Every design for Kaiserslautern

On the north-western edge of the Palatinate Forest, Kaiserslautern fills a basin ringed by wooded hills, with the small river Lauter that once made its medieval core an island.

For people from here, the city stirs a fierce, warm loyalty. Its name goes back to Frederick Barbarossa, whose favourite hunting retreat it was, and the ruins of his castle can still be seen in front of the city hall, which is why it is called the Barbarossa city. A legend tells of a huge pike caught in the Kaiserwoog lake wearing an emperor's ring, and the fish ended up on the coat of arms. Later the town became a hub of textiles, metal and engineering, and today it is a university city whose football club is known far beyond the region, while a large American military community lives in and around it. Locals call the place simply Lautre.

Drive in past the forested hills, see the Humbergturm on its summit, and you are home.