The best traffic-free bike rides around Katzweiler

one of the most beautiful fountains here in Kaiserslautern

The Collegiate Church of St. Martin and St. Mary (or Collegiate Church for short) in Kaiserslautern is a Protestant parish church. It is the oldest hall church between the Rhine and Saar rivers and is one of the most important Gothic churches in the Palatinate region. The sandstone building, constructed from ashlars, faces east and is set back slightly from the street front, so that Marktstraße widens here into a roughly triangular square (the former market square). The roofscape is characterized by the octagonal main tower, the two western towers, and the gabled roofs of the northern front. The Collegiate Church dates back to a Premonstratensian monastery, which Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa invited to Kaiserslautern from Leutkirch in Württemberg in 1176. In the 1960s, only the foundations of the three-aisled monastery church in the late Romanesque style, which was initially used, were found. Around 1250, the Premonstratensians began building a new church. First, the present choir was constructed, completed in 1291 with the consecration of the (now defunct) St. Richard's Chapel. Thirty years later, construction of the nave began and was likely completed before 1350. The northern porch was added in the second half of the 14th century, and the two western towers were erected at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1510 or 1511, the Premonstratensian foundation was converted into a secular collegiate foundation, which was dissolved in 1565 during the Reformation. Since then, the church has been a Protestant parish church. At the beginning of the 18th century, the main tower, which originally had only two stories, was raised by a third story. In 1806, the St. Richard's Chapel was demolished (in its place, the pharmacist and then-mayor Goswin Müllinghoff built his home and pharmacy), and in 1819, the cloister was demolished. Extensive renovations were carried out around 1880. The church was severely damaged during World War II. From 1946 to 1950, the church, particularly the main tower, was rebuilt in a simplified form. In 1965, the Gothic sacristy was demolished and the church restored. After excavations in the area of the former monastery, the new church administration building was established there. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiftskirche_(Kaiserslautern)#Einzelnachweise

What a story the golden eagle above the entrance could tell! For over 200 years, it has looked down from its position above the entrance steps onto the square next to the collegiate church. The Adler Pharmacy has existed since 1811, and the Longards have owned it since 1891. In the old pharmacy room, which today serves as a small meeting room for owner Matthias Longard and customers, hangs a picture from 1818. "Procession of the Protestant General Synod of Kaiserslautern from the small town church there to the larger one on August 2, 1818" is the caption below. A crowd of people in a square that has barely changed to this day. Easily recognizable from the northwest: the French imperial eagle. So much for the history of this building: Joh. Goswin Müllinghoff opened the Adler Pharmacy on January 1, 1811. He is said to have acquired the ruins of the dilapidated St. Ricardi's Chapel, which stood next to the collegiate church, as early as 1806. The pharmacist, who was also the town's mayor, had it demolished and built a French Classical-style building on the site in 1809, which housed the pharmacy and living quarters. The Longard era began in 1891. Franz Josef, the great-grandfather of the current owner, was known for his experimental spirit and invented the famous "Yuma ointment," which he patented in 1906. He was succeeded in 1913 by Franz Philipp and his wife Therese. Their two eldest sons died in the war, and the youngest, Wolfgang, took over the pharmacy in 1955 as the tenant and successor to Anton Winstel, later the owner of the Bahnhof-Apotheke (Station Pharmacy). Matthias Longard (born 1959) talks about his father: "Actually, he wanted to study music and German. But after his two brothers remained in Russia, he bowed to the family's wishes and became a pharmacist." The son had just completed a puberty phase in which he was, as he himself describes it, "chaotic and incredibly lazy." One day, when his mother once again saw the chaos in his room and, in response to Matthias's cheeky remark, "I want to study pharmacy," retorted, "You, you'll never be a pharmacist with your messiness," he defiantly resolved: "Now I'll show her." He put his plan into action. He graduated from Hohenstaufen-Gymnasium in 1978 with an average grade of "A," followed by studies in Freiburg, which he successfully completed at the age of 22. .. Source: https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/kaiserslautern_artikel,-unter-dem-adler-_arid,76015.html

The collegiate church was built by the Premonstratensian Order starting in the late 12th century and dedicated to Mary and Martin. Today, it is a Protestant parish church and is one of the oldest and most important Gothic churches in the Palatinate. The history of the collegiate church is closely linked to Emperor Frederick I, Barbarossa. He summoned Premonstratensian pastors to Kaiserslautern to promote the development of the region and provided land for the construction of a hospice and a monastery complex.

Old steam locomotive that is now exhibited as a tourist attraction in Otterbach

A historical highlight with a miniature train, railway romance, and home-brewed Bachbahn beer—ideal for an enjoyable break on the old railway embankment.

Sculpture Pulpito/Pulpit by Maria Claudia Farina from 2011

Not just a museum, there’s a great beer garden here 🍻