Outdoor Recreation

Baumholder

Baumholder Outdoor Recreation, Smith Barracks, Bldg. 816, 485-7182 or 06783-6-7182

Brussels Christmas Market

Dec. 21-22

Cost: Adults $79, children under 12 $59

Dazzle your senses at the Winter Wonders Festival in Brussels, Belgium!  To call the Brussels Christmas Market anything less than a winter wonderland doesn’t do the festival justice. The Winter Wonders Festival animates the heart of Brussels with a massive light and sound show, instead of simply Christmas lights. The festival stretches from the Grand Place to Saint Catherine Place and beyond. There, you will find a Christmas market with over 200 stalls, a giant Ferris wheel, carousels, a huge ice skating rink, rides, and ice monsters. Enjoy Belgian chocolates and waffles while searching for that perfect Christmas gift. Be mesmerized by the moving lights and changing patterns on the local landmarks while you shop in the enormous market. When you are ready to see more of the city you can see Mannekin Pis, sample Belgian brewing at the Delirium Café, and do so much more.

Bernkastel-Kues Christmas Market with Fireworks

Dec. 21

Cost: Adults $39, children under 12 $29

Every yuletide season, visitors flock to see the amazing medieval Christmas Market in Bernkastel-Kues, on the Moselle, with its more than 40 miniature half-timbered houses.

The narrow little streets with their quaint romantic houses make the perfect Christmas market setting.

Kaiserslautern

Kaiserslautern Outdoor Recreation, Pulaski Barracks, Bldg. 2905, 493-4117 or 0631-3406-4117. Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on federal holidays. https://kaiserslautern.armymwr.com

New Years in Budapest

Dec. 27 – Jan. 1, 2020

Cost: Adults: $629 per person, single supplement $729, up to 2 children 3-11 in room with 2 paid adults $549, Children under 3 $229

Celebrate the new year on both sides of the Danube river in Budapest.

After your morning arrival and breakfast in Budapest you will tour the Hungarian capital before celebrating spending the holiday weekend in one of the Hapsburg Imperial Cities. Three full days will give you plenty of time to enjoy Budapest however you choose, but you will also have the opportunity to take an excursion to the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. If you want to visit Vienna, you have the opportunity to do so on New Year’s Eve, before returning to Budapest for the evening activities of your choice.

Winter Warm-Up — Athens, Greece

Jan. 16-20, 2020

Cost: Double occupancy $699 per person, single occupancy $899. Child and infant rates available upon request based on ages and room configurations.

Escape from Kaiserslautern’s winter weather when you enjoy a spring-like Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend in Athens!

A really warm January day in Kaiserslautern might get above freezing, but in Athens, the average daily high in January is closer to the 50’s! But a warmer climate is not the only reason to visit Athens, “The Birthplace of Democracy” was home to Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Pericles and you will find reminders of the classical age everywhere in the lively city center. A tour of Athens will familiarize you with the city’s antiquities, and your four-star hotel in the city center will put you in position to make the most of your free time in “The Cradle of Western Civilization”. Your weekend will also include a cooking class at the popular Taverna Diavlos which will provide you with the recipes and experience to host your own Greek dinner parties after you return.

Ramstein

Ramstein Outdoor Recreation, KMC Center, Bldg. 3336, 480-5705 or 06371-47-5705. Mon. to Fri. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., Sun., holidays and training days 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. https://www.86fss.com/sports-and-recreation/outdoor-recreation

Dahn rock hike

Dec. 29

Towering red sandstone walls surround the village of Dahn south of us in the Palatinate Forest. Lace up your hiking boots and stretch out your legs in the fresh air of the Pfalz with Ramstein Outdoor Recreation. An ~12 km loop leads us to some of the highlights of the region including sandstone spires, arches, and sheer walls framed with dense coniferous forest. A restaurant is nicely positioned along the route for a refueling stop (and a Hefe-pilsener?) to boost your energy for the terrain ahead. Dress for the forecast and bring snacks and water to suit your needs as well as cash Euro for the restaurant along route.