Kaiserslautern is set in the middle of Germany's largest stretch of forest, the Palatinate biosphere reserve. Emperor (Kaiser) Barbarossa, who controlled lands from the North Sea to Sicily between 1155 to 1190, was so impressed by the greenery he built a palace at "Lautern" in 1152. The forest is Kaiserslautern's main tourist attraction with clearly marked trails from the city leading hikers among ancient beech trees. Ruins of the Kaiser's original castle can still be seen in front of the Rathaus (City Hall).
At the height of the Cold War, from 1950 to 1955, Kaiserslautern grew into the largest US military community outside the US and became known as K-Town. It is still home to some 40,000 US servicemen and women, the largest American expatriate population in Germany. This group shares the town with a high number of students, who attend the city's numerous universities, international research institutes and technical colleges. The result is a young, lively place with plentiful bars and a thriving jazz and rock scene.
Kaiserslautern is part of the Rheinland-Pfalz region, where wine festivals are a major tradition. You can find such celebrations in any number of villages every weekend from the last Sunday in August when (Wine Route Day) is celebrated. Other annual events include the Bad Durkheim Sausage Festival in September and Grape Harvest Festival in October. From April to October the city hosts a World Garden Show including a beautiful Japanese garden and, oddly, Europe's largest dinosaur exhibition.
Sporting pedigree
Kaiserslautern's 2006 World Cup stadium is named after Fritz Walter. Born in the city in 1920, Fritz appeared 379 times for Kaiserslautern, scoring 306 goals from midfield. He was team captain for coach Sepp Herberger and helped build the 1954 "Miracle of Berne" side that brought home the World Cup to Germany for the first time.
1966 and all that ...
In 1635, Croatian troops of the Austrian emperor's army entered Kaiserslautern and murdered 3,000 of the 3,200 residents. It took Kaiserslautern about 160 years to repopulate itself.
Where to stay
Search reviews and search for hotels in Kaiserslautern at Tripadvisor.com.
· Rooms at more than 550 German hotels can be booked during the World Cup through Fifaworldcup.com. The hotels will be rated from two to five stars and all will be located close to match venues. Simply specify which team you want to follow and the period when you'd like to be in Germany.
· Soccerphile in partnership with tour company VIP Hanse Touring is offering World Cup tour packages including hospitality, hotel bookings, venue and match day transfers and city tours.
· Hotel.de offers a selection of hotels available in the 12 participating World Cup cities along with information on draw dates and venues.
· World Cup Trips organises accommodation and tours incorporating transport to and from matches.
· Find accommodation in each of the World Cup host cities at Walking-in-Germany.co.uk.
· Find people with rooms to rent in the host cities at ImmobilienScout24.
· Fanproject 2006 is offering accommodation at giant campsites around Germany during the World Cup.
Getting there
Kaiserslautern has good, fast transport links, thanks to its central location in southwest Germany. It is one hour from the Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) to the northeast, one hour from the French border to the west, an hour-and-a-half from Luxembourg and Belgium to the northeast, and five hours from Switzerland to the south.
By air: There are three airport options: Frankfurt (62 miles); Saarbr?cken (37 miles) and Hahn (56 miles).
By rail: InterCityExpress and InterCity services run regularly to Kaiserslauthern. European Rail offers transport to all the World Cup destinations. Also, check out special offers from Deutsch Bahn for World Cup travel.
By road: Eurolines, the overseas wing of National Express, offer return fares from the UK to all major German cities. Within Germany, Eurolines is represented by Deutsche Touring or tickets are available from Deutsche Bahn ticket agents in major railway stations. Information on the German motorway network can be found at autobahn-online.de.
The stadium
The Fritz Walter Stadium first opened its doors in 1920. Built on the Betzenberg mountain, the ground takes its name from the German 1954 World Cup captain, and is home to first division club FC Kaiserslautern. The stadium is being extended to hold a capacity of 48,500.
· Where is it? The stadium is an easy five-minute walk from the main railway station.
Or watch it in the streets
The "World Cup Mile" will stretch from Central Station via the Eisenbahnstrasse and Rummelstrasse to Stiftsplatz for the duration of the tournament. Central to events will be a giant screen and stage. Performers from all branches of the arts will entertain guests along the Eisenbahnstrasse, while football-related entertainment will run at the Stiftsplatz daily from 2pm until midnight.
