Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rheinland-Pfalz at the edge of the Palatine Forest (Pfälzer Wald). The historic center dates to the 9th century and is within easy reach of Paris (459 kilometres) and Luxembourg (159 kilometres).
Today, Kaiserslautern is a modern center of information and communications technology as well as numerous well-known universities, international research institutes and technical colleges located throughout the city.
The Palatine Gallery is well worth a visit and dates from 1874 featuring exhibits of painting and sculpture from the 19th century to the present day.
Town Hall Kaiserslautern is one of the tallest buildings and is located in the city's downtown district. The bar and coffe-shop on the top floor provides a paranoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside.
The tallest building in the center of Kaiserslautern is Marienkirche, a Catholic church.
The television tower, in fact the highest structure in Kaiserslautern is not in the city center, but located at Dansenberg, a suburb in the southwest of the city.
Kaiserslautern's large botanical gardens feature a Japanese-style garden. Another unusual feature is the Waschmühle, an enormous 160-metre public swimming pool that is the largest in Europe. There are several pedestrian only shopping zones with numerous and varied restaurants and bars located in the downtown area surrounding the old city or Altstadt. In the Altstadt you will find the "Kaiserbrunnen", a large ornamental fountain in which various historically important features of the city are represented, including eg. a sewing machine - for the Pfaff-werke, a football, and various creatures, which children can climb on.