Kaiserslautern: a beautiful German City
Located in the Bundesland state of Rhineland-Palatinate is a city in the southwestern Germany called Kaiserslautern. The place is located at the edge of the Palatinate forest. This historic center can be dated back to the 9th century. The place is about 459 kilometers from Paris and about 117 km from Frankfurt.
Kaiserslautern is also home to about 98,166 people as on June 2014. Besides this approximately about 45,000 NATO military personnel are inhabiting the city along with its neighboring districts and together they contribute about US $1 billion annually to the local economy. Also, the city is home to the football club called FC Kaiserslautern which has won four times the German championship.
History
You can trace the prehistoric settlement of Kaiserslautern to about 800BC. Around 2,500-year-old Celtictombs were discovered at Miesau, which is a town around 29 kilometers to the west of Kaiserslautern. The relics which were recovered are now in the Museum of Palatinate History in Speyer.
In World War II, Allied destroyed more than 60% of Kaiserslautern. The railway and also the main roads became the primary targets of some heavy attacks recorded on 7th January, 11th August and on 28th September 1944. Also in March 1945, part of the US Army seized the Kaiserslautern without any resistance. Until the time of reforms of 1948 some reconstruction had taken place. At this time, the pace of the economy was pretty slow until the year 1952, when the construction for the newly established garrisons of the American troops brought about economic growth to the area.
Various unexploded ordnance from the World War II continued to be discovered in and around the places of Kaiserslautern. An unexploded 250-pound allied bomb was found in May 2012. It was buried deeply and was covered by water pipe, at the time of a construction project in the downtown area near the train station in Enkenbach-Alsenborn.
Attractions
Kaiserslautern is now seen as a center of modern information and communications technology as well as home to a very well-known university which is a technical college and also many international research institutes which are located throughout the city.
The Palatine Gallery located here dates back to the 1874 and features exhibits of various paintings and sculptures from 19th century to the present day.
The Kaiserslautern town hall is one of the tallest buildings which is located in the city center. Also, the bar and the coffee shop which is on the top floor provides a panoramic view of the beautiful city and the surrounding countryside.
The St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church located in the center of Kaiserslautern is one of the tallest building. Also, the tallest structure here is the television tower in Dansenberg in the suburbs of the city.
Kaiserslautern has extensive botanical gardens that feature beautiful Japanese style garden. One of the unusual features is the Waschmuhle, which is an enormous 160-metre swimming pool which is public and is the largest in Europe. You will also find some pedestrian only shopping zones here with various restaurants and bars that are located in the city center surrounded by the old city. In the old city, you will also find “Kaiserbrunnen,” which is a large ornamental fountain containing the symbols of the city’s history. Also here is a football representing the city’s football club and also several other animals that children can climb on to have been set up.
The Kammgarn
The Kammgarn has been classified as a major historical site. It had served as a spinning factory before it was converted into the cultural heart of Kaiserslautern. The historical character has been preserved due to this renovation while also installing the modern sound and lighting technologies. The Kammgarn also is regarded as the top venues in Germany and has been serving as the first-call club for various rising groups and performers including jazz, blues, rock and pop artists in Europe.
Gartenschau (Garden exhibition)
Because of the several life-size dinosaurs found here, the garden is also referred to as the “Dino Park.” The garden is open from the month of April till October and is also very popular with families. The place was started off as a botanical display and started enjoying success in the year 2000 at the State Garden Exhibition of Rhineland-Palatinate. Slowly, this park had begun getting changed into one of the most versatile cultural centers located in Germany.
Fritz Walter Stadium
This Fritz-Walter stadium can accommodate about 48,500 fans of football. After the renovation in June 2006, Kaiserslautern was amongst the 12 German cities to have hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The city is also home to the Football team 1.FC Kaiserslautern, which has achieved the title of “Deutscher Meister,” which means German champions and has got it four times now.
KMC (Kaiserslautern Military Community)
There are several military families in the heart of South West Germany around the area of Kaiserslautern. The Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) is actually an American community which is living around the Kaiserslautern area in Germany and provides various supports to the United States Armed forces.
This KMC is home to about 53,000 people that includes Armed Forces service members along with the department of defense, civilians, and their families. It is the largest US military community that is located outside the United States.
The surrounding areas of the KMC have some beautiful sights and also various things to do in case you are going to be here visiting your family or friends at the base. You can enjoy the following places here like the:
- The Pfalz Wald Nature Park– this is the largest wooded area located in Germany. This area of Germany has the mildest climate, and this wildlife park is also perfect for taking a nice walk or even a bike ride. Around 12,000 km of land is covered by the nature park, and it may look unrealistic to cover all of it Also, there are plenty of small trails that can be followed and discovered. Some beautiful castles and ruins are also found on the way.
- The German Wine Road– If you are interested in wine and would be delighted to enjoy some of the amazing scenery, then take a trip down to the German wine road where you will find a precious gem of wine villages along with fruit trees and castle ruins to enjoy!
- Bad Dürkheim – this is the place where the annual “Sausage Market,” takes place in the month of September. It is the biggest wine festival held in Germany. It happens in front of the largest wine barrel in the world which was in fact made as per the real barrel making principles. It is known to hold millions of gallons of wine. Instead, the barrel actually holds a restaurant!
The huge population of America has led to various memorable nightlife with some good rock and jazz music scenes. You will also find some acts from the US coming over regularly in order to perform in Kaiserslautern’s various clubs.
In case you are visiting Germany and want to have a fantastic time then visiting Kaiserslautern is a must! Enjoy your wonderful visit to Kaiserslautern with your family and friends for your next big vacation and have the time of your lives.