Federal street closes for bikers, hikers Sunday

by Petra Lessoing
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Thirty-five kilometers of federal street B270 will be closed to motorized traffic Sunday for the 16th 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.

Horse-drawn carriages and horseback riders will also not be allowed here. 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 food and beverage stands.
In Kaiserslautern, the road closure will start on Lauterstrasse near the Gartenschau area with food and beverages.

At the corner of Erzhütter Strasse and Lauterstrasse, the Kaiserslautern City administration office will set up a beer garden as a bikers’ meeting point and offer live music, a marching band, a bouncing castle and food specialties.
In Otterbach, hungry travelers will find a variety of food specialties such as hamburgers, chicken breast, meatloaf, pork steaks, spare ribs, sausages, and waffles.

Near the train station, there will be live music and children’s activities. 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, schnitzel, schwenksteaks, salads, fish and game specialties, as well as Italian ice cream.

Hirschhorn will offer fitness drinks, a book flea market and an exhibition of floral and abstract paintings.

In Sulzbachtaltal, children’s activities will include a duck race on the Sulzbach creek.

An ecumenical worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m. near the village fountain in Olsbrücken.

The Kreimbach-Kaulbach gun club will give people the chance to test their shooting skills. The local sports club will serve a bikers’ breakfast and ask young and old to participate in games and sports activities.

In Rutsweiler, local associations will offer more live music, food and beverages.
Near the public swimming pool in Wolfstein, the band Musicdreams will perform and Dutch fish specialties will be served. The local lime mine will offer guided tours. Various children’s games will be set up on Marktplatz.

The band Just in Time 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.
At Lauterecken’s train station, regional tourist offices will pass out important information and bike maps.

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

Event participants can board the Lautertal train at any train station to get back to their starting location. The train travels between Kaiserslautern and Lauterecken. Train staff will be available to help 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 KMCC, call them at 06371-406-208 or e-mail kmcc@infocenter-ramstein.de. For more information, visit www.kaiserslautern-kreis.de.

(To see photos of past car-free days, visit www.ramstein.af.mil.)