Mainz, Museum steamboat on the Neckar in Mannheim, Germany

The Mainz is a side-wheel paddle steamer built in 1928/1929, now moored as a museum ship below the Kurpfalzbrücke on the Neckar in Mannheim. Its riveted steel hull has a white upper section and a black stripe along the waterline, with round portholes on the lower hull. The ship has two fixed decks and a wooden protective deck, and the name "MAIN" is painted near the stern.

Built in 1928/29 by the Ruthof shipyard for the DGNM, the Mainz was the thousandth ship completed there and the last paddle steamer built for the Köln-Düsseldorfer. It survived World War II as the company's only seaworthy vessel, but a 12 June 1956 accident forced a complete rebuild of the hull. After decommissioning in 1980, it was donated to the Mannheim inland navigation museum society and converted into an exhibition ship.

The ship's name comes from the city of Mainz, which sponsored its christening in 1929 alongside the Rheinhessen chamber of commerce; Mayor Karl Külb and Christian Scholz gave the speeches. Today visitors walk the decks of a vessel that once carried up to 2680 passengers, and the "MAIN" painted near the stern recalls that origin.

The landing is about a 30-minute walk from Mainz central train station, making it easy to reach on foot. Most destinations along the route have railway connections, so you can continue your journey by train if you wish.

The Mainz was the thousandth ship completed by the Christof Ruthof shipyard and the last paddle steamer built for the Köln-Düsseldorfer. In 1956 an accident so damaged the hull that it had to be rebuilt; the forward half of the deck received a fixed, bow-glazed windbreak that is still visible today.