Kaiserslautern in Your Pocket

Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps

KAISERSLAUTERN June - July 2006

Football events Win or lose, this is where to party

Going Palatine Strolling in the forest

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ContEnts

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E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S

Contents Arriving

5

Landing in K-Town

History

6 From Romans to Japanese, Australians and Saudis

Glossary

7

The basics

Events

8

What’s going on

The Palatine Forest

9

Strap on your boots and walk

inside front

World Cup events

10

Football-related festivities

Where to stay

12

Hotels and hostels

Restaurants

16

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Pizza Hut, ice cream and gourmet pasta

Nightlife

20

Bars and clubs

What to see

24

Sights in and around K-Town

Getting around

28

Trains, planes and buses

Mail & Phones

31

K-Town calling

Shopping

32

Souvenirs, food and books

Directory

35

Banks, pharmacies and hairdressers

Maps & Index

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Street register Transport map City map Index

38 39 40 42 June - July 2006

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arriving

forEWorD Kaiserslautern has been hastily preparing for the big event of the year: the football World Cup 2006 and it shows in almost every aspect of public life in the city. Streets have been re-paved and flowers planted in roadside medians, the main train station and the football stadium have undergone an extension make-over and there’s a lot of questionable football inspired artwork going up throughout the city. It has been a lot of work for ‘just five football games’ some might argue (see p.11). If you are a visitor to K-Town now, however, you will most certainly profit from all this work because Kaiserslautern has rarely been so lovely - despite the football inspired art. With the summer here, the Palatine Forest is teaming with hikers, bikers, motorcyclists and campers. We’ve put together a few ideas for visitors on p.9. Enjoy Kaiserslautern, and remember to write in with any comments, tips and experiences: [email protected].

Europe In Your Pocket

Kaiserslautern’s colourful coat of arms is depicted on a manhole cover. Fish have been part of the city logo since 1373, and legend goes that at a royal banquet in 1497, Prince Phillip was served a huge 6m-long fish, which had a ring around its neck stating that the fish was released into Lautern’s Kaiserwoog (imperial pond) in 1230 by emperor Frederic II.

Arriving by car Kaiserslautern is easy to reach via Autobahn A6 and A63. It lies on the A6 between Mannheim and Saarbrücken. The A63 (direction Mainz) joins the A6 at the junction of exit 15. Driving in K-town can be a bit tricky and the closer one gets to the city centre the more one-way streets you are liable to run into.

Arriving by plane Unless you’re with the US military, you can’t fly to Kaiserslautern, as it has no commercial airport. The nearest airports are Frankfurt, Hahn, Luxemburg, Saarbrücken and Zweibrücken.

Arriving by train

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In Your Pocket continues to expand, launching no less than eight new city guides in Germany, in time for the soccer World Cup. All World Cup host cities now have their own In Your Pocket, in print and available locally at hotels, and also online as both browseable text and a free downloadable PDF guide. Apart from that, there’s the free Football In Your Pocket insert guide which can be found in all In Your Pocket guides in Germany - the booklet has information on teams and stadiums and has a nifty fixtures table. Elsewhere, new guides will hit the streets of Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro this summer. If you would like to be a part of the Pocket group, publishing your own guide, contact us at [email protected] for more details. You can also keep up to date with the latest developments by logging on to www.inyourpocket.com/press.

Kaiserslautern’s train station has just undergone massive refurbishment and you will find a convenient Deutsche Bahn (DB) info stand right in the main hall. Directly outside the train station is the bus terminal from which you can reach most places in the city and in the surrounding municipality. A bus information table, similar to the digital train information board, hangs directly over the entrance to the food-courts in the main hall. Should you not be able to decipher this, the DB info stand should accommodate your questions or just ask one of the bus drivers. Day tickets for the city are €5 and three day passes cost €12. The tourist information centre and an ATM are just outside the station’s main hall, to the right of the bus terminal (Richard-Wagner-Straße 92). The tourist office here can give you basic information about getting around and you can get city maps here. The train station is within easy walking distance of the Fritz Walter Football Stadium.

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Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Jeroen van Marle Editorial Contributors Wendy Wrangham, Taural Rhoden Research Morwenna Parkyn Layout & Design Tomáš Haman Maps Kartographie Eichner, [email protected] Photos Wendy Wrangham, Sco, Taural Rhoden, City of Kaiserslautern Cover photo: A colourful Kaiserslautern manhole © Taural Rhoden

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June - July 2006



history Red is the dominating colour of Kaiserslautern: the soil and rock of the Western Palatinate, the many sandstone buildings, the borders on the left and right of the fish in the city’s coat of arms, Emperor Freidrich I Barbarrossa’s beard - they all radiate red hues. Red is also the colour of much of Kaiserslautern’s history too, strategically placed as it is between France and what is now Germany. People here have a sense of their history and some still talk about the effects of the Thirty Year’s War on their town and the region. ca 250 BC A Roman settlement is started in the vicinity of today’s Stiftskirche 1152 Friedrich I (Barbarossa) founds the Palatinate and Kaiserslautern itself received the name from the favorite hunting retreat of the Emperor 1618 -48 Kaiserslautern is occupied and destroyed by the Spanish, French and Swedes during the Thirty Year’s War 1919 The property on the Betzenberg is partially acquired and a sand football field is laid out with a small stand of spectator bleachers and wooden tribune. 1944-45 More than 60% of the city bombed and destroyed by allied aircraft, with the heaviest attacks occurring on January 7th, August 11th, and September 28th, 1944. 1946 The state of Rhineland Palatine formed from parts of Bavaria, Hessen and Prussia which had previously never joined together. The ‘Pfalz’ borders on Luxemburg, France, and Belgium and contains two-thirds of the wine growing area in Germany. 1950-55 The massive garrisoning of American troops in the city and region, and the establishment of the largest US military airfield provides much needed injection into the city. K-Town gets its Americanised name and becomes the largest settlement of Americans outside of the USA with over 40,000 US citizens in the region.

glossary 1950 1.FCK wins its first national club title against Münster (2:1)

Driving

Safety Germany is a very safe country to travel in, and other than the usual precautions against pickpocketing, there are no special preparations you should make. Although Germany has been in the news recently for racist attacks, these incidents are quite rare and are by no means a purely German phenomenon. Germans are aware that their country is more closely scrutinised than others when it comes to this, and racism and violence is not tolerated, witness the impressive level of security around synagogues and Jewish institutions: sturdy barriers and round-the-clock armed guards.

1969 Kaiserslautern becomes a municipality

Germany has a brilliant network of Autobahn (motorways, prefixed A) and Bundesstrasse roads (major roads, prefixed by B. Traffic drives on the right with speed limits of 130km/h or 100km/h outside built-up areas, and 50km/h in builtup areas. And indeed, there are really no speed limits on Autobahnen which makes for some fun driving and some truly ghastly accidents. Keep a close eye on the rear mirror if you’re planning to overtake or if you’re in the left lane, as those headlights in the distance behind you may get uncomfortably close very quickly. Seatbelts must be worn at all times and children under 12 years can only travel in the front seat with a child restraint. German laws are strict by many accounts when it comes to driving after you have had a few pints, glasses or snifters full of booze. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.

1985 The Betzenberg football stadium renamed after legendary 1-FC Kaiserslautern player Fritz Walter

Language

1953 The football stadium is refurbished eliminating all traces of war damage and is expanded to seat 30,000 spectators. The 1.FCK ‘Red Devils’ win second national title against VFB-Stuttgart (4:1) 1954 The German national football team wins the World Cup in Bern against Hungary (4:1). The team includes five 1-FC Kaiserslautern players, including Fritz Walter. 1961 Davenport, Iowa becomes Kaiserslautern’s first official sister city (others follow, including Banja Luka - Bosnia Herzegovina, Newham - England and Saint Quentin - France)

2002 The PRE-Park IT development centre is opened, built in a former French military complex. It is hoped that the park will attract and foster high-tech development

The German language has been somewhat misrepresented in the foreign media over the past decades, and when you hear it spoken it’s not as harsh as you may expect. Although you won’t be able to learn it on a short trip, it’s always nice to memorise a few key terms like thank you (danke), please (bitte), hello (gutentag) and goodbye (auf wiedersehen). You’ll notice that written German has some odd characters, such as the ß, the ü, ö and ä. Annoyingly, these are interchangeable with combinations of letters and can (and often are) replaced by ss, ue, oe and ae respectively – which explains why the website of Cologne (Köln) is spellt www.koeln.de.

2002 K-Town is named a World Cup host city, the smallest of 12 in Germany

Money

1990-91 1.FCK wins the national title a third time 1995-96 1.FCK is downgraded to 2nd Bundesliga but promptly return to the premiere national league in 1997 1998 1.FCK wins the national championship for the fourth time, celebrations go on for two full days.

2003 City of Kaiserslautern becomes sole shareholder of Fritz-Walter Stadium complex at a price of €57.9 million. July 2006 Five World Cup games are held in Kaiserslautern

The best way to get cash in Germany is to use an ATM machine, of which there are plenty all over the country. German banks do not charge for using foreign cards in their machines, so check with your own bank if you’ll pay any commission. Even if you do have to pay a euro or two to use an ATM, it’ll be better value and easier than going to one of the banks or train station exchange offices (like the Reisebank chain) as they have worse exchange rates and will charge a commission. Germany ditched the Deutsche mark in 2002, adopting the euro, pronounced locally as oi-ro. Germany’s economy is the largest in Europe, and therefore the majority of coins in circulation now are German ones; you’ll see Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on the €0.10, €0.20 and €0.50 coins, and the German eagle flapping around on the €1 and €2. the banknotes, if you’re wondering, are the same for the whole of euroland, and are adorned with generic European bridges.

Time Germany uses the 24-hour clock system, known as military time in some places, but as simply as ‘the time’ here. By doing away with all the am, pm, noon and midnight nonsense, it’s really quite useful for avoiding confusion, and Germany is one of the few places where the 24-hour clock is even used in spoken language. You may be told that the museum closes at sixteen-thirty, or that the train departs at twentythirtyeight.

