Mainz
The largest town in Rheinland-Pfalz, 184.287 inhabitants and a reputation for silliness. When the "Mainzelmännchen" on channel ZDF squawk 'Guten Abend!', few people realize that the original folklore of the Heinzelmännchen (dwarfs who tidy your house during the night and ancestors of the garden gnome) actually comes from Cologne. It was in Mainz in the 15th century that Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with moveable letters and so laid the foundations for modern media communication. The town on the river Rhein has been a thriving centre since as long ago as Roman times. But then it was called Mogontiacum after the celtic god Mogon, which is why in Polish the town is called 'Moguncja'. From its glorious past as the residence of archbishops and Kurfürsten, Mainz boasts many impressive churches, such as the Cathedral of Mainz, built in 1036, and St. Stephans church, which has coloured glass windows designed by Marc Chagal. Life becomes particularly colourful in Mainz in the so-called 'fifth season', when Mainz competes with Cologne to hold the biggest Easter carnival and to show the sense of fun that the people of the Rheinland are famous for.