Car-free Lauter Valley

The 15th car-free adventure day, called “Car-free Lauter Valley,” takes place Sunday.

Each year on the first Sunday in August, a part of federal street B-270 is reserved for walkers, hikers, bicyclists and inline skaters. Between Kaiserslautern and Lauterecken, B-270 closes to motorized traffic, horse carriages and horseback riders from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The 35-kilometer 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.

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

In Kaiserslautern, the road closure starts at the park on Erzhütter Strasse, when leaving Kaiserslautern going toward Otterbach. Here, culinary specialties will be served and music played.

In Otterbach, the local advertising association will offer a traffic safety station, a driving school, live music and children’s activities. At the train station, the Kaiserslautern tourist office will provide information about the area.

Bikers and hikers can taste fresh waffles, play games and take part in a raffle. The cocktail bar on the park and ride parking lot will serve refreshing drinks, crepes and cake. The little switch tower museum near the railroad crossing (direction Erfenbach) will offer guided tours. The Reservists Comradeship Otterbach will serve food from the field kitchen at the Red Cross area at the end of the village going to Sambach. There is also a bicycle display and musical entertainment.

In Sembach, flammkuchen will be available in the flammkuchen barn on Katzweilerer Strasse 14.

On the fairgrounds in Katzweiler, various activities will take place – bucking bronco riding, blood pressure checking, face painting and live music performances. Hungry event participants have the choice of bratwurst, grilled meat, schwenksteaks, schnitzel, salads, flammkuchen, pizza, homemade cakes and Italian ice specialties.

 A mineral and fossil exhibition will be set up on Mühleckerstr. 21. Radio station Antenne Kaiserslautern will also sponsor a 1980s party, raffle and cocktail bar on Mühleckerstrasse 49. The trout pond facility will offer fish specialties, bread on a stick and children’s fishing. A drive-in worship service will be held at 2 and 4 p.m. in the church yard.

In Hirschhorn, gyros, coleslaw and potato soup with plum cake, which is a Palatinate specialty, will be served.

In the school yard in Untersulzbach, the Otterbach tourist office will present its new biking, hiking and Nordic walking maps. A church service for bikers starts at 10:30 a.m. near the fountain.

The Kreimbach-Kaulbach gun club will offer grilled specialties in its club house. The local sports club invites young and old to play soccer on its sports field.

In Rutsweiler and Wolfstein, local associations will offer more live music, food and beverages.

A square dance group will perform in the parking lot between Reckweilerhof and Heinzenhausen. The Kusel Forestry office will exhibit historic power saws and present a fir wood preparation machine.

A carnival with rides, activity booths and brass music will lure visitors to the community hall in Heinzenhausen, and a mobile disco with raffle booth can be found at the end of the village.

In Lohnweiler, the longest salad and cake bar of the Lauter Valley will be set up on the soccer field.

Lauterecken is the north end of the road closure. The official opening of the event takes place at 10 a.m. on Veldenz Square.

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

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 load and unload bicycles. The transportation of bicycles is free.

For more information, contact the Kaiserslautern tourist office at 0631-7105-228 or e-mail touristik@kaiserslautern-kreis.de.