Trains to Kaiserslautern Hbf

Kaiserslautern train station

Built in 1848, extended in 1950, and modernised in 2003, Kaiserslautern train station has several shops and points of service, as well as step-free access to its 13 platforms. Trains from Berlin take 5h35mins on the high-speed, intercity ICE service, with 30 trains running daily. Munich is 3h50mins away, or Frankfurt and Stuttgart are around 90 minutes away. Regional trains connect this city too, and Mannheim is just 45 minutes away. Kaiserslautern’s location, close to the French border, makes the journey time from Paris just 2h28mins, with several ICE and TGV trains daily. Other international routes run from London, Vienna and Prague, for example. Lines from Saarbrücken to Dresden and Salzburg also pass through Kaiserslautern. The station is right next to the city’s busy bus station, making it part of a multimodal travel hub. From the forecourt, buses run to the University of Kaiserslautern and the city centre. Seven lines connect the city’s urban areas with Kaiserslautern’s central station.

Main attractions near Kaiserslautern train station

Known as ‘K-Town’ for its historical and current importance as a military base, this city on the edge of the Palatine Forest dates back to the 9th century. Now a hub for technical development, it’s home to universities of research, technology and communications. Heading from the station, visitors can be at the beautiful St.-Martins-Platz — the historical, cultural and gastronomic heart of the city — within a leisurely 15-minute walk. This route passes the 13th-century Stiftskirche (Collegiate Church), considered one of the most important late-Gothic churches in south-western Germany. Close to the church is Spinnrädl, a timber-frame building dating back to 1742 and the last one of its kind in the city.

St.-Martins-Platz is surrounded by handsome 18th-century and 19th-century houses, including one that accommodated Victor Hugo, Napoleon and King Ludwig I. Old plane trees shade the central fountain and pavement cafes, as well as the medieval church, originally a 14th-century Franciscan monastery, which dominates the square. The serene location, its surrounding streets and smaller squares offer a wide selection of traditional and contemporary cuisine options.

Continuing north on foot, past the modern Pfalztheater, and still under a 30-minute stroll from the station, the largest Japanese gardens in Europe beckon exploration. This exotic paradise is a unique place for some respite surrounded by nature. On Museumsplatz, to the east of the gardens, is the grand neo-Renaissance facade of the Pfalzgalerie. Visitors can venture inside to admire classical art and sculpture before heading back to Kaiserslautern train station.