Walkers, bicyclists enjoy car-free road Sunday

***image1***The city of Kaiserslautern and the counties of Kaiserslautern and Kusel sponsor the 10th annual adventure day called “Car-free Lauter Valley” Sunday.
The federal street B270 between Kaiserslautern and Lauterecken closes to motorized traffic, horse carriages and horseback riders from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hikers, walkers, bicyclists and in-line skaters can enjoy the 35-kilometer route in the Lautertal, the valley through which the Lauter Creek flows.
Along the road, associations, clubs and private initiators provide information about the area and an entertaining program. They also offer eating and drinking locations.
Since the event takes place for the 10th time, organizers offer something new, a station quiz. This means there will be 10 stations where people can get a walking card stamped. These cards are available at each station.
The route has been divided into three sections of 10 kilometers each, so bicyclists or hikers who are not used to long distances can participate as well.
The union communities of Otterbach, Wolfstein and Lauterecken and the city of Kaiserslautern award the winners bicycles as main prizes. The winners will be announced in September.
Other prizes are four season tickets for the garden fair 2005 donated by the Kaiserslautern Garden Fair Company, seven coupon books for local restaurants donated by the county of Kaiserslautern and three rides on a “draisine,” a small wagon with peddles that runs on railroad tracks, donated by the Kusel County.
The official opening of the event is at 10 a.m. on the village square in Hirschhorn.
In Kaiserslautern, the starting point is on Lauterstrasse near Krökelsche Quarry on the garden fair area.
In Otterbach, the local motorcycle museum is open all day and Zen Bogio Do demonstrations take place at the train station.
In Katzweiler, participants can get lost in a corn maze and check on arts and crafts works to include pottery, tiffany and acrylic paintings.
A wood shop in Frankelbach presents works under the motto “Wood Meets Arts.”
In Rutsweiler, the Zweikirche, a church with the oldest bells in the Pfalz, can be toured.
In Wolfstein, the Königsland Swing Band performs in the afternoon.
A carnival is set up in Heinzenhausen.
In Lohnweiler, local clubs set up the biggest salad buffet in the Lauter Valley.
Lauterecken is the north end of the road closure. Local clubs offer fish brötchen, schnitzel sandwich, steaks, bratwurst and cakes on Marktplatz.