Welcome to Kaiserslautern

 This weekend, we took advantage of another USO tour and went on an orientation trip around Kaiserslautern, which is town that anchors all the American military bases in the area.  We learned about the town's history, special sites to visit, and shopping districts.

A fountain features multiple statues that illustrate the town's history and industry.  Stepping stones and foot holds invite people to climb onto the statues and become part of the picture.

 

Kaiserslautern's coat of arms features a pike, so there are decorated fish all over the town.  Local legend says that in 1497 a 20 foot long and 385 pound fish was caught in the Emperor's lake in Kaiserslautern (the area was used as a hunting ground for the Emperor).  The fish was supposed to have a ring around its neck that said, "I am the first among all the other fish that has been put in the lake personally by the Emperor Frederick II, on 5 October 1230."  That would make the fish over two hundred years old.  Pike also happened to be the favorite dish of Frederick I (Red Beard/Barbarossa), who constructed the Kaiserpfalz (Emperor's Palace) in 1152.  So, the fish on the coat of arms could also be a reference to him.

Lena doesn't follow soccer, but she does enjoy having her picture taken.  She needed her picture with the players from Kaiserslautern who played on a World Cup winning team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After touring downtown Kaiserslautern, we went to  the Gartenschau (Garden Show).  It's a lovely green-space in the middle of town that features gardens, play areas, musical performances, and more.  It really is a fantastic play to visit.  It's open every year from late March to late October.  In the fall, there will be a festival featuring huge displays constructed out of pumpkins.  I'm not sure why, but huge dinosaur sculptures lined the walking path.  They were fun to look at, but as the sign below warns, they aren't for riding.

The exhibit hall featured Legos this season.  There were amazing displays of different towns, vehicles, and more.  The kids spent some time in the play area where they could construct whatever they wanted.

Outside, the garden offered amazing playgrounds for the kids to explore.  They have already asked to visit again.

Rose garden

Saarbrücken

We ventured out this weekend to take our first train ride without a guide.  Robert researched the route to take to Saarbrücken (the capital city of Saar).  It turns out that there is an underground castle there.


Saarbrücken translates to something like "the castle on the rock that guards the Saar River."  The castle was first referred to in 999 AD.  The original castle was destroyed long ago and several castles and palaces were built over its ruins.  Today, a Baroque-style palace that was renovated in 1989 stands on the site.  Below the palace, though, what is left of the original castle can be toured.

Outside of the renovated palace.  It is now used as an administrative and event center.

Museum entrance to the castle ruins and local historical museum.

Entry into the ruins.  The castle's cellars make up most of what remains.

Shooting chamber

More shooting chamber

The dungeon

The castle's moat was formed by carving rocks out of the land that were then used to build the castle's walls.  A simple crane equipped with a claw was set up to show how the stones were moved.

Joseph, Lena, and Holden try to reassemble pots like archeologists do.

 View of the river from the top of the rock that the castle once stood on

The Miserly Baker.  

During a famine, a baker from nearby St. Johann took advantage of villagers by withholding food unless women provided him with favors.  The local nobleman's wife learned of this, dressed up as a villager, and went to confirm the story.  Once the baker propositioned her, she had him thrown into the stocks.  He died within a few days, and she had this gargoyle of his face constructed as a sewage drain on the side of the castle's wall.  It can be seen as you climb the stairs up to the courtyard where the palace is.  It is supposed to be a warning to others.

July 4th in Trier, Germany

We took advantage of a USO tour this weekend that taught us how to navigate the Germany train system.  A beautiful two hour ride through the wine country brought us to Trier, Germany, the oldest town in Germany. 

 Train station in Trier

We could walk to the Hauptmarkt (Main Market Square) easily from Trier's train station.  There we were met by the Porta Nigra (Black Gate).  It's a Roman gate built in 180-200 AD and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of eight found in Trier).  It was once part of a system of four city gates that defended the town.  Named for its dark stones, legend says that the gate turned black after the Romans returned from a military defeat, but pollution really lead to the dark pigmentation (a much less romantic cause).

We were lucky that a market of handcrafted items was going in the Hauptmarkt this weekend and got to see a craftsman work on creating bronze bells.

Next to the Porta Nigra is the Stadtmuseum Simeonstift that provides information about the area's history and houses some of the more delicate statues and artifacts that shouldn't be left out in the elements anymore.  A short walk from the gate lead us to the Trier Cathedral and Our Dear Lady Church.  The cathedral stores the Holy Tunic, which Jesus was supposed to be wearing at his death.  A choir festival was going on inside the cathedral, so it was too crowded to tour, but the music spilled out onto the square in front of the cathedral and gave the impression that we were hearing all the voices that ever passed through the church.  We were able to go into Our Dear Lady Church, which is attached to the cathedral, and see its impressive stained glass windows.

Right around the corner from the Trier Cathedral is Constantine Basilica.  Now a Protestant church, it was the throne hall of Roman Emperor Constantine.  Though it was heavily damaged during World War II, reconstruction efforts have preserved it.  We also went by the Electoral Palace.  It is only opened a few times a year for concerts, but we could wander the gardens that are bordered by statues.  The Roman baths, amphitheater, and a second century AD Roman bridge are a short walk from the palace.  The kids weren't up for touring all that on a day with record-breaking heat, so we just glimpsed the baths before returning to the town square for a lunch.  The restaurant we visited was underground in what used to be Roman cellars.  The arched ceiling and stone walls invited one to imagine what used to be stored there.

Some of the architecture around the town square reflects the town's history of multiple takeovers by various groups.  This building's original door is on the second floor so that it would be hard to get into unless the occupants lowered a ladder or rope.

The bells on the side of this building sang out across the square on the hour.

Palace and gardens