Sunday, June 28, 2015

Off the beaten path in Germany: Kaiserslautern’s Japanese Garden

If you are within driving distance of Kaiserslautern, I highly recommend the Japanese Garden. I have not been compensated in any way for this “promotion” of a peaceful oasis in a bustling city. If you like gardens at all, this place is worth a couple of hours of your time.
The entry fee of 5.50 Euro  per person may be offset if you have a coupon book (“Gutscheinbuch") for the greater K-town area. We got ours at a USO, and one of the coupons is a buy-one-get-one-free admission to the Japanese Garden. The website for the garden provides a map showing a free weekend/holiday parking lot directly across from their entrance gate. Please note that as of mid-May 2015, some minor construction work  on the building adjacent to the parking lot has resulted in a NARROW access ramp to the parking lot. I am not sure if a large vehicle could make the turn from the narrow street without a scrape.
Built on a hill, the gardens are comprised of well-kept paths, stairs, bridges, ponds, waterfalls, and brooks. Fish food is for sale at the admissions building and at the snack bar, so the large koi approach visitors with curiosity!
The flowers, trees, and shrubs are beautiful. Benches are placed throughout, and tables with benches are provided at the snack bar. Two delicious pieces of cake and two outstanding teas were 8 Euro. No coupon that I know of for those items, but it was worth it.
Since I was with friends, I didn’t bring a book or journal to write in, but I wouldn’t hesitate to visit again and spend some time relaxing alone. The garden is near the pedestrian shopping area, and you can see the new K-town mall from the front gate of the garden. We couldn’t hear the traffic passing by when we were in the garden. I hope that you can find a few moments of tranquility there.

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