Visas Citizens of EU and EEA countries do not need visas to enter Germany; most others do. For more details, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, www.auswaertiges-amt. de. Germany is part of the Schengen treaty, which allows free flow of goods and traffic between member states. This means that your passport only gets checked when entering and leaving the Schengen area, and once you’re in, you can travel overland from Portugal to Finland without being stopped at the borders.

Shopping practicalities

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Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

German retail laws were incredibly strict in the past, with shops not even regularly opening on Saturdays a year just a decade ago, and still are not as flexible as elsewhere. On Sundays nearly everything shuts down, with perhaps just a few shops at the train station open, and on Saturdays you’ll see many smaller shops closing around 14:00. Though it may thwart your purchasing plans, it does result in a special relaxed feel to the Sundays, which is quite nice for a change. Credit cards are still to be embraced by most shops, much to the annoyance to big-spending foreigners. This is due to the system of electronic debit card payments that was in place in Germany and other mainland European countries much earlier; this is a safer and cheaper system than credit card as it always requires PIN identicication rather than a signature, and is free of the 3% commission for the shopkeepers (eventually paid by you, dear shopper).

June - July 2006





Events

palatine forest One of the biggest draws to the region is the Palatine Forest (Pfälzerwald). With 1771km² of unbroken forest, it is Germany’s largest and together with the northern part of the adjacent Vosges Mountains in France it forms the UNESCO biosphere reserve Pfälzerwald-Vosges du Nord. Visitors come here from all over Europe to pursue a variety of activities from camping and hiking to mountain biking or to enjoy the local spas and scenery. Kaiserslautern is a good starting point for day trips and quick excursions into the Palatine Forest. Here are a few things to do if you are visiting Kaiserslautern but don’t have the time for several days of exploration:

Walking, jogging or quick mountain bike excursions Art Galleries Pfläzgalerie C-2, Museumpl. 1, tel. 364 72 01, www.

pfalzgalerie.de. The gallery is housed in a 125 year old building that lost some of its charm during reconstruction after being badly damaged in WWII but has a good selection of local and international artists, both past and present. The building was founded in 1874 as a handicraft museum until Joseph Benziono (a portrait of whom you’ll find on these walls) donated his collection and art became the focus. 6 May - 9 Jul: Fascination Football: Football in Pictures exhibit. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Tue 11:00 - 20:00. Admission €4.

Live venues Fruchthalle C-3, Fruchthallenstr.. FruchthalleC3Bus stop: Schillerplatz Kammgarn A/B-2, Schönstr. 10, tel. 365 25 48, www. kammgarn.de.

Theatres Pfalztheater (New Palatinate Theatre) C-2/3, Willy-

24-25 June Lange Nacht der Kultur 2006 - Long Night of Culture Stiftsplatz & city centre 7 July MM-family with Isaac Roosevelt Martinsplatz, Steinstrasse

Concerts 8 June, 20:00 Tango and more / Symhony concert Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz Fruchthalle 16 June, 20:00 World Football Concerts 2006 Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern 2 July, 17:00 Carmina Burana Fruchthalle

Brandt-Platz 4-5, tel. 367 50, www.pfalztheater.de.

Exhibitions

Theatre

Until 9 July Faszination Fußball - Football and art Pfalzgalerie Museumsplatz 1

4-30 June, 19:00 Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber Pfalztheater - Großes Haus Willy-Brandt-Platz 4-5, Kaiserslautern 5 June, 14:00-18:00 Tag des Theaters - Das Pfalztheater auf der Gartenschau Jean-Schön-Park

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

Other 9 June - 9 July 11:00-24:00 Fan Fest FIFA World Cup 2006 Stiftsplatz

For a nice walk, jogging or quick mountain bike excursions go to the Bremerhof south of the city. Past the Friz Walter Stadium is a small valley called the Bremerhof. Originally discovered and settled by travelling monks it had been a tiny farming community for centuries. In the more recent past a hotel and two restaurants with beer gardens have opened up here making it more interesting for K-Towners. In anticipation of the World Cup a hiking-jogging directory has been established. Six paths of varying length and difficulty have been set up and marked. Parking is abundant and you can get all the information you need about the paths from the directory board set up at the edge of the parking lot. Paths 3, 4, 5 and 6 lead up to the Humburg Tower atop one of the larger mountains in the area. From this red sandstone fortified tower you have a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding region including an inspiring view of the Palatine Forest. Getting there by bus requires a bit of a walk since buses do not frequent the Bremerhof. Take the bus line TWK 102 (the purple line from the main train station) and get off at the exit called ‘Schulzentrum Süd’. A day ticket (Tagescard) for the buses is €5, payable to the driver. From here walk along Kantstraße, keeping the stadium on your right. Turn

left onto Bremerstraße (about 300 metres past the bus stop). Follow Bremerstraße all the way to the Bremerhof, about a 1.5km walk through the forest. By car or bicycle you can take Bremerstraße from the foot of the stadium (Eisenbahnstraße south to the traffic circle) and follow it south away from the city centre. Pass the stadium on your left and continue straight ahead till you come to the intersection to the Bremerhof, about 700m past the traffic circle. Stay right and follow this street 1.5km through the forest till you see the parking lot to your right side.

Forest drives (Motorcycle or cabrio) The spring and summer months are perfect for motorcycle and convertible drives through the Palatine Forest. Even without a cabriolet or bike, the roads are a fun drive and the scenery is fabulous. Have an hour or two to spare? Then try this route: leaving Kaiserslautern from the east on the B37 towards the city of Hochspeyer, drive into the city of Frankenstein (14km from Kasierlautern). Through you’ve just begun your trip, there is a very interesting ruins on the mountain overlooking the village of Frankenstein. At the very least it is a good picture opportunity. At the main intersection here (there’s only one) change over to the B39 heading south-east towards Weidenthal and Lamprecht. This street has lots of curves and is usually quite frequented by cyclists, so be careful when passing. Keep yours eyes open as you pass Neidenfels for the castle ruins on your left Shortly before entering the city of Lamprecht (12km from Frankenstein) take a right in the direction of Elmstein on the L499 - Talstraße. Follow the L499 - Talstraße through Elmstein (there is a Fina petrol station here) and to the intersection with the B48. There are lovely little churches, ruined castles and some very good bird-watching along this part of the drive. This junction of the B48 and the L499 is called ‘Johanniskreuz’ (24.4km from Lamprecht) and it is very popular with hikers, bikers and motorcyclists. There are also 3 restaurants with beer gardens here. Take a right at the intersection heading north and follow the B48 2km to the next main intersection. Head left here onto the L503 direction Trippstadt. Leave the L503 onto the K50 - Hauptstraße (1.8km from last intersection) which will lead you directly through the city. At the intersection in the centre of town, stay on the K50 - Hauptstraße and continue straight ahead (south-west) following the signs for ‘Unterhammer’. At the T-intersection at the bottom of the hill (1.3km from the intersection in Trippstadt) takea right onto the L500 - Kreisstraße towards ‘Unterhammer’, heading north-west, onto the street ‘Am Unterhammer’. Follow this street to the intersection with the B270 (5.7km) and head right in the direction of Kaiserslautern. Follow this street all the way back to K-Town (7km). This tour is about 65km, and the estimated driving time without stops is 1.5 hours.

June - July 2006



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WorlD Cup fan fEst For almost an entire month visitors to the city will be treated to a variety of World Cup inspired activities. Here are the ones you should know about. Tango and More (June 8): the Fruchthalle will be hosting a concert to herald in the start of the World Cup for Kaiserslautern. Direction is by Ari Rasilainen with debut soloist Nebojsa Zivkovic. Tickets at the tourist info or at the Fruchthalle. Opening ceremonies (12:00, June 9): the stage at the Stiftsplatz will play host to the official kick-off to the world cup festivities. Come by and see an official from the FIFA World Cup office get some free wine from the mayor and other important dignitaries. The World Cup Mile (9-27 June): on Eisenbahnstraße, a north-south thoroughfare leading from the city to the Fritz Walter Stadium, there will be a street festival complete with culinary attractions from each of the home countries with teams playing in K-town, parades, local arts and crafts as well as fan paraphernalia. Food and drink sales run from 11:00-24:00. The Wine Village (9 June- 9 July): At the Collegiate Church on Stiftsplatz there will be a wine village, the Palatine’s answer to Munich’s Octoberfest. The state of Rhineland Palatinate is wine country and every spring and summer the wine fest season begins, with each village throwing their own winefest. In order to share this special kind of celebration with its visitors, K-Town is hosting its winefest with the best vineyards of the region represented. You are certain to find good wine and local specialities like Flammkuchen here. Food and drink sales run from 11:00 -24:00. Public game viewing: Didn’t get a ticket to a game? No worries, you can watch the games together with a few thousand of your closest friends on the big screens set up in either Stiftsplatz or on Barbarossastraße, at the foot of the stadium. The viewing area at Stiftsplatz features music and dance acts before and after games and the Barbarossastraße viewing area is the designated game-day party zone before and after games. All WC games will be viewed, including those played at K-Town. Should game times conflict with one another both will be transmitted individually on different public viewing screens. Food and drink sales run from 13:00 -24:00. Fan Garden (9-27 June): on Weberstraße, a street crossing Eisenbahnstraße, there will be a special stage set up for the fans of the various teams playing in K-Town to present music and culture from their home countries. With Italy, Japan, Paraguay, Australia, Spain playing amongst others, it should be an interesting show. Food and drink sales run from 13:00 -24:00. World Cup Concerts (16 June): at the New Palatine Theatre there will be a concert especially for World Cup visitors. With the Rhineland Palatinate philharmonic in attendance it should be a memorable night. Tickets available at the tourist information or at the theatre itself. Long Night of Culture (24-25 June): starting the evening of the 24th at 20:00 and lasting well into the early morning of the 25th all museums and theatres will be open to the public for a ‘long night of culture’. You pay a one-time admission of €6 and have access to all attractions and concerts. Three concerts are scheduled especially for this event at the New Palatine Theatre: ‘Schubert’s Most Lovely Songs’ (20:00), ‘Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Football but Were Afraid to Ask - in German’ (21:30), ‘Marlene DietrichChansons’ (23:00). You also have access to the Palatine Gallery where the exhibit ‘Fascination Football’ is ongoing and the Fruchthalle where there will be live DJs, bands and sound installations. Passes to the exhibitions available at the door of participating venues. Want to know more? Have a look at the excellent web site www.kaiserslautern.de/wm2006 or stop by the tourist office (Fruchthallstraße 14, T 365-2317) and ask for a free ‘festival and events guide’.

