The residents of Mainz-Drais would never have dared to dream that their neighborhood would one day be one of the most sought-after residential areas in Mainz. After all, Drais was a small farming village for centuries—and until the first settlement in Drais in the 11th or 12th century, it wasn't even that. The name Drais (from the Gothic driusan = bubbling springs) suggests that the area was initially characterized by water and—since Drais belonged to the imperial forest of the Ingelheim imperial palace—extensive forests.

Incorporated into Mainz in 1969, Drais is now known for its wide fields and orchards surrounding the town, its stately brick farms in the town center, its proximity to the Ober-Olmer Forest, ZDF television station, and university, and its direct highway connection to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt. For many residents, the district has thus become a kind of oasis on the outskirts of the city, offering peace and tranquility, yet only a few minutes' drive from Mainz city center.

Those who live in Drais must truly love the peace and quiet. In the old town center around the Catholic parish church of Maria Königin and the village square with its "Lerchenbub" fountain designed by Reinhold Petermann, time seems to have stood still. Maria Königin is not only a little gem from the outside. There are also sights to see inside the church: the altarpiece of the Assumption of Mary, the organ by the renowned 19th-century organ builder Johannes Schlaad, and finally the 14 Holy Helpers, small figures carved from lime wood in 1835.

Not far from the church – in the old Draiser Hof on Seminarstraße – the Jesuits resided from 1670 to 1773. They built a residential building with a beautiful stepped gable on the estate, which still stands today and now houses the Christophorus Hospice, an institution that is unique in Mainz. Here, seriously ill and dying people are cared for and accompanied. And where better to do this than in peaceful Drais? Right next door is the retirement home.

Despite its tranquility, Drais has done a lot in recent years to ensure the quality of life in the district. New residential areas have also been built at Am alten Sportplatz and Hinter den Weiden. Most of the families who have settled here appreciate the village character of Drais, but also its proximity to a primary school, several kindergartens, and playgrounds and sports fields. The residents of Drais also know how to celebrate, as they prove every year at the Kerb festival in August. Then the village square and the streets of Drais are less peaceful, but all the more cheerful.