WELCOME T O O UR R E GI O N! H O S T N A T I O N C O U nc I L S PA N GDA H L E M E .V. 2 GERMAN-AMERICAN We would like to consider this wonderful German- American relationship as indispensable for both na- FRIENDSHIP – A STRONG tions. ALLIANCE And when Spangdahlem Air Base celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003 German political, economical and HOST NATION COUncIL – AN INITIATIVE social representatives took advantage of this opportu- FOR US CITIZENS IN THE REGION nity and realized a long cherished desire: Foundation of the Host Nation Council. In 1953 this region gained a very important institution: With this foundation, the Host Nation Council wanted Spangdahlem Air Base! to enhance the already existing strong support for all What an enormous new experience for the people in American neighbours, underline the importance of the the Eifel! local US Forces presence and stress the significant meaning of our friendship. We are striving for the Eifel Although, first rather cautious, people in the Eifel to become your ’Home away from Home‘. And last, soon developed a certain curiosity towards these but not least, the Council's foundation is to serve as a new neighbours coming from an entirely different sign of gratitude for over 50 years of liberty, freedom part of the world. Soon their culture, their customs and democracy, guaranteed by the US leadership and and courtesies were very much appreciated and had its service members. more and more a formative influence on the life of the Eifel citizens thus presenting a mutual enrichment for The Council's chairman and head of the Board is both nations, which again resulted in a unique and Jan Niewodniczanski with Michael Billen harmonious living together. (MdL), member of state Parliament and County Commissioner Dr. Joachim Streit, as deputies. Numerous friendships are being maintained ever since, and the local people cannot imagine a life without their American neighbours and all these close bonds and ties. .V. L E M E H GDA N PA S JJan Niewodniczanski I L Contact and further information: Host Nation Council Spangdahlem e.V. nc Brodenheckstr. 13 · 54364 Bitburg Phone: 06561-694246 e-mail: [email protected] C O U N H O S T N A T I O Foundation Ceremony 3 since July 2006 a subsidiary office is maintained on Spangdahlem Air Base in building 42. This service counter was established in a joint effort with the 52d Fighter Wing Commander to assist US service mem- bers having questions pertaining to off-base issues. Need off-base directions? Questions concerning Ger- man invoices? Shopping, events, etc.? Off-Base con- tacts? Please contact this counter which is manned by retired base employees on Wednesdays from 1000 - 1400 and Thursday from 1100 - 1400 hrs. Contact and further information: Phone: 06565-955606, eMail: [email protected] HNC chairman and board of the HNC with Air Force friends in Berlin 52 FW Commander Colonel Darryl L. Roberson and Official Opening of the Host Nation Council Information Desk in E.V. German Minister of Defence Franz-Josef Jung Building 42 L E M IMPRESS H Publisher Layout GDA Host Nation Council marktfaktor GmbH N Spangdahlem e.V. Am Markt 4 · 54634 Bitburg PA Brodenheckstraße 13 · 54634 Bitburg S Phone: 06561/946514 I L Phone: 0 65 61/69 42 46 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.marktfaktor.com nc Internet: www.hostnationcouncil.de Print Editorship C O U Metzen GmbH N Tourist-Information Hillstraße 15 -17 · 54529 Spangdahlem Bitburger Land · Römermauer 6 54634 Bitburg Phone: 06565/95950 Phone: 0 65 61/9 43 40 Image Sources e-mail: [email protected] ... complete list on page 27 Internet: www.eifel-direkt.de H O S T N A T I O 4 REGION TRIER MONSCHAU SATZVEY NATIONALPARK EIFEL NORTHRHINE- BAD MÜNSTEREIFEL AHR VALLEY KRONENURG WESTPALE 13 NÜRBURGRING 24 JÜNKERATH BELGIUM HILLESHEIM 66 KELBERG PELM 25 GEROLSTEIN 26 KOBLENZ PRÜM 18 DAUN BURG ELTZ DAUN WEISSENSEIFEN 7 36 20 41 MÜRLENBACH COCHEM 47 54 LÜNEBACH 48 2 MANDERMANDER-- ARZFELD BETTENFELD SCHEID BAD BERTRICH DALEIDEN 17 6 MALBERG FLIESSEM 16 14 BITBURG-PRÜM 35 KYLLBURG 9 23 NEUERBURG 28 31 52 SPANG-SPANG- 37 DAHLEM 53 1 AIRBASE 38 54 39 Binsfeld 5 WITTLICH KRÖV 29 GONDORF 33 45 BITBURG 15 AIRPORT 43 HAHN 40 53 MACHERN 46 55 BITBURG TRABEN- FLUGPLATZ SPEICHER TRARBACH HÜTTINGEN 57 30 4 BERNKASTEL- 58 KUES Mosel 8 NAURATH 50 ERNZEN 22 3 12 NEUMAGEN- IRREL FÖHREN DHRON BOLLENDORF KORDEL AIRPORT BERNKASTEL- 19 21 SCHWEICH WITTLICH 54 MORBACH 42 FELL RHINELAND- LUXEMBOURG THALFANG 34 PALATINATE .V. WALDRACH TRIER IGEL 56 10 KONZ TRIER- TAWERN 32 SAARBURG 44 L E M E 51 HERMESKEIL H LUXEMBOURG 49 AIRPORT MANNEBACH KELL AM SEE 11 SAARBURG GDA 27 N LUXEMBOURG PA S SAARLAND I L METTLACH/SAAR FRANCE nc Tourist Attractions in alphabetical order HISTORY, TOWNS & 10 Igel 21 Müller-Valley 32 Tawern 41 Daun Game Park 51 Open Air Museums NATURE 11 Kell am See 22 Neumagen-Drohn 33 Traben-Trarbach 42 Fell 52 Rittersdorf Castle C O U N 1 Bitburg 12 Kordel 23 Neuerburg 34 Trier 43 Gondorf: Eifelpark 2 Bettenfeld 13 Kronenburg 24 Nürburgring 35 Villa Otrang Fließem 44 Hermeskeil Air Museum SPORT & AcTION 3 Bollendorf 14 Kyllburg 25 Pelm 36 Weissenseifen 45 European Folklore 53 Go-Karting 4 Bernkastel-Kues 15 Machern 26 Prüm 37 Wittlich Festival 54 Golfing 5 Binsfeld 16 Malberg 27 Saarburg 46 Hüttingen 55 Ice-Skating 6 Daleiden 17