Discover Mayen: Castle, museums and city walks

Mayen combines a distinctive urban history with museums, cultural events and walking trails. Genovevaburg Castle defines the view of the city; guided walks and tours offer other ways to get to know Mayen. When choosing a hotel in Mayen, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: would you like to explore the castle and the city’s history, plan a guided tour, or spend time at the Grubenfeld and in the city forest? The following places and time estimates provide specific points of reference.

Genovevaburg Castle and city history

The Late Gothic Genovevaburg Castle is a landmark of Mayen. It stands on a rocky outcrop above the market square and consists of an upper castle with the 34-metre-high Goloturm tower and a lower bailey. The difference in elevation and the two castle sections give the complex its clearly defined shape.

The castle houses the EifelTotal and Deutsches Schieferbergwerk exhibitions of the Eifel Museum. Parts of the city wall have also been preserved: a restored rampart walk can be accessed as far as Genovevaburg Castle. The castle and rampart walk offer different perspectives on Mayen’s architectural history—from the layout of the castle complex to the city’s surviving fortifications.

Museums and summer culture

At Erlebniswelten Grubenfeld, visitors can follow individual stages of basalt mining at interactive stations during a guided tour of the SteinZeiten exhibition. The Altes Arresthaus, Mayen’s former city jail, was built in 1880 and extended in 1904; today it is a home for art and culture. In summer, its courtyard also becomes an open-air venue for the Burgfestspiele, featuring theatre, music and other cultural events.

Every summer, the Mayen Burgfestspiele turn Genovevaburg Castle in the heart of Mayen into a stage for theatre and music. If you would like to include cultural events in your stay, you can consider the two venues separately: Genovevaburg Castle for theatre and music, and the courtyard of the Altes Arresthaus as an open-air venue for the Burgfestspiele. Both are seasonal and take place in summer.

Guided walks of varying lengths

Guided city walks in Mayen are available on request. The historical city tour takes you through the city centre and lasts around 90 minutes. With the Hearonymus app, you can start a digital city tour whenever you choose and play information about the sights. The guided tour and the app tour therefore offer different ways to get oriented: one has a fixed approximate duration, while the other can be started at a time of your choosing.

A culinary city tour requires a longer time slot: it lasts about 4.5 hours and takes participants to a total of five pubs and restaurants. Compared with the approximately 90-minute historical city tour, it is a considerably longer excursion. Knowing the duration helps you distinguish between the two options when planning your stay.

Grubenfeld and city forest

The Bat Trail is a short circular route through Mayen’s Grubenfeld that provides information about the world of bats. One special feature is Shaft 700, the bats’ home. Mayen’s Grubenfeld is presented as one of Central Europe’s most important bat roosts; the trail connects this significance with an on-site interpretation of nature.

Another option for a walk is the Eifeltraum, a short circular route in Mayen’s city forest with viewpoints and a nature Kneipp pool. If you are planning a day hike, you can start from another location in Mayen-Kürrenberg: the Traumpfad Förstersteig begins there. The short circular route in the city forest, the Bat Trail in the Grubenfeld and the day hike starting in Kürrenberg differ in both their starting points and their stated focus.

Discover more destinations: Ettringen, Münstermaifeld, Weißenthurm, Kollig, Brodenbach, Arft, Wierschem, Siebenbach

Go to the regional travel overview: Mayen-Koblenz.