レルツヴァイラーの洞窟・トップ8

The citadel is, next to the cathedral, the most important historical building in Mainz. First fortified in 1620, the citadel took its present form on Jakobsberg hill in 1660. The citadel and its surroundings document Mainz's military history in a very small area: from the Roman war memorial "Drususstein" to the barracks buildings from the time of the Federal Fortress in the 19th century, and finally to the air-raid shelters from the Second World War. The Drusus Bastion, with its mysterious passageways, is particularly captivating. Source: http://www.festung-mainz.de/zitadelle/einfuehrung.html

The grounds of the Mainz Citadel are open year-round. The two gates to the citadel (the Commandant's Building and the bridge at Windmill Hill) are no longer closed. The citadel can therefore be visited even late in the evening. Access may be restricted only for a few specific events (such as Open Ohr). Source: http://www.festung-mainz.de/zitadelle/touristische-hinweise.html

The former country hotel has become a retirement home

On the archway of Sörgenloch Castle is the coat of arms of Barons Köth von Wanscheid from the 18th century. The history of Sörgenloch Castle goes back to the 12th century. At that time, the place was owned by the St. Alban Monastery in Mainz and was more of an estate with a few residential buildings than a real town as we know it today. The estate's task was to supply the monastery with food and money through the so-called "tithe". However, it is unknown who managed the estate on behalf of the monastery. The place attracted attention around the same time that Sörgenloch Castle was built. At that time, coins and vessels from the Iron Age and antiquity were found. The Celts and the Romans had also already settled here. The place around Sörgenloch Castle gained economic importance as an important place of pilgrimage in the 17th century. The money of the pilgrims who came to visit was also responsible for the fact that a simple manor house could be turned into the castle we see today a good 100 years later. The small Renaissance-style castle was built by the Köth-Wanscheid family, who ruled the town in the 18th century. Sörgenloch Castle is no longer owned by the local lords, but is run privately as a restaurant. Also part of the castle, but now independent, are the Catholic rectory and a second, former castle.

After World War II, the French occupying forces confiscated the complex (until 1955). In the 1960s, the Mainz Commercial Vocational School was located in the citadel until its relocation to a new building on the Hartenberg. Today, the citadel belongs to the city of Mainz and houses numerous municipal offices. The Mainz Citadel has been a listed historical monument since 1907. The moat in the southern part of the citadel has been a protected landscape since the mid-1980s as an "anthropogenic biotope" of "national importance."[3] The City History Museum is now housed in Building D in front of the Drusus Stone. The citadel and its surroundings document Mainz's urban history in a very small area: from the Roman war memorial Drusus Stone to the barracks buildings from the federal fortress era in the 19th century, and on to the air-raid shelters from World War II. Since 1975, the OpenOhr Festival, a themed youth culture festival with discussion forums and workshops, cabaret, and live concerts, has taken place annually at the Mainz Citadel over the Pentecost weekend. In October 2015, the Mainz Citadel was awarded the Hague Plaque by UNESCO, designating the structure as a protected monument. In the event of damage caused by armed conflict, the International Court of Justice would assume prosecution should the German government be unable to do so.

https://www.zitadelle-mainz.de Construction of the fortified citadel began in 1620.

The keep has been preserved and can be climbed. The upper (narrow) section is a bit dark, but the climb is worth it!

The citadel was expanded from 1655 onwards as an addition to the city's fortifications. From up here on Jakobsberg hill, there is also a beautiful panoramic view over Mainz as far as the Taunus mountains.