The Binger Wald covers an area of 7,000 hectares. From the heights of the mixed forest, 40 percent of which consists of oak trees, you can enjoy distant views of the Rhine and Nahe valleys.

The Hunsrück is Rhineland-Palatinate's winter sports region. On and around the 818-meter-high Erbeskopf, winter sports enthusiasts will find ski lifts, toboggan runs, and cross-country ski trails. The Rhine, Moselle, Nahe, and Saar rivers frame the low mountain range landscape. In summer, the forests, valleys, and meadows are ideal terrain for hikers and mountain bikers. Those arriving at Frankfurt Hahn Airport land in the middle of the Hunsrück and can take the shuttle bus down to Mainz in just over an hour.

The romantic Middle Rhine Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best way to explore it is by boat. From Mainz, for example, the Cologne-Düsseldorf shipping company offers daily trips to this unique river landscape in summer. Small, romantic villages and imposing castles line the banks on both sides like pearls on a string. At St. Goarshausen, you will pass the Loreley rock, where, according to legend, the Rhine maiden is said to have turned the heads of sailors in former times. The 320-kilometer-long Rheinsteig trail leads hikers through this landscape. The rugged rock formations in the Middle Rhine Valley require sure footing.

The Nahe region lies between the Hunsrück in the north and Rheinhessen in the south. This landscape can be explored up close by bike. A 120-kilometer cycle path begins in Bingen am Rhein and takes you along the idyllic Nahe river, past the bizarre walls of the Roter Fels, vineyards, and slate slopes to the spa towns of Bad Kreuznach, Bad Münster am Stein, and Bad Sobernheim. The German Gemstone Museum in Idar-Oberstein is a worthwhile destination for an excursion. All of these places can be reached from Mainz in just over an hour by train or car.

The German Wine Route begins near the border with Rheinhessen. It runs through the Palatinate wine-growing region. Worthwhile destinations in this region include the charming half-timbered villages along the southern wine route and the Palatinate Forest with its extensive hiking trails. The German wine queen is crowned in Bad Dürkheim. Hambach Castle is considered the cradle of German democracy. The Mainz State Museum maintains the Max Slevogt Gallery in the Villa Ludwigshöhe in Edenkoben. The southern Palatinate is a chestnut paradise.

The Rheingau region lies on the right bank of the Rhine between Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim. The famous Rheingau Riesling grows on its warm southern slopes. Worth seeing are the former Cistercian abbey of Eberbach, where scenes from the film "The Name of the Rose" were shot, Rüdesheim with its famous Drosselgasse and the cable car to the Niederwald Monument, and Johannisberg Castle, known for wine tastings in historic cellars and fabulous views over the vineyards and the Rhine.

You can see the heights of the Taunus mountains from Mainz in the northeast. When the weather is clear, you can see as far as the Großer Feldberg (880 meters) with its striking television tower. This large hiking and winter sports area is practically on your doorstep. A rewarding tour starts from Wiesbaden's Nerotal valley and leads through the forest to the Kellerskopf (474 meters). Climb the observation tower there and the Rhine-Main area lies at your feet. You can enjoy a unique view of Mainz and the Rhine from the Hohe Wurzel. Mountain bikers will find routes of varying degrees of difficulty in the Taunus. Maps and further tips are available in any good bookstore or on the Internet.