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

WorlD Cup fan fEst

It’s Brazil’s Cup to Lose

World Cup preparations

The idea that this could be one of the most open and fiercely contested World Cup tournaments in history has been doing the rounds in the press – especially the UK press – ever since England beat Argentina in a rather meaningless friendly match, held in Switzerland at the end of last year. (The match was also memorable for England captain David B e c k h a m’s p r e - g a m e comment that ‘it is a neutral venue for both teams.’) Since then the idea that Fresh from Champions the tournament is ‘open’, League success with in fact code for ‘England Barcelona, Ronaldinho have a chance’, has been increasingly winning friends will be looking for another World Cup triumph with and influencing people. To p u t a n y E n g l a n d Brazil.” © Mediafax Foto supporters reading this out of their self-induced hubris: England have absolutely no chance whatsoever of winning the World Cup; with or without Wayne Rooney. Indeed, the now legendary Rooney metatarsal injury has given the English press a ready excuse when England do indeed crash out of the tournament. It should not, however, hide the enormous failings that England currently suffer from. They still lack a proper goalkeeper, they have little depth up front, no genuine left-sided wide man, and in Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and David Beckham too many square pegs in round holes. England lack balance. Other nations in this tournament do not, and Brazil is one of them. Though the wealth of talent they have does – as it has to – mask their own failings, there is no question of their coach Carlos Alberto Parreira using all six of his best attacking players at the same time. Indeed. His decision to name his first XI as long ago as April was classic one-upmanship: the rest of the pack now knows exactly what it has to beat. England as we have discussed, are not qualified to do so. With their original tactic of ‘keep it tight at the back and hope Wayne knocks one in from 30 yards’ now out of the window. They have woken up to discover there is no plan B. Expect then, a variation on plan A: ‘keep it tight at the back and hope Frankie/Stevie/Becks knocks one in from 30 yards.’ Hardly the stuff of legend. Is any other nation prepared to meet Brazil’s challenge? Of the traditional ‘big guns’ Argentina looks frail and lacking in cohesion, Italy – amid scandal at home – look less capable even than England of putting together a decent run in the tournament, the host nation Germany currently possesses the worst team in their memory, Spain – crippled by the bizarre selection policy of its coach – will underachieve once more, and France are an ageing, wilting team hardly set for one last glorious hurrah. Only Holland, conspicuously absent from all talk of potential winners, look capable of mounting a decent challenge to Brazil. And even that will depend on their mood. Indeed, the In Your Pocket prediction is that Brazil’s likeliest challengers will be an outsider. We – for no reason more scientific than a hunch – think the Ukraine will do well. We also like the look of the United States, and if they can find the net often enough Portugal will do well. Yet none of these three will beat an on-form Brazil. And Brazil are the best team in Germany. Not since Italy surprised even themselves to take the trophy in 1982 has the best team in the World Cup gone home empty handed. The cup then is Brazil’s to lose. We doubt very much that they will do so. But as we said four years ago (while we were heavily tipping France) in a cup competition, anything can happen…

The chosen ‘poster girl’ for Kaiserslautern, the face the city wants to show to the thousands of visitors during the World Cup, is Elsa, a 70- year-old grandmother. She can be seen on billboards, placards and posters throughout the city engaged in various get-ready activities such as putting on lipstick or making beds. The slogan on the posters reads, ‘if the world is coming, I’ll be there!’ The ‘World Cup’ grandmother should exemplify the perfect hostess according to mayor Bernhard Deubig. It’s a cute idea, perhaps not as sexy as other cities might have gone in for, but the WC-granny is a concept which somehow fits Kaiserslautern. After the initial celebrations died down in 2002 and the realisation sank in that Kaiserslautern had indeed been named a host city, a brief period of uncertainty emerged: would the stadium be ready in time? Could the train schedules be changed to accommodate more traffic to and from Kaiserslautern? What were they to do about the streets? Could the infrastructure handle it? And most importantly, who the hell was going to pay for it? Four years down the road it is obvious that they have answered most of those questions, and thousands others, to have been able to prepare the city as they have. At time of writing the finishing touches on the stadium, streets and parks are taking place. But how did they handle it and how has K-Town, long regarded as a prosaic if boring second-class city, been able to meet the task? Well, they handled it a lot like a grandmother would have if she were to be having visitors over. First, bake a cake and get the tea on. One of the first things established was a city World Cup office. This would be the command central for the actual events leading up to and during the WC as well as all press and PR. Very quickly it became evident that the city’s tourist office would need to play a central role and so a new location was found, bought and developed. Now, while the WC office resides in their former premises, the tourist office is housed in new building across from Schillerplatz. It’s probably bigger and more expensive than it needs to be say many citizens and several wonder what purpose the new building and the recently expanded staff will serve once the games are over. Second, set the table: the question of logistics was one that long troubled the city fathers. Luckily K-Town is well located to a major Autobahn, but train service and federal roads were certainly in need of some attention. The city, with the support of the Federal WC authority, entered into long negations with the recently privatised Deutsche Bahn (the German train company) to ensure that the city receives more frequent and regular train service during the months of June, July and August. An aggressive re-paving plan was also triggered whereby many of the city streets in need of repair were attended to. Also a well-thought out park and ride concept has been enacted. Of all the changes to the city’s infrastructure most residents seem to agree that the road works were a real godsend. ‘Money well spent,’ our city tour guide told us, ‘and long overdue.’ Third, put on your best house dress: an astute observer of K-Town and the region would notice the many footballinspired decorations going up. Along the B37 from Bad Dürkheim to K-Town, carved into the face of a lovely hill, is the shape of the corner-quarter of a football field complete with goalie’s box. In most of the larger traffic circles in the city there are odd, wire-like figures of football players sprouting up. Multi-coloured footballs decorated many buildings and the city’s insignia fish can be seen in various guises and colours throughout the city. What can you expect when city bureaucrats attempt to liven things up? Fourth, lavish attention on the favoured grandchildren. The most evident attention paid to any given part of the city has to have been to the stadium. With an investment of €71.2

11

million (if not more) Fritz Walter’s namesake has grown by leaps and bounds and now it encompasses 48,500 seats. The road leading up to the stadium has been re-paved and many of the facilities belonging to the stadium: VIP boxes, dining areas and such have been re-vamped. Long after the World Cup, when it is just a fond memory, 1.FCK will be enjoying the fruits of this labour. The WC-granny was one of several concepts suggested by an ad agency to help get the city’s spirits up and to personify the type of hosts that they wanted to be. They could have chosen anything, a fish perhaps. It would have jived with Berlin’s bear or the national use of a lion mascot- you know, stick with the animal mascot thing. But in the end they chose a grandmother. That fact alone speaks volumes about Kaiserslautern and as strange as the choice may seem at first glance, who is a warmer hearted and more caring host than a grandmother?

TR

World Cup Language Guide Tourist industry workers in Germany generally speak English well, but thanks to the annoying habit of dubbing everything foreign on television and in cinemas into German, the average local is not exposed to English very much. That’s why we’ve composed a little list of terms that may be of use during your trip. One/two/three/four/five beer, please. No thanks, I’ll have a Bit beer instead. So, who do you think will win? Where is the toilet? Where is the stadium? Where is the train station? That was offside. The referee is biased. He should have scored there. He’s hit the post/ crossbar! Take off (player name)! Bring on (player name) Penalty! Goal!

Ein/zwei/drei/vier/fünf Bier, bitte. Nein Danke, ich hätte lieber ein Bit. Was glaubst du, wer gewinnen wird? Wo ist die Toilette? Wo ist das Stadion? Wo ist der Bahnhof? Das war Abseits. Der Schiedsrichter ist parteiisch. Das Tor hätte er schiessen müssen. Er hat den Pfosten / die Latte getroffen (player name) abziehen! (player name) einwechseln! Elfmeter! Toooooooooooooor!

June - July 2006

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WhErE to stay

WhErE to stay City Hotel C-3, Rosenstr. 28, tel. 31 68 60/130 25,

Hotel categories are based on the most expensive double room rate. Prices are rack rates, and are expected to go through the roof during the World Cup.

Symbol key P Air conditioning

A Credit cards accepted

Over €200

O Casino

H Conference facilities

Schulte Hotel du Vin D-4, Malzstr. 7, tel. 20 16 90, fax

201 69 19, [email protected], www.hotel-schulte. de. Schulte is an all-suite hotel close to the stadium and is one of the best hotels in town. With a lovely garden and terrace, gym, excellent wine cellar and bar, wine tasting and seminars, there is more to this hotel than sumptuous suites and efficient service with a smile. Q16 rooms (16 suites N95 - 250). ABDGHKLPRTU hhhh

Under €150 Altstadt Hotel D-2, Steinstr. 51, tel. 364 30, fax 364 31 00, [email protected], www.aldtstadthotel.com. A cosy bar in the lobby of this 18th century building heralds a lovely hotel run by helpful staff. Rooms are comfortable, mostly spacious, and well furnished. All have minibar, TV, cable TV, phone and radio and come with a chocolate on the pillow. Some are in a newer section of the hotel, but you are still in the middle of Old Town’s culture and nightlife. Q20 rooms (5 singles N59 - 79, 12 doubles N79 - 99). AHLR

Barbarossahof Eselsfurth 10, tel. 414 40, fax 414 42

00, [email protected], www.barbarossahof.com. Outside of the city proper, this hotel-restaurant has been owned and operated by the Flockerzie family for over 140 years. With 150 rooms divided into three categories this is professionally run and equipped hotel. With an eye on the business clientele the individual guest or family may find themselves feeling ignored. Q150 rooms (singles N65 - 79, doubles N85 - 99, triples N105 - 189, suites N99 - 175). ADFGHKLW hhh

