Don't miss your last chance to visit the Japanese Gardens in Kaiserslautern this year!

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Different trash cans

Usually the trash is sorted into the following:

The official start to the Christmas season here in Germany has to be the lighting of the first candle on the Advent wreath, which is usually also the time that most of the big Christmas markets open up. The Christmas markets have to be one of the most anticipated attractions for tourists during the season and there are just so many of them. With there being only 4 weekends to hit the further out markets and evenings to visit the markets close by, it is useful to have a battle plan, so you can hit as many markets as possible. In our Christmas markets recommendations, you can find some of the most popular markets in Germany and some great tips and tricks.

With May come the big fairs with rides, games, beer tents and great food. The city of Stuttgart kicks off with the Fruehlingsfest on the Wasen, the big fairground in the city. In Kaiserslautern, one of the biggest fairgrounds in the Palatinian region opens its doors, the Lauterer May Kerwe.

Living in Europe, traveling, seeing the old world…these are usually the visions families have when getting the news of a new duty station overseas. But then reality hits and there it is, the pile of “what to do next” and “how to do that”. Thankfully the internet has made things much easier and google can be a close friend during this time of need. While your move and tickets and or hotel may be all paid for by the government, try putting some extra cash aside in the months before the move, you may encounter some unexpected costs. If you end up not needing the back up money, treat yourself to your first European trip with it.

The German Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are right around the corner, perfect time for a little day trip. Gondwana, das Praehistorium is offering an amazing deal to celebrate those special holidays with your favorite dinosaur specialist. On Thursday May 10^th, German Father’s Day, the entrance fee for dad is free if a child (over 4 years of age) accompanies them to Gondwana, and on May 13^th Mother’s Day, the entrance fee for mom is free if a child (over 4 years of age) is accompanying them

You may have seen them on the news, or even out when you are walking around town or the woods. I am talking about caterpillars, oak processionary caterpillars in particular.

Ticks are widely spread all over Europe and especially Germany. Ticks themselves are not dangerous, yes, they bite… but the bite itself isn’t any worse then a mosquito bite. What makes the ticks so dangerous is that they carry diseases and pass them on to their host.

If you like the outdoors and want to treat your family to a natural, down to earth experience, these parks may just be the thing for you. Barefoot parks or dedicated barefoot trails are set up mainly for barefoot walking and playing. These open parks provide families the opportunity to feel the natural ground or various other surfaces with their bare feet. During the last two decades, hundreds of these leisure places have been founded in European countries, but most barefoot parks are located in Germany and Austria.

The picturesque village of Annweiler in the state Rheinland Palatine is home to a stunning reconstructed castle, Trifels.  The castle is sitting at an elevation of 500 meters (1600ft), on the peak of the typical sandstone mountain, Sonnenberg. The Sonnenberg mountain has 2 lower peaks, both home to castle ruins, the Anebos castle and the Scharfenberg castle. Castle Trifels was the favorite of emperor Barbarossa.

While living here in Germany, you may encounter some of us natives and more often then not friendships bloom. Especially if you live off base, you might strike up a neighborly conversation or get to know the other parents from your child’s daycare, kindergarten or school. This whole interaction thing may lea you to be invited to a birthday party, or to come over and hang out.

During the warm summer months and especially during summer break, Germans have festivals and celebrations all over. Particularly popular are village or town celebrations.  The festivals are usually hosted by the city, while in smaller communities, clubs and villages get together to host a fest. Even kindergartens or schools host celebrations, usually for attending families or potential new students. Vineyards run culinary hikes or festivals, often in conjunction with restaurants. And who could forget the beer and wine fests towards the end of the summer.

The “Gartenschau” garden show in Kaiserslautern is reopening its gates on March 30, 2019. Known as one of the most popular outdoor hang outs in the area, this place is perfect for a family with younger children. The garden show is laid out like a huge park, with flowerbeds, walking trails, several playgrounds for kids (even some water ones), a barefoot trail, several themed gardens, a shop and, of course, the dinosaur trail.

Today, we know zombies are a thing of imagination, seen only on TV shows and in movies. Really, the only ones scared of them these days are probably little kids. However, for our ancestors here in Germany, that fear was a very real one.

During the 4 weeks of Advent (roughly four weeks prior to Christmas) the Christmas Markets – Weihnachtsmärkte - open their doors.

They originated in German-speaking part of Europe & in the Eastern regions of France in the Late Middle Ages.