The city of Mainz has always been of great military importance. The Romans built a camp for two legions under the command of Drusus (9 BC–37 AD). In the Middle Ages, during the Frankish period, a narrow ring of fortifications was built around the city. This belt of fortifications hampered the city's development until well into the 19th century. Not only was there little space for the city to grow within the fortification belt, but there were also hardly any open spaces or recreational areas. Strong population growth at the end of the 19th century made it necessary to create new recreational opportunities outside the former fortification belt. In 1857, the so-called Promenadenweg (promenade path) was created, which once led around the old town.

Southwest of the city park, stretching all the way to the main train station, lies the "Mainz Green Belt," which was built on the old ramparts of the fortress. The wide, green recreational strip, laid out on the semicircle of the bastions and moats of the old fortified city, is now more than ever appreciated as a recreational landscape in connection with the city and public park.
These areas form, so to speak, the "green lung" for the old town and upper town. So if you want to breathe in some fresh air and explore the former ramparts, we recommend a long walk along Mainz's "green lung."

In 2014, a park maintenance plan was commissioned, resulting in a catalog of measures for preserving and strengthening the historical elements while taking ecological concerns into account.