T Child friendly

U Facilities for the disabled

R Internet

L Guarded parking

W Wi-Fi

F Fitness centre

G Non-smoking rooms

K Restaurant

M Nearest metro station

D Sauna

C Swimming pool

fax 133 41. A hotel from a by-gone era in some ways, with fantastic 70s design, no internet, no bar, a small lobby and friendly, personal service. Rooms though have all mod cons and a balcony and there is a sauna/solarium and heated pool. Lovely – and ask the front desk for tips on where to eat. Q18 rooms (3 singles N58 - 78, 15 doubles N79 - 99). CDL

Dorint Novotel St.-Quentin-Ring 1, tel. 201 50, fax 276

Blechhammer Am Hammerweiher 1, MAm Hammerweiher, tel. 372 50, fax 37 25 01 00, [email protected], www.blechhammer.de. Owned and operated by the Daneluzzi family (restaurant Firenze), this exceptionally lovely hotel is located in another one of Kaiserslautern’s hidden green valleys. Catering primarily to the professional conference crowd the facilities are very modern and the prices are adjusted accordingly. Reserve rooms weeks ahead of time as the hotel is well-liked. Q (singles N45 - 65, doubles N89, suites N120 - 180). AGHKLUW

Bremerhof Bremerhof 1, MBremerhof, tel. 31 63 20,

fax 316 32 20. Located in a green valley south of the city centre you could almost be fooled into believing that you were actually miles deep in the Palatine forest. The hotel is clean and bright and obviously family-run. With 13 rooms this is a great place for families with younger children. Q13 rooms (singles N54, doubles N74 - 84). AKLT

www.inyourpocket.com

40, [email protected], www.novotel.com. Well located by the Fritz Walter stadium and with good bus links to the centre of K-Town, The Novotel is comfortable and continually being refurbished - the edges are getting a tad shabby but rooms have balconies, free fruit on arrival, minibar, hair dryer plus cable and Pay TV. The breakfast is excellent, the bar convivial and the Aqua Spa recently re-vamped. Q152 rooms (67 singles N80 - 120, 78 doubles N120 - 165, 5 triples N82 - 300, 2 apartments N80 - 150). ADGH� KLPRU hhhh

Gasthof Fröhlich Dansenbergerstr. 10, tel. 35 71 60,

fax 357 16 66, [email protected], www.hotelfroehlich.de. The genuinely friendly staff here makes up for the IKEA-chic rooms. Hotel Fröhlich, literally ‘hotel happy’, has a large sauna and wellness area wi th various ser vices available for various prices. A large beer garden outside the restaurant sees to the other kinds of wellness and there is a large children’s playground. Q (singles N43 - 65, doubles N82 - 95, triples N105 - 189, suites N75 - 105). ADG� KLTW hhh

Landhaus Woll Dansenberger Str. 64, tel. 516 02,

fax 910 61, [email protected], www.landhauswoll.de. Kaiserslau tern has no shor tage of famil y-run hotels. This par ticular hotel as such does not seem to be the main focus of the famil y’s business. That honour would have to go to their restaurant and massi ve ball-room. Nine rooms wi th the basic necessi ties as well as T V and in-room showers are available. Q 9 rooms (3 singles N29 - 38, 4 doubles N58, 2 triples N83). AK

Lautertaler Hof Hotel Garni B-3, Mühlstr. 31-33,

tel. 372 60, fax 730 33, info@lauter talerhof.de, www.lautertalerhof.de. There’s a farmhouse feel to the lobby and breakfast room in this pleasant family run hotel which has just expanded to add 37 new rooms to their hospitality. Wooden beams and a fireplace welcome guests as warmly as the staff. Relatively small rooms have WiFi, TV, minibar, hair dryer, etc. and there is one apartment. Nice. Q 36 rooms (18 singles N57 - 69, 16 doubles N77 - 89, 2 triples N115, 1 apartment N50 - 97). AHW hhh

Heymann Hotel B-3, Müh-

lstr. 6, tel. 702 67, fax 728 81, kontakt@hotel-heymann. de, www.hotel-heymann.de. Central but quiet hotel on the edge of the pedestrianised zone, the Heymann has WiFi throughout, satellite TV, minibar and gummy bears on the pillows in all rooms. Apartments comprise two rooms, with a sofa and desk. Décor is simple but comfor table and rooms are spacious. Q12 rooms (4 singles N60 - 80, 6 doubles N90 - 110, 2 apartments N120 140). ALW

Hotel Zepp B-3, Pariserstr.

WW

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

4-6, tel. 71 00 40, fax 710 04 21, kontakt@hotel-zepp. de, www.hotel-zepp.de. Zepp sports Ikea-inspired minimalist design in the rooms and brown carpet in th e lobby. Various prices offer various conveniences - some rooms have shared bathroom facilities and not all have TVs. It’s busy though as it’s as central as can be. Q 34 rooms (18 singles N30 - 80, 16 doubles N55 - 100). AL

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WWWHOME SUITE HOMEDE

June - July 2006

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14

WhErE to stay

Enjoy your stay at the NH Nürnberg-City! Close to the historic railway station and the pedestrian zones of „Breite Gasse”, „Königsstraße” and „Kaiserstraße”, the NH Nürnberg-City offers you a warm welcome. The city’s most lovely museums invite you to a cultural experience. At christmastime, a visit to the famous Christkindlesmarket for Mulled Wine, Lebkuchen and Nuremberg Sausages is a must. The trade fair and the airport are quickly reached as well. Our rooms are generously equipped and offer lots of room to relax. In addition to a bath/shower and WC, all rooms have satellite TV, a mini bar, hairdryer, air-conditioning as well as high speed internet access. In the fitness area with its sauna, solarium and steam bath, you will find an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate. Revitalize yourself for the day at our generous and healthy breakfast buffet.

Pfälzer Hof C-3, Fruchthallestr. 15, tel. 36 24 00, fax

362 40 12, [email protected], www.pfaelzer-hofkl.de. A basic hotel in a 100 year old building slap bang in the middle of town. Some rooms are small, some large with a sofa, three have shared bathroom facilities and the front rooms can be noisy due to the main road. Rooms have TV, telephone and WiFi. Functionally adequate, cheap and friendly. Q18 rooms (8 singles N28 - 45, 10 doubles N49 - 80). L

Seelord Hotel B-3, Pfaffpl. 1, tel. 130 18, fax 311 55

52. A small (9 rooms) hotel with an interesting maritime theme in its restaurant and rooms which could be a good last minute chance for accommodation as they are not taking bookings for the World Cup. All but one rooms share the bathrooms but it is cheap and central. Rooms are basic but clean and have TV. Q9 rooms (6 singles N36 - 40, 2 doubles N55 - 68, 1 apartment N120 - 140). AK

Stadt Hotel D-3, Friedrichstr. 39, tel. 36 26 30, fax 362

63 50, [email protected], www.stadthotel-kl.de. The Stadt is a charming and modernised family run hotel in a residential part of town with a lovely summer courtyard and fairly atmospheric breakfast room; the building dates to 1892. Bright and calm, the rooms are modest yet well appointed with all mod cons. Buy some Mainz-made Schnapps in the lobby for you and yours. Q23 rooms (6 singles N69 - 80, 15 doubles N89 - 99, 2 triples N110). ABLR

Camping Gänsedell In der Gänsedell 1, Otterberg, tel. 06301 55 37, fax 06301 79 43 68, [email protected], www.camping-otterberg.de. A pleasant camping ground north of Otterberg’s centre. Located on a small lake there are a variety of free-time activities such as tennis, swimming and hiking. 12km to Kaiserslautern. Q CLT

Knaus Campingpark Bad Dürkheim In den Almen

3, Bad Dürkheim, tel. 06322 613 56, fax 06322 81 61, [email protected], www.knauscamp.de. One of thirteen Knaus camping areas throughout Germany, this particular camping ground is massive (over 40,000m2). Offering everything from rentable caravans, beach volleyball, sauna and tennis courts this is the camping big-league. About 35km from Kaiserslautern the advantage of staying here is in the proximity of German ‘wine-street’. Q ACDKT

Sägmühle Sägmühle 1, Trippstadt, tel. 06306 921

90, fax 06306 920 00, [email protected], www. saegemuehle.de. Offering abundant places for caravans, this lakeside camping area near Trippstadt has it all for campers. Rental caravans and bungalows are also offered as are numerous past-time activities. The site is about a 20-minute drive away from Kaiserslautern. Child friendly and English spoken. Q ACKLT

www.inyourpocket.com Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

The various business services of our hotel are at your demand whenever you require them for a seminar, meeting or large event. 7 function rooms for up to 290 people, fully air-conditioned and equipped with the latest in conference technology offer ideal conditions. Our business service team will assist you in every detail of planning and organization.

Experience “nhube”, our new restaurant idea that’s simply made for watching TV, surfing the internet, enjoying culinary delicacies, reading or simply relaxing.

Enjoy the exceptional cuisine which Ferran Adrià has exclusively prepared for you. Varied, simple and exquisite.

NH NÜRNBERG-CITY Bahnhofstraße 17-19 | 90402 Nürnberg T. 0911 9999-0 | F. 0911 9999-100 [email protected]

Discover the new multifunctional area created by Ferran Adrià and NH Hoteles, where restaurant services, leisure and entertainment are combined.

