: If it's not a Saturday, Wangenrot wine bar (Am Stefansplatz 1, Tue–Sat 6–11pm) offers 40 open Rheinhessen wines by the glass in a vaulted cellar, including serious Silvaner.

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