Bikers, hikers enjoy car-free route Sunday

Thirty-five kilometers of federal street B270 will be closed to motorized traffic Sunday for the 19th car-free adventure day called “Car-free Lauter Valley.” From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., walkers, hikers, bicyclists and inline-skaters will have B270 between Kaiserslautern and Lauterecken all to themselves. The car-free route winds through the Lauter Valley from Kaiserslautern on to Otterbach, Sambach, Katzweiler, Hirschhorn, Olsbrücken, Kreimbach-Kaulbach, Rutsweiler, Wolfstein, Oberweiler-Tiefenbach and Lohnweiler to Lauterecken.

More than 50 associations, institutions and communities will provide an entertaining program and set up eating and drinking locations.

In Kaiserslautern, the road closure will start on Lauterstrasse near the Gartenschau area with food and beverages. A biker’s meeting point and beer garden on Lauterstrasse 117 will lure participants with live music by the Kolping Brass Orchestra, the band Unreal-Light, a bouncing castle and food specialties.

In Otterbach, hungry travelers will find an American barbecue, salad plates, pizza, schnitzel, ice-cream, waffles and alcohol-free strawberry margaritas. The little switch tower museum near the railroad crossing (direction Erfenbach) will offer free guided tours. The Reservists Comradeship Otterbach will serve food from the field kitchen such as pea soup and goulash at the Red Cross area at the end of the village going to Sambach.

Along Hauptstrasse in Katzweiler, various food booths will serve Palatinate dishes. Children can have their faces painted and jump on a bouncing castle. The trout farm will offer guided tours and fish specialites.

Hirschhorn’s culture association will organize a giant book flea market and offer wurst salad with fried potatoes on its village square. The Kaiserslautern Association for Environment and Nature Protection will offer organic snacks and beverages at the parking lot at the end of the village.

In Sulzbachtal, children’s activities will feature a duck race on the Sulzbach creek.

Guided tours of the water towers will be conducted.

In Olsbrücken, the sports club will present live music and the Rheinland-Pfalz Engergy Agency will provide tips on energy saving and house renovations.

The local clubs in Kreimbach-Kaulbach will serve a variety of food specialties and live music on the sports field. In Rutsweiler, a church service for bikers will start at 9 a.m.

Near the public swimming pool in Wolfstein, Mr. Mo will perform and Dutch specialties will be served. Free entrance will be granted to the pool.

The local lime mine will offer guided tours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a rope skipping team will show off its skills 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Wolfgang Bayer Band will perform in Oberweiler-Tiefenbach and a raffle can be joined at Reckweilerhof.

Heinzenhausen will have its annual village carnival with some rides, sweets, food and live music.

In Lohnweiler, fish specialties will be served on the soccer field and the longest cake bar will be set up.

Lauterecken will be the north end of the road closure. The local fishing club will offer fish and salmon brőtchen. Live music performances will be on Velden Square.

Bicyclists having problems with their bikes will find bicycle repair stations in Otterbach, Katzweiler and Wolfstein.

Event participants can board the Lautertal train at any train station to get back to their starting location. The trains travel between Kaiserslautern and Lauterecken. Train staff is available to help to load and unload bicycles. The transportation of bicycles is free. To get the flyer and program in English, stop at the Window to Rheinland-Pfalz Ramstein Gateway in the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center, call them at 06371-406-208 or e-mail kmcc@infocenter-ramstein.de. For more information visit www.urlaub-kaiserslautern.de.