Feel the pleasure of reading, listening to music, having a meal… in a setting which has been designed to cater for all your needs.

www.nh-hotels.com

16

Where to stay

Where to stay Johanniskreuz Haus 1, Johanniskreuz-Trippstadt, tel. 06306 13 07, fax 06306 13 09. This should be a very nice hotel. Everything is there for a good visit: nice rooms, a lovely central location for outdoor activities, pool and sauna facilities as well as a restaurant and beer garden. And that is why it is such a shame that the ownership/management is extremely unfriendly. Q ACDKT

Josef’s - Klause Hauptstr. 24, Trippstadt, tel. 06306

442, fax 06306 70 1438, [email protected]. Located conveniently next to the Trippstadt estate house and gardens, this hotel and restaurant lacks in grace everything its neighbour has. Outfitted in the standard dark wood of German hotels circa 1950, the rooms are thankfully clean. The rooms are average sized, meaning good enough for two. Q (singles N30, doubles N50, triples N70). AK

Landhotel Schoner Stüterhof Stüterhof 5, Stüterhof,

tel. 06306 431, fax 06306 453, info@landhotel-schoner. de, www.landhotel-schoner.de. Unlike many family operations, the Landhotel Schoner Stüterhof is a very professional hotel and restaurant combination. Care is taken with the rooms, which look newly renovated. Each room is outfitted with television, telephone and individual bath/shower. About a 15 minute drive from the A6. Comfort and rural style - highly recommended. Q (singles N30 - 42, doubles N50 - 67). AGKT

Landhotel Schuff Kaiserstr. 58a, Kindsbach, tel. 06371 61 96 60, fax 06371 13 03 81, [email protected], www.landhotel-schuff.de. This is a small but well-kept hotel of a high calibre. The 9 double-rooms are suited to a business clientele and the Tuscan restaurant, open for evening custom is elegant. The rooms facing the back have a good view of the hills and forest behind the house. Q9 rooms (singles N50 - 65, doubles N75 - 90). AGKW

Around town Blaues Haus Kirchstr. 1, Otterberg, tel. 06301

71 66 60, fax 06301 71 66 66, blaueshausot@aol. com, w w w.hotelrestaurant-blaueshaus.de. A blue half-timbered historical building from 1612 houses the hotel, which is much brighter inside than it may seem from ou tside. Th e h otel en trance is inconvenien tl y located on the backside of the building and parking is not great, but once in your room, you will certainly be pleased. Only 10km from Kaiserslautern. Q (singles N40, doubles N65). AK

Gasthof Bonanza-Ranch Alte Brück 4, Kat z-

weiler, tel. 06301 81 64, fax 06301 79 41 64, [email protected], www.bonanzaranch.de. Operating primaril y as a famil y-oriented horse riding ranch,

the Bonanza does offer overnight accommodations. Ameni ties are basic bu t clean; this is a working ranch after all. There 17 beds available. A nice al ternati ve for families travelling to K-town, as Katz weiler is onl y an 11km dri ve from the ci ty centre. Q (singles N27, doubles N48). KT

Haus Hamann Weinbrunnerhof 4, Otterberg, tel.

06301 94 87, fax 06301 33097, info@haus-hamann. de, w w w.haus-hamann.de. Set in pastoral scener y, the hotel itself looks a bit like a log-cabin. The rooms themselves are comfortably outfitted with satellite TVs, phones, mini-bars and showers but vary in size so do ask about your room at check-in. Group hiking tours with lunch, dinner and music are available for €28. A nice family feeling. Q (singles N26, doubles N51, apartments N75). AHKT hhh

Otterberger Hof Hauptstr. 25, Otterberg, tel. 06301

791 20, fax 06301 79 12 12, barbara-eisenger@t-online. de, www.otterbergerhof.de. Large and located on a major road leading into Otterberg, the hotel boasts not only a typical restaurant but rooms with individual balconies. The rooms are run-of-the-mill but the convenient location to central Otterberg and short driving distance to the Kaiserslautern city centre make this a convenient hotel. Q AKL

Parthenon Lauterer Str. 26, Otterbach, MOtterbach-

bahnhof, tel. 06301 14 26. The hotel is literally one of the first buildings one sees when getting off the train. This Greekrun hotel offers 13 no-nonsense rooms, mostly doubles but also one triple. Rooms have a small television and a sink but lavatories and showers are shared by the entire floor. Q13 rooms (singles N25, doubles N50, triples N75). AK

Pension Schuff Kaiserstr. 56-58, Kindsbach, tel. 06371

26 01. This is an old-style German pension with the feeling of being in someone’s grandmother’s house. Cleanliness and orderliness are watchwords here and this is a strictly nonsmoking establishment. The two apartment rooms at the top of the hotel are simply amazing, in size and set-up, and these would be perfect for families with older children. Q (singles N35 - 45, doubles N50 - 60, apartments N60 - 75). AG

Residenz am See Am Gelterswoog 21, MAm Gelter-

swoog, tel. 36 33 20, fax 363 32 28, [email protected], www.residenz-am-see-kl.de. Apartments for longer stays are the speciality of this hotel. Situated on a popular lake south of K-town, this blue and white half-timbered house has very comfortable in-room accommodations (TV, DVD, kitchens, shower, etc). Catering to in-/out-processing military families and travelling business persons, the prices

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

are set accordingly. Do check about reservations ahead of time as this place is popular. Q ACGLT

Waldhotel Johanniskreuz Haus 2, Johanniskreuz-

Trippstadt, tel. 06306 99 37 67, fax 06306 99 26 00, www.waldhotel-johanniskreuz.de. Johanniskreuz is a springing-off point for many of the biking and hiking paths in the Palatinate and it is therefore a central meeting point. The Waldhotel is one of two hotels at this crossing. Offering 60 no-nonsense sleeping arrangements for €25 this is good overnighter for hikers and bikers. Q (singles N25, doubles N50). AKT

YMCA Johannishöhe (CVJM-Zentrum) Johannisstr.

31-32, Otterberg, tel. 06301 715 00, fax 06301 71 50 49, [email protected], www.cvjm-zentrumjohannishoehe.de. A classic YMCA with two buildings accommodating about 80 people each. Naturally there are no singles, and toilets and showers are shared. A gym is available with indoor climbing wall. As the central seat of the YMCA in the Rheinland Palatinate, there are a variety of activities to get involved in. Note that English is not their strong point. Q FGHK

Zum Schwan Kaiserslauterer Str. 2-4, Trippstadt, tel.

06306 921 30, fax 06306 92 13 30, [email protected], www.schwan-trippstadt.de. Ten kilometres south of Kaiserslautern, a lovely half-timbered building houses the Zum Schwan hotel, one of the nicest and most professional in the region. Anke Hanzelmann’s 10-plus years professional hotel- management experience is evident in every aspect of the hotel. The 17 rooms available are tasteful, spacious and reasonably priced. Weekend packages available. Q (singles N35 - 45, doubles N60 - 70, triples N105). AGHKT

June - July 2006

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1

rEstaurants Asian Hong Kong D-3, Fabrikstr. 1, tel. 637 68. The best Chi-

nese in K-Town according to many and the buffet lunch draws a large crowd every day with delicious soups, egg rolls, sate, and many regional specialities all well flavoured and spiced. Typical Chinese red interior with pagodas, running water and tunes. Great service too and a good size for big groups. Q Open 11:30 - 15:00; 17:30 - 24:00. (€6-18). AS

Lotus C-3, Fruchthallestr. 21, tel. 360 76 15. Another clinical restaurant but that seems to be the norm in K-Town. Little ambience is made up for with fresh, crispy spring rolls and some delicious dishes of big soups, classic Vietnamese firebowls, noodle variations and more. But, the sambal was merely salty, as was the apparently out of a can lemongrass and coconut milk curry sauce. Buffet and specials at lunch. Q Open 11:00 - 15:00; 17:00 - 23:00. Fri & Sat 12:00 - 23:00. (€5-10). AST

Minh Lien B-3, Rudolf-Breidscheidt-Str. 58, tel. 310 59 61. This looks like your run-of-the-mill Asian joint until you take your first bite and you realise how different fabulousley Vietnamese is. The Sai Gon egg rolls are hand-made and the beef Sa-Cha had us smiling in disbelief. The take-out trade during our visit was booming, so locals know what they have here. As with any Asian restaurant in Germany ‘spicy’ means: mild at best. English menu. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. Closed Tue. (€5-8).

Phuket C-2/3, Steinstr. 24, tel. 534 98 96. A cookie-cutter Thai restaurant which makes you feel in bamboo heaven as soon as you walk in the door. The two floors of dining space are usually well visited, and the food is passably Thai. Also billed as a cocktail bar, weekends see the place fill up with military groups kicking off an evening out. Q Open 11:3015:00, 17:00 - 24:00. (€5-18). A

Thairama B-3, Muhlstr. 28, tel. 743 40. Family-owned and operated, several of the assumed patrons spring into action after you place your order. Everything this place lacks in décor, it makes up for in the food. Tom Yum Goong soup with fresh lemon grass and a green curry that make us sweat with pleasure, this is the best Thai in K-Town. Lunch buffet specials. Q Open 12:00-14:30, 17:00-23:00. Closed Thu. (€4-16).

Beer houses Biergarten Bremerhof Bremerhof 1, tel. 31 63 20. Bremerhof, a green valley south of the city centre, is Kaiserlautern’s answer to Central Park. There you will find Alf and Marga’s restaurant, which offers a little bit of everything. You can have a very fine dinner in their blue salon dining room, enjoy a cold beer and Würst in the beer garden, or just stop by for a cake and coffee after a hike through one of the many local paths. Idyllic. Beer garden open from 10:00. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 23:00. (€4-19). AB

Brauhaus am Markt C-3, Stiftspl. 2-3, tel. 619 44,

www.brauhaus-am-markt.de. Brewery, café and club in one, with a garden in the centre of the complex and a terrace out front, this has something for everyone - and if you can’t decide which of their brews to try, sample them all, lovingly brewed since 2000 according to the 1516 Reinheitsgebot. Beer towers join massive portions of local specialities, schnitzel, soups, salads etc. on the tables. Big screen in the club, which opens early on game days. Q Open 10:00 - 01:00 (02:00 at weekends). Café from 08:30. Club 21:00 - 06:00. (€5-15). ABE

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

rEstaurants Symbol key P Air conditioning

A Credit cards accepted

E Live music

S Take away

T Child friendly

U Facilities for the disabled

G Non-smoking areas

L Guarded parking

O Casino

M Nearest bus station

R Internet

W Wi-Fi connection

Cafés Barossa C-3, Schillerstr. 9, tel. 360 92 32. On the main

square with the terrace to go with the warm weather and throngs of people, get a coffee or something stronger and watch the world go by. Alternatively, get in with an in-crowd as the evenings heat up inside. The usual wood high and low tables and cheerful staff. Q Open 08:00 - 01:00. Fri till 03:00. Sat 09:00 - 03:00. Sun 14:00 - 01:00. B

Café Schäfer C-2, Steinstr. 15, tel. 658 44. An open room and long bar hosts this mellow café/bar which serves breakfast, soups, salads, crepes and Flammkuchen (€7-9) to a varying set of mostly older couples, but then in the evening, even if the piano isn’t utilised, the vast array of alcohol behind the bar becomes the star of the night. Cocktails all under €8, grappa & Wild Turkey but a fairly unfriendly owner and small beers. Q Open 09:00 - 24:00. Fri & Sat 09:00 - 01:00.

