Local Information

Travelling to Kaiserslautern

Kaiserslautern is located in southwest Germany, about 100 kilometers from Frankfurt.

To fly by plane to Frankfurt am Main is the easiest way to reach Kaiserslautern. Frankfurt International Airport is the second largest airport in Europe, serving as an important hub for international flights from around the world. Direct flights from all major cities are available. From Frankfurt International Airport, there are ICE train services to Kaiserslautern. It may be the case that you have to change trains in Mannheim Hbf. Tickets, which cost between 24€ and 32€, are sold at the station of the airport. There, you can also get more information (or see the German Rail website).

For European travellers, an alternative is Frankfurt Hahn Airport, which serves low-cost airlines. The best way to reach Kaiserslautern from there is the bus to Homburg/Saar and then the train to Kaiserslautern. Please refer to the website of the airport for further information.

There are also high-speed train services (TGV Est) from Paris, Gare de l'Est, which might be interesting for French conference attendees.

Accomodation

You have to make your accommodation arrangements directly with the hotel of your choice. The following list contains some hotels in Kaiserslautern:

• Hotel Zollamt (within walking distance of the conference site)
• Altstadt-Hotel (old town, bus connexion: line 115)
• Dorint Novotel Kaiserslautern (no direct bus connexion to the conference site: line 102 then line 115)
• City-Hotel (town centre, bus connection: line 115)
• Hotel Heymann (town centre, bus connexion: line 115)
• Hotel Pfälzer Hof (town centre, bus connexion: line 115)
• Hotel Lautertaler Hof (town centre, bus connexion: line 115)
• Stadthotel (town centre, 10 min walk then bus connexion: line 115)
• Hotel Zepp (town centre, bus connexion: line 115)

For further information and additional accommodation, please consult the tourism section of the website of Kaiserslautern. Most hotels can be booked online there. If you need assistance, please contact the tourist information.

Getting to Fraunhofer Centre

The bus stop Fraunhofer-Zentrum is just in front of the main entrance of Fraunhofer Centre. If you stay in a hotel in town centre, take line 115 and get off there. Tickets are sold by bus drivers (single, Kaiserslautern: 1.70 €; seven-day ticket, Kaiserslautern: 13.50€). Timetables can be found on the website of the public transportation services.

More information (including a detailed Google Map with explanations) can be found on the How to Reach us page of Fraunhofer IESE.

Local Attractions

Local attractions of Kaiserslautern (Wikipedia) include

• the Fruchthalle, which was the seat of the revolutionary government of the Palatinate
• the Fritz-Walter-Stadion, one of the arenas of the FIFA World Cup 2006
• the Stiftskirche (Collegiate Church) dating from the 16th century and considered to be the most important late gothic hall church in southwest Germany
• the ruins of the Kaiserspfalz (Imperial Palace) of Barbarossa
• the Garden Fair Kaiserslautern and the Japanese Garden
• Kaiserlautern's old town and its restaurants and pubs

The centrepiece of the Western Palatinate region is the Palatinate Forest Conservation Area, the largest and also warmest forestland in Germany where nature is mostly untouched. With a surface area of 180 000 hectares, it covers approximately one third of the Palatinate. It is a perfect background for relaxing walks and hiking. A fantastic view over Kaiserslautern is worth climbing up the Humbergturm, which is located on top of a nearby hill.

Some places to visit further afield are the Rhine Valley (40 castles and fortresses, stretched along a mere 65 km of the River Rhine between the cities of Bingen and Coblence, constitute one of the most favorite tourist attractions), the city of Heidelberg (the picturesque old town and its castle are world-famous) and the villages along the German Wine Route. In Bad Dürkheim, each year on the 2nd and 3rd weekends in September (the weekends before and after TPHOLs 2007), the world's largest wine festival, the Dürkheim Wurstmarkt (literally, "sausage market") is held.

Gastronomy

You will certainly find a good bistro, restaurant or bar in Kaiserslautern. The following list contains some suggestions:

• Spinnrädl, Schillerstraße 1 (restaurant with regional specialities)
• Landsknecht, Glaserstraße 5 (restaurant with regional specialities)
• Firenze, Steinstraße 11 (Italian restaurant)
• L'Arcata, Schillerplatz 3 (Italian restaurant)
• Papsote, Schönstraße 15 (Mexican restaurant)
• Julien, Altenwoogstraße 3 (French restaurant)
• Brauhaus am Markt, Stiftsplatz 2 (restaurant, own brewery)
• Twenty-One, 21st floor of the town hall (bistro/bar with panoramic view)
• Copacabana, Lutrinastraße 2-4 (cocktail bar)
• Storchenturm, Münchstraße 10 (bistro)
• Barrosso, Schillerstraße 9 (bistro)
• Havanna, Pirmasenser Straße 27 (restaurant, cocktail bar)
• San Marco, Marktstraße 39 (ice cream parlour)
• ...

Weather

The weather in early September is usally warm with an average temperature about 20°C.