DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Rheinland-Pfalz	Rhineland-Palatinate
Landkreis: Mayen-Koblenz

map →

Mayen is situated at an elevation of 230 m at the Nette stream at the eastern edge of the Eifel mountain region. Its geographic location has earned the town the nickname Gateway to the Eifel.

The earliest traces of human settlements date from around 1000 BC. During the Roman times Mayen already was an important market place. The name Mayen most probably is derived from Megina which was mentioned in a document of AD 847 and referred to a place in a plain or in the field (Celtic: magos). The oldest document mentioning Mayen itself dates from 1041. The Genovevaburg castle above the town was founded in 1280. In 1291 Mayen was granted a charter by the German King Rudolf I of Habsburg. Despite its strong fortifications the medieval town was almost completely destroyed in 1689 by French troops. The new town that was rebuilt after that was almost completely destroyed in December 1944 and January 1945. During the administrative reform of 1970 the neighbouring municipalities of Alzheim, Hausen, Kürrenberg and Nitztal were incorporated into Mayen. Until 1973 Mayen was the administrative seat of the district Mayen. The administration was then moved to Koblenz and the district was renamed Mayen-Koblenz (Koblenz itself, however, is independent from the district).

The town hall [left] was built in the early 18th century and almost miraculously survived the bomb raids during World War II. It is one of the very few buildings that have survived from the old historic town of Mayen.