Eiscafé Dolce Vita C-3, Eisenbahnstr. 1, tel. 0179 542

21 64. The best gelato in town, according to more than one unbiased Italian. Home made every day with fresh fruit; this boast does seem to be no exaggeration. Popular and packed, their terrace is great for people-watching, they serve cake, coffee and alcohol as well. TVs for matches inside. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. B

Kaiserslautern’s phone code is (+49) (0)631 Fast food Burger King C-3, Markstr. 18. Have it your way… opposite the Stiftskirche. Q Open 10:00 - 23:00. Thu till 24:00. Fri

French Casimir A-2, Forellenstr. 6, tel. 370 97 03, www.casi-

McDonald’s C-3, Marktstr. 40. Serving the usual fare in a larger, sleeker atmosphere than usual. A Seattle-style McCafé is attached. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 01:00, Sun 09:00 - 23:00. GPW

mir-restaurant.de. A melodramatic interior of wood, marble and stained glass is the setting for candlelit French-influenced lunches and dinners. Cakes, coffees and teas as well a menu of smaller items for the visitor not wishing to spend several hours there are also offered. An extremely attentive and friendly service staff as well as an exceptional wine menu make this a pleasant retreat despite the pomp. QOpen 11:30 - 24:00. Closed Mon, Tue. (€9-29). G

Pizza Hut Kaiserstr. 34, tel. 350 68 18, www.pizzahut.

Chez Maurice C-4, Richard-Wagner-str. 70, tel. 311 45

& Sat till 01:00. (€4-7)

de. Pizza Hut has been operating here for over 20 years. Yes, English is spoken and yes, they accept dollars. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. (€3-12). GP

Pizzeria Pyramide B-3, Pariserstr. 19, tel. 925 70/641

50. Pharaohs might not be fantastically well known for pizza, but this pizza place caters for the-customer-is-always-right American market and as such provides good, fresh pizza, pasta, steak, chicken, kebabs and salads and a free home delivery service. Q Open 11:00 - 14:00; 17:00 - 01:00. Fri & Sat 11:00 - 05:00. Sun 11:00 - 01:00. (€4-11). S

Subway C-3, Marktstr. 38, tel. 36 13 96 66. A small shop front offering additional standing tables outside, this is K-Town’s first Subway instalment. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00.

10. Wine-cellar dining in this very personal southern-French restaurant has been pleasing Kaiserslautern’s palates since 1999. Maurice cooks fresh and seasonal food so expect to find a regularly changing menu. Grill season starts in May and you can enjoy outside seating till September. Often fully booked for private affairs, so book ahead. QOpen 17:00 01:00. Closed Tue. (€9-24). AB

La Rotisserie D-3, Bismarckstr. 18, tel. 89 19 94. Sophisticated French cuisine and wine list in yet another design-by-numbers interior for K-Town eateries – it does try though with curtains to provide diners with some ambience. The menu is the draw, with lunch specials such as pork steak, Dijon sauce, gratinated potatoes and ratatouille or a la carte Filet Argentine, pommes Dauphine and salad. Wines run from Beaujeaulais to Chateau Lafite. Q Open 12:00 - 14:00; 18:00 - 23:00. (€12-25). AP

Eiscafé Venezia C-3, Eisenbahnstr. 46, tel. 616 39.

Ignore the purple interior – the booths however are very comfortable and transport you back to the 50s – and head for the big garden out back to enjoy the local speciality: spaghettieis. Vanilla ice cream squeezed into strands, topped with homemade berry sauce and grated white chocolate (the parmesan). Good coffee too. Q Open 09:00 - 23:00; Sun 10:00 - 22:00; Mon closed. AB

Lemon Café Bistro C-3, Marktstr. 38, tel. 892 38 38. Housed in a former travel agency, Karl-Heinz’s Lemon is an understandable favourite amongst K-Town’s early 30’s crowd. The eclectic yellow and black décor seems surprisingly fresh and modern and the service is attentive and friendly. Salads and small entrées are the order of the day. Don’t expect steaks, but do expect to make meaningful eye-contact with someone while you eat. QOpen 14:00 - 01:00. (€3-10).

Storchenturm C-3, Münchstr. 12, tel. 661 44. From the owners of 21 comes this popular café/bar with a massive terrace and late kitchen (closes two hours before time). Interesting seat arrangements with a bench/stool combo, long bar, low tables for easier dining and well priced cocktails and long drinks. The usual menu (in English) well prepared and priced (€5-10). Q Open 07:30 - 01:00. Fri & Sat 07:30 - 02:00. Sun 10:00 - 01:00. AB

www.inyourpocket.com June - July 2006

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Restaurants

Restaurants

More than an insider tip:

Devilishly good.

Sunday Buffet

Every Sunday from 11.00 to 14.30 (except 1.FCK match days) €20 per person Reduced price for children Reservations under: 06 31/31 88-180 or 31 88-181

FCK Gastronomie GmbH Fritz-Walter-Straße 1 | 67633 Kaiserslautern (Stadion-Nordtribüne) Email: [email protected] Le Marché C-3, Richard-Wagner-Str. 50, tel. 361 89 98. A

Spinnrädl C-3, Schillerstr. 1, MSchillerplatz, tel. 605

Vietnamese chef in a French restaurant that has no French characteristics other than the extensive menu of various cuts smothered in appropriately rich sauces, some pasta dishes (home made fish ravioli with mange tout and lobster sauce), snails and some Asian specials. Gourmet menus also available. Linen table clothes and a divided room improve the atmosphere. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 24:00. Mon & Tues 17:30 - 23:00. (€6-18). A

11, www.spinnraedl.de. Housed in the oldest standing halftimbered house in Kaiserslautern (1740) the ‘spinning wheel’ is a comfortable purveyor of typical Pfälzer-specialities. The restaurant blends into a wine bar and cigar lounge replete with obligatory leather chairs. This is the place the tourist office always recommends and it is usually busy. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 17:00 - 24:00. (€10-22). A

Uwe’s Tomate C-3, Schillerplatz 4, tel. 934 06. One

Greek

of Kaiserlautern’s big names in gastronomy, Uwe’s has a surprisingly muted elegance about it with none of the typical pomp one sees in other K-Town restaurants of this calibre. Specializing in French-themed meals our foie gras and stuffed ox-tail with burgundy sauce was outstanding. The ambience is very understated but the patronage and prices are not. QOpen 11:30 - 22:30. Closed Sun. (€10-23). AB

German Alte Münz B-3, Mühlstr. 4, tel. 70 368. Located at the head of

Mühlstraße, Schwabian specials are the name of the game in this renowned K-Town eatery which turns into a boozery after the spätzle has been eaten. Good lunch deals are also available in this heavy-onthe-wood and old-man themed restaurant. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 16:00 - 04:00. (€6-15). A

Lokol-Kolorit D-3, Gasstr. 41, tel. 646 13, www.lokal-

kolorit.de. No real attention seems to have been paid to the décor, but that is not the point of the place. This is a student’s idea of a concept restaurant and the concept here is to have a devastatingly thorough selection of drinks, biological food and wine as well as a really nice collection of games. Expect left-leaning political conversation, hand-rolled cigarettes and chess. QOpen 11:30 - 01:00. (€3-10).

Paulaner am Altenhof C-3, Am Altenhof 8, MSchil-

lerplatz, tel. 414 94 55, www.paulaner-kaiserslautern. de. A large and friendly Bavarian-themed restaurant with an expansive dining room inside and an outside seating area. The menu and décor are old-school German and the portions are large. Sponsored by Munich’s Paulaner brewery, the selection of draft beer is extensive. The restaurant is child friendly with a special play area set aside for smaller children. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (€7-16). ABT

Paul’s Bistro C-3, Steinstr.32, tel. 939 45, www.

paulsbistro.de. This is the place the tour guide takes you for your first flammkuchen (wonderful) and local wine (better than expected). With an expansive dining room and lots of room at the bar for rubbing elbows with the locals, Paul’s gives one the impression that everyone knows each other. Something of an institution in K-Town, Paul’s continues to be nicely priced despite the location. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00. (€3-12).

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

Delphi C-3, St.-Martinpl. 1, tel. 666 10. Reputedly the

best Greek in town and the all-Greek team inside give as warm a welcome as the enticing smells. The interior is slightly overblown with pink columns and statues hiding among the faux vines but the English menu is full of Greek favourites and they have retsina for the full experience. A huge terrace adds 170 seats to this popular restaurant. Q Open 11:00 - 14:00; 17:00 - 23:00. (€9-20). AB

Flammkuchen D-2, Ludwigstr. 40, tel. 658 75. A gor-

geous 1898 building on the edge of the Old Town hosts this small restaurant with vaulted ceilings and typically dark wooden furniture. From France but well loved by (beer drinking) Germans is Flammkuchen, basically a thin crust pizza with delicious toppings. This is one of the best spots for it, they are cheap and vegetarians are well catered for. QOpen 18:00 - 23:00. (€5-10). B

Gleis 1 C-4, Bahnhofstr. 1. Clearly the patient of a recent

massive facelift, ‘Track 1’ is divided into two dining areas by a central bar. Light wood and lots of windows make the overall atmosphere pleasant. The menu is heavy on meat. Keep an eye-out for the daily special, usually large portioned and priced at under €5. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 20:00. (€4.50-11).

Ritters C-2, Rittersberg 14, tel. 605 00. A gorgeous

building on the edge of the Old Town has this delightful cellar restaurant inside its rough hewn walls and timbered ceiling. It all looks very expensive but is actually a well priced international kitchen serving calamari, salads, pasta, fish, schnitzel and pizza. A good Italian wine list eases the conviviality. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 23:00. (€7-18). AT

St. Martin C-3, St.-Martinpl. 4, tel. 360 74 90. Housed

in the gorgeous Haus Elbert (1812), with a large terrace on this lovely square bedecked in fairy lights and with an excellent kitchen open until two hours before the place shuts, St. Martin’s is one of K-Town favoured mellow hang outs. Wood beams, the bar in an old fireplace and wood furniture make the interior enticing too. Spain, Germany, Alsace, Italy are well represented in the kitchen. This will be a no football zone… Q Open 10:00 - 01:00. Fri & Sat 10:00 - 02:00. (€7-20). AB

Station Food Court C-4, Bahnhofstr. 1. All German train

stations have their gastronomically-oriented side, but the revamped food court at Kaiserlautern’s Hauptbahnhof stands out. Of course there is the ubiquitous Döner shop but you will also find a beer and coffee bar, an ice-cream shop, a sandwich store and a small grill restaurant. Everything is to go but there is a newly refurbished seating area including - unusually - a non-smoking area. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:30 - 20:00. (€3-8) G

Step’s A/B-2, Schönstr. 15, tel. 361 41 55, www.

steps-kl.de. Though it bills itself as a dance-oriented cocktail bar, Step’s actually offers a genuinely good lunch and dinner menu. Expect to find an eclectic mix of German comfort food, tapas and Italian fare. The outside seating has a lovely view of several open-air art exhibits. Do come here to brunch at weekends but bring your sunglasses to facilitate people-watching. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. Closed Mon. (€4-11). BE

Italian Da Filippo C-4, Parkstr. 3. Another family run neighbourhood

Italian (half of Sicily lives in K-Town according to one restaurateur…) that’s always packed to the gills and full of good times. The interior is in no way authentic but there are candles on the tables for some ambience and it’s the cuisine that brings the patrons back for more. Q Open 12:00 - 13:30; 17:30 - 23:00. (€7-15). ST

Firenze C-3, Steinstr. 11, tel. 676 08. Quite the hospitality entrepreneurs, this upscale pizza and pasta place is run by an Italian family with two hotels in the area as well. Well located in the old town and with a little more charm than many of the nearby eateries, Firenze has a loyal crowd to fill its large restaurant. Unusually, no lunch specials here. Q Open 11:00 - 14:00; 17:30 - 23:00. Mon closed. (€5-12). ABST

Indian Himalaya D-2, Steinstr. 69, tel. 320 42 62. Other than

a few dishes, Tibetan/Nepali cuisine is very similar to that of India - India Palace has the same owners and therefore quality. The chef trained in Nepal, the Tibetan curry is loaded with fresh coriander and the medium hot request had this connoisseur hiccupping. Their huge menu of delicious choices in an authentic setting make this Himalaya a quest you must fulfil. Q Open 12:00 - 14:30; 18:00 - 23:00. Mon 18:00 - 23:00. (€10-20). APS

India Palace C-3, Grüner Graben 21, tel. 664 60, www.

indiapalace.de. Sister restaurant to Old Town’s Himalaya but tucked away in a side street, which in no way deters diners from flocking in. All involved really care that you enjoy the cuisine, they speak English and their website even lists the health benefits of the various spices. Cluttered but authentic interior on two floors, lovely wood work and all your delicious Indian favourites cooked as hot or not as you want. Excellent. Q Open 12:00 - 14:30; 18:00 - 23:00. Sun 12:00 - 14:30; 18:00 - 22:00. (€11-20). APS

International Café Extrablatt C-3, Marktstr. 38, tel. 36 12 38 88,

www.cafe-extrablatt.de. This is the latest instalment in a wildly successful German chain restaurant. Large, trendy and packed at most any hour this is a continental-version of a TGI Friday’s but with a Mediterranean soul. The food menu is staggeringly all-encompassing as is the drink menu. The weekend brunch buffet is packed with all the people you saw just a few hours ago at the club. QOpen 08:30 - 01:00, Sun 09:00 - 01:00. (€4-14). AB

© City of Kaiserslautern

June - July 2006

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rEstaurants

rEstaurants summer courtyard, typically Italian waiters and home made pasta. Take advantage of their great €5 lunch deal, come for dinner and sample delicious sauces draped over al dente pasta or go for one of the pizza or meat dishes. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 23:00. (€5-18). ABPST

Rossini C-2, Steinstr. 45, tel. 659 92. Another popular Italian

eatery run by a friendly family of Sicilian émigrés. Choose from a good menu of small and large portions of homemade pizza, pasta (try the salmon ravioli) and meat and fish dishes. Again, the interior (there is also a cellar section) is no great shakes, but a massive garden solves that issue for the summer. And there will be a TV out there for the games. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 23:00. Fri close 24:00. Sat 17:30 - 24:00. (€5-20). ABPT TR La Fontana D-2, Steinstr. 56, tel. 892 46 80. Limited menus usually indicate a clever chef and fresh ingredients, and La Fontana’s small menu holds a wealth of lovingly prepared pizza, pasta and meat dishes. Again, the authenticity is not in the interior design but in the kitchen. Specials and set meals limit cost while wine adds to it. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 23:30. Closed Tue. (€7-20). AB

La Storia C-2, Unionstr. 5, tel. 69 69 79. Glass walls as

such give all diners a terrace feel even when seated inside at La Storia, perfectly located on this lovely square in the Old Town. The interior is a tad clinical (do all K-Town restaurants use the same interior designer?) but the tall pepper pots, olive oils, pastas, deli and semi-open kitchen underline the authenticity of the cuisine. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 24:00. Closed Mon. (€5-19). ABT

L’Arcata C-3, Schillerpl. 3-5, tel. 604 42. The insipid interior of L’Arcata is lifted by the glass wall looking into their

Japanese Koi Asia C-3, Lutrinastr. 2–4, tel. 693 41. Located in the

middle of the Fuchsbau passage is the serene Koi. A large selection of decent sushi is served by the Chinese-Japanese sushi master in a clean but dark, aquarium-filled dining room for less than the usual prices. The portions are large, good and freshly made. Q Open 11:30-14:30, 17:00-23:00. Closed Sun. (€6-15). ABGP

Sukiyaki C-3, Steinstr. 11-13, tel. 611 07, www.jap-

restaurant-sukiyaki.de. With a Korean owner (and therefore delicious kimchi) and Thai & Filipino servers, this is not the most authentic Japanese in the world, but it is the best in K-Town and one of the oldest. Upstairs is calm Japanese ambience and their Japanese garden terrace is a haven. Sample sushi prepared by their sushimaster from Tokyo, made with fish from France & Oman, sashimi, teppanyaki or partake in the buffet. Friendly and tasty. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00; 17:30 - 23:30. Closed Tue. (€6-23). ABST

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Around town Café Engel Hauptstr. 30, Otterberg, tel. 06301 94 73.

Before heading out on Otterberg’s quaint walking tour, stop by Engel, directly opposite the tourist information office, for a quick coffee and any one of the numerous baked goodies or small warm starters served here. Comfortable seating overlooking the main square and friendly service make this a pleasant stop off. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. (€2-8).

China Restaurant Asia Mühlstr. 2-4, Otterberg, tel.

Parthenon Lauterer Str. 26, Otterbach, tel. 06301 14

26. Unlike the extraordinary building for which it is named, this restaurant is ordinary at best. You will find Germanized versions of typical Greek specialities as well as a few schnitzels for good measure. The patronage and décor seems to be left over from the time this was a German-owned and operated Gasthaus. Q Open 11:00 -14:00, 17:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 23:00. (€6-15).

06301 54 07. This is your usual large Asian restaurant specialising in lunch and dinner buffets. The meals certainly do not overwhelm with their inventiveness, but there is something appealing about knowing just exactly what to expect. Prices are fair and the location, right around the corner from the tourist office and several historical buildings make it a convenient place for lunch. Q Open 11:30-14:45, 17:45-22:00. (€7-12). AG

Tina’s Eis Mühleckerstr. 49, Katzweiler, tel. 06031

Gasthaus Zur Krone Hauptstr. 68, Otterberg, tel.

Waldhaus Bremerhof 2 892 33 03, Bremerhof 2.

L’Opera (06301 79 60 58) Lauterstr. 22, Otter-

Zum Schwan Kaiserlauterer Str. 2–4, Trippstadt, tel.

06301 30 09 10. Housed in a restored stone and half-timbered house (1778) directly on the main square, this Italian restaurant brings a great deal of charm and flair to an already charming town. The main dining room draws comfortably on the historical roots of the building but the menu is firmly forward-looking Italian fusion dishes. Q Open 11:00-14:00, 17:00-23:00, Mon 17:00-23:00. (€5-19). AB

bach. Ismet Kastrati’s love of good food and music is evident in his newly opened L’Opera. Two lavishly-dressed dining rooms, one with a piano, are available to the well-heeled crowed looking for a long evening of fine-dining. Prices are surprisingly reasonable and the food is fresh. Monthly live music nights with performers from Kaiserlautern’s city opera are not to be missed. Q Open 11:00-14:00, 17:00-23:00. Closed Mon. (€6-19). AE

71 92 60, www.tinaseis.de. Ten kilometres north of Kaiserslautern is the farming village of Katzweiler where Tina and her husband Rüdiger make and sell their excellent ice cream. With an assortment of over 40 types available they have taken extra care to make their farm child friendly with a large sandbox, lots of toys and children’s tables available. QOpen 15:00 - 19:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon. The main dining room is bright and clean but the seating on the terrace is where the action is at. Weather permitting, a grill is set up outside and the cold beer flows. A children’s playground is next to the terrace so you can enjoy sun-downers here with the whole family. Though pasta and German specialities are offered, go for the Greek selections. QOpen 11:30 - 23:30. (€4-18). B 06306 921 30, www.schwan-trippstadt.de. You would probably not expect to find gourmet dining in this sleepy town. Anke Henzelmann’s Zur Schwan offers just that. With a gourmand’s twist on regional dishes like pork-roast with onion-port wine sauce as well as fusion pieces such as a chilli-crêpe parfait, Chef Börtlein’s menus impress. Most weekends during summer there are themed events, such as a Caribbean grill night. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon. (€6-20). AB

