Kaiserslautern American
Page 18 by MilitaryinGermany.com Mainz is easy to enjoy. It is filled with classic architecture, including towering stone spires and half-timbered buildings. The Rhine River chugs past, acting as a beating heart for a thriving university city. Restaurants, shops, wineries and an abundant amount of green space can be found downtown. Mainz is also a cultural center — and has been for 2,000 years. And, crucially, Mainz was home to one of the most important historical figures of all time: Johannes Gutenberg, a man who changed the course of world history. The one thing you have to see: The Gutenberg Museum When Mainz-born Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press that used moveable type in the mid-15th century, he triggered a media revolution. The importance of his work cannot be understated: he was voted Time’s “Man of the Millennium” in 1998. The Gutenberg museum is a fantastic experience, and you don’t have to spend a lot of time there to get a sense of Gutenberg’s importance. While you’re there, don’t miss the opportunity to see two of the original Gutenberg Bibles.
October 30, 2020
Can’t-miss German day trips A-Z: Mainz
Photo by Rudy Balasko / Shutterstock.com
Mainz: Four more winning ideas Downtown Mainz is packed with good stuff to do. Here are four ideas to help make your day trip a great one. Alstadt walking tour. You can soak in a ton of beauty in less than an hour in old Mainz. Start at the Marktplatz and wind toward the beautiful half-timbered Kirschgarten neighborhood. Then make your way to Schillerplatz. Enjoy everything you see, rain or shine.
See the Cathedral and Chagall’s windows. Mainz’s Altstadt also contains two phenomenal churches. Even on a continent filled with great churches, these two dazzle. Massive and more than a thousand years old, the Mainz Cathedral is worth a quick, jawdropping, visit. And St. Stephen’s Church has a series of Chagalldesigned stained glass windows. They’re beautiful. Check them out if you can.
Stay outside. Mainz has two great parks (Stadtpark and Volkspark) near the river and a cool little botanical garden at the university. See an ancient Roman shrine to an Egyptian god in a German shopping mall. Visit the Isis and Mater Magna sanctuary, a two-millennia-old set of ruins discovered 20 years ago during construction of a shopping mall.
Getting there By car, Mainz is an hour from Kaiserslautern, a short 20 minutes from Wiesbaden and 2.5 hours north of Stuttgart. Visit the Deutsche Bahn website for train information. For U.S. government employees, including service members, remember to always follow command regulations, which may be different than host nation policies, when it comes to travel.
COMMUNITY EVENTS Photo by Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com
»» Due to recently-announced host nation regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, some community events may be cancelled or postponed. Please verify the status before making plans to attend a community event. »» NAF Sale: Get ready for some
awesome deals and fill the gaps in your home office, children’s rooms, home gym or living areas. NAF Sales are a deal finder’s paradise with prices you can’t beat on all the things you need including outdoor sports equipment, lawn equipment and even a car! Oct. 30 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Family and MWR Distribution Center in Kaiserslautern, Mannheimer Str. 2425, 67657 Kaiserslautern, right outside the gate of Daenner Kaserne. Street parking only. Purchased items must be picked up by 4 p.m., which is when the event ends. Delivery service will be available at a cost. For more information contact kaiserslautern. armymwr.com or the RheinlandPfalz MWR Facebook page. »» Halloween Night Golf Scramble:
Celebrate Halloween early with Rolling Hills Golf Course by playing a round of night golf Oct. 30! Glow-inthe-dark golf balls will be provided
for you to play a new par three course where the tees will be moved about 130 meters from the greens. The fairways will be lit with glow sticks to show you the way and add to the glowing good time! The party will begin just before dark so grab some friends or meet some new ones and start off Halloween festivities with a bang! For more information, contact Rolling Hills Golf Course, Wetzel Kaserne, Bldg. 8888, 531-3408, 0611-143-531-3408. »» Family Art Time: Have fun creating and connecting with your family the first Saturday of the month beginning Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. at the Arts & Crafts Center. Each month will feature a different art or craft activity and will cost $7 for each adult, $5 per child which is due upon registration within two days of class date. For more information and to register, contact the Arts & Crafts Center, Smith Bks., Bldg. 8104, 531-2895, 0611-143-531-2895. »» Thanksgiving Lunch: Join us in celebrating this day of thanks on Nov. 26 from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Bring your family to enjoy all of the classics and favorites from home, without the mess and fuss. All ID cardholders and
their guests are invited. Dining will be in two block times (11 a.m.-1p.m. & 1:30-3:30 p.m.) and will be chosen at time of purchase. Advance tickets are required and can be purchased at the Armstrong’s Club and on Webtrac before Nov. 24. $24.95 for ages 13 and up, $12.95 for ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are free. For more information, contact Armstrong’s Club, Vogelweh Housing, Bldg. 1036; 0631-350-7919. »» Rheinlander Event Kitchen Rental:
The freshly renovated professional kitchen is available for rent for personal unofficial functions ThuSat at the Rheinlander Convention Center. Struggling to tackle a major meal with all the trimmings in your German kitchen, don’t sweat it! Make use of all the space and modern amenities the kitchen has to offer at $99 per day (7 hours including cleanup time, $19 for each additional hour. $200 refundable deposit. For more information, contact the Rheinlander Convention Center, Smith Bks., Bldg. 8085, 531-2887, 0611-143-531-2887 »» Disaster! A 70’s Disaster Movie Musical: Be ready to rock n’ roll while
channeling your inner diva as you
follow a group of New Yorkers onto a floating casino that is struck by multiple disasters. Based on disaster movies and music of the 1970s, get ready to laugh and hang onto your life preservers in this hilarious musical comedy. Performances will be held at the KMC Onstage Theater on Kleber Kaserne (Bldg. 3232) Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 1, 6-8. Friday and Saturday shows at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. To purchase tickets or more information, contact the KMC Onstage Theater, Kleber Kaserne, Bldg. 3232, 483-6626, 0631-411-6626. »» Rocky Horror Shadow Show: “I would like, if you may, to take you on a strange journey.” For three days only, let KMC Onstage take you on the strangest journey of the year! As always costumes are HIGHLY encouraged and prop bags will also be provided. Doors to the pre-show open at 10 p.m., with the pre-show kicking off at 11 p.m. and the main show starting at midnight this weekend, today and tomorrow at the KMC Onstage Theater on Kleber Kaserne, Bldg. 3232. If you purchase a Disaster! ticket, receive $5 off your Rocky Horror ticket! Tickets can be
purchased at KMC Onstage Theater on Kleber Kaserne or any Java Café. For more information contact KMC Onstage, Kleber Kaserne, BLDG 3232, 483-6626; 0631-411-6626. »» Halftime Sports Bar now offering dinein: The Halftime Sports Bar is open
again! Service is take-out or dine-in, Mon-Thu, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m., Fri, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. and 4-10 p.m., Sat, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m., closed on Sundays. Enjoy great burgers, Reubens and classic bar food. The menu can be found at Kaiserslautern. armymwr.com/programs/landstuhlcommunity-club. Call in your order ahead of time, or stop by. 486-6107 or 06371-86-6107. »» Sew Can You: Learn to sew at the Baumholder Arts & Crafts Center with classes that are easy and fun the second Saturday of the month from 1-3 p.m.! Create eco-friendly reusable household items that can be made with your favorite fabric and personal touch. Everything you need can be purchased at the Arts & Crafts Center. Cost is $10 and advance registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, contact the Arts & Crafts Center, Smith Bks., Bldg. 8104, 531-2895, 0611-143-531-2895.