Mexican

Turkish

Cantina Mexicana A/B-2, Kaisersstr. 117, tel. 993

Abdo’s B-4, Pirmasenserstr. 64, tel. 149 77. A local’s

28, www.cantina-mexicana.de. Geared for the nearby US airbase and its multitude of servicemen and women, this member of the Kaiserslautern Mexican restaurant syndicate not only speaks English but accepts dollars too. Here you’ll find the usual line-up and the food is decent though pricey. The draws to this location are the daily specials and the 30plus selection of tequila and mescal. Bus N°6522 to Medical Depot. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (€5-18). ABP

recommendation took us to this slightly off the beaten track but fabulous Turkish/Arabic restaurant, where the family eating and watching TV get up to serve you from a pile of plump fresh veggies in the dining room. An array of mezze (aubergine to chilli) followed by shish kebab and kofta. If you don’t know the menu, ask what’s good and it’ll be made and it’ll be great. (Abdo’s is the official caterer to the Saudi Arabian team). Q Open 11:00 - 14:00; 17:00 - 23:00. (€9-20). BT

Copacabana C-3, Lutrinastr. 2-4, tel. 415 18 39, www. copacabana-kl.de. Absurd über-Mexican décor makes Copacabana, housed in the Fuchsbau building, stand out from the others in town. A favourite gathering point for the local twentysomethings, food is not the focus of this restaurant despite the good-sized menu. We come to this conclusion after having eaten a Rollado which we wish that we had not. The margaritas on the other hand, made up for any shortcomings in the menu. QOpen 18:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 02:00. (€5-11). AB

Papasota B-2, Schönstr. 15, tel. 648 20, www.papasote. de. Dressed up like a minimalist’s ranch house the restaurant offers more of a Germanized Tex-Mex take on Mexican cuisine than purists may like. Portions are large and if the crowds are any indicator of quality, quite tasty. The two dinning areas are separated by a leatherchaired cigar lounge. You can get a damn good pitcher of Margarita or Daiquiri here. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. (€6-18) AB

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

TR

June - July 2006

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nightlifE

nightlifE Lexicon C-3, Steinstr. 21. Furnished and decorated without any particular unifying concept and offering nothing out of the ordinary, this is not a bar which sticks out in memory. Well-visited on weekends by virtue of its location: right-inthe-thick-of-it on Steinstrasse. QOpen 16:30 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:30 - 02:00.

Milliway’s Don’t Panic C-2, Salzstr. 10, tel. 600 90. One doesn’t find Douglas Adams themed bars very often. Cartoon-like in character Milliway’s, the pub at the end of the old town, plays alt-rock and metal for its quirky clientele: a mixed bag of students, Americans and old-timers. Drinks start at €1.80 for beer and end at €8 for cocktails. We shared a metre beer (€15) with some of the students and played a round of kicker with US airmen. An unusual charmer. Q Open 08:00-14:00; 19:00-02:00, Sat, Sun 18:00-04:00. Parga C-3, Pirmasenserstr. 25, tel. 892 93 27, www. pargabar.com. Parga is the home of Georgie, the Greek owner of this slightly tacky, salty sea-dog looking cocktail bar. He usually takes it upon himself to pour you a cocktail, which if you don’t like, you don’t pay for. Graffiti in the bathroom is testament to his pouring abilities although the musical accompaniment should have been left in the 80s. Large cocktails about €10. QOpen 20:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon.

Rebstöckel B-3, Kindergartenstr. 2, tel. 52 02 54 35. © City of Kaiserslautern

Bars Bier Brez’l C-3, Lutrinastr. 2-4. If you were from Kaiserslautern this would be your uncle’s local hang-out. An oldschool German pub serving metre beer for €15, seven beers on tap, and throwing up all the best in greasy pub grub. A small TV opposite the bar shows sport and this could be something to keep in mind if you can’t find another place to watching the World Cup games. In the in the Fuchsbau building. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun. B

Central C-3, Schillerstr. 10, tel. 360 56 00, www.central. ag. With these hours plus staff (and snacks) willing to go 24hrs if the party dictates, this is a winning and central (good name) spot. Daytime is computers, breakfast, coffee and sandwiches, the classy wood and leather combo makes it easy to hang out. Nights, when they kick off, degenerate into cocktail specials, DJs, table dancing, whatever … If the front room looks deserted, the back room may be packed. Q Open 08:00 - 05:00. Thu - Sat 08:00 - 06:00. Sun 10:00 - 05:00. AKW

Chuck’s Diner C-2, Steinstr. 21. Not a coffee pot in sight,

this is not a diner but a crazy night out although, in the interest of our preservation and continued enjoyment of beverages, Chuck does serve wings, nachos, pizza and wraps, (€4-6). Ever-popular, Chuck’s is a friendly and rowdy night out with pool, foosball, Playboy TV after midnight and a Mardi Gras feel - free shots for … well, you know. Football will be shown and the bar will open daytimes for the tournament. QOpen 18:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. K

Cool Runnings C-3, Steinstr. 17, tel. 36 13 95 53.

Spread out over two stories, this Rastafarian-themed bar enjoys immense popularity with the military crowd. Decked out like a head-shop, the two bars (upstairs and down) serve the usual offering of beer, wine, shots as well as coffee and tea. The second floor offers nice views and the terrace opposite the fountain is to be recommended. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 02:00. B

Kaiserslautern In Your Pocket

Rüdiger and Petra opened this homey ultra-cosy wine bar in 2005. The ‘little vine’ exclusively serves excellent Pfälzer wines. Dressed up in second-hand furniture it is just the place to try Petra’s flammkuchen. Do let Rüdiger guide you in choosing a wine and do pet Winston Churchill, their dog, when you come in or you are likely to get barked at. Q Open 11:30-13:30, 17:00-02:00. Closed Sun. (€4-9).

TwentyOne C-2, Rathaus 21, Willy-Brandt-Pl. 1, tel. 320 43 70, www.21-lounge.de. You always know if 21 is still open from the beckoning lights atop the Rathaus. The terrace, cocktails (€5-9), lounge and bar entice an eclectic crowd and host occasional parties that run well into the night. Stave off the hangover by filling up on the Mediterranean menu, daily seasonal card and finger food (€3-18). Lunchtimes are politico-time, although their specials are good, especially with the amazing view. Q Open 11:30 - 01:00. Fri 11:30 - 02:00. Sat 18:00 - 02:00. Sun 14:00 - 01:00. ABK

Witches C-2/3, Steinstr. 24-26, tel. 360 72 53. We are not certain yet if the name refers to the patronage or the staff. In either case, this large corner bar always seems to be full and lively at weekends. With two electronic dart boards, a kicker table and a massive bar, one could be inclined to overlook the worn-around-the-edges feel. Beers start at €1.80, shots for €2.50 and a metre of beer for €15. QOpen 17:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun.

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Pubs Hannenfass C-3, St. Martinpl. 1-3, tel. 662 80. Part

beer hall, part sport bar, this wooden almost piratical-looking place is always popular for a brew, karaoke (on Thu), buffet and lunch deals, and some of the best Greek cuisine in town from neighbouring Delhi. The kitchen is closed between 14:00 & 17:00 and after 23:00 but the party continues well into the night here, having begun early too. Q Open 10:00 - 01:00. Fri & Sat 10:00 - 04:00. Sun 12:00 - 01:00. BK

Hofbrau House B-3, Mühlstr. 19, tel. 311 51 17. The hospital-

ity of the famous Munich brewery and beer hall comes to K-Town. Heavy pine furniture seats families, thirsty construction workers and football fans - they have a big screen in one room. Bavarian specialties to go with your €2.70 brew join local Pfalz regional dishes on their hearty menu (c. €10). QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. BK

The Harp C-3, Martin-Luther-Str. 6. Dark and somewhat

dingy loaded with odd alcoves and niches once you leave the odd shaped central bar. The hospitality of the Irish attracts Germans and Americans alike to their late hours (over the football they anticipate the party 24/7), darts, happy hour (from 18:00 €2.50 instead of the usual €3.70 for Guinness and the like), friendly staff and good vibe. Do not come here for a quiet night. Under 18’s allowed until midnight. QOpen 18:00 - 04:00.

Thursty Nelly’s C-2, Steinstr. 19, tel. 89 22 59, www.irishpub.de. Slightly more upmarket and expensive Irish bar, Nelly’s is one seven establishments round Germany from O’Dwyer’s. Great quiz (€25 1st prize), karaoke, U2 and ladies nights attract a full house, as does the general drinking ethos and big screen. Friendly alcoholic fun with Pork Scratchings, Walkers and toasties to stave off hunger. Guinness €4.10. Q Open 16:00 - 01:00. Fri 16:00 - 02:00. Sat 13:00 - 02:00. Sun 13:00 - 01:00. B

TR

Clubs Cameo D-4, Kantstr. 10, tel. 892 97 70, www.cameo-

kl.de. The first real bistro-lounge-bar we have seen in Kaiserslautern. Light coffee- and sand-toned leather seating and the dark wooden bar and tables make for a relaxed ambience. Extremely chill music a la Café del Mar is played during the bistro hours (till 15:00). Come evenings or weekend and it becomes more club-oriented and there are often live DJ’s. This is where the beautiful people go. QOpen 14:00 - 01:00. Admission €5-10. E

Beer or Culture? In Prague, you don’t have to choose. We have it all. And we have it all in Prague In Your Pocket. Keep it where it belongs.

Wladirockstock C-4, Weberstr. 14. With the look and

feel of a typical student bar, this defies type by attracting a wide range of clientele from football fans (of the televised sort and table footy) to chess players, metal grungers to local octogenarians. A gem of old school graffiti, pinball, punk posters, hidden corners and cool tunes. DJs spin, 1FCK games are shown and everyone has fun. Cheap beer on Tuesdays. QOpen 16:00 - 03:00, Sun 20:00 - 02:00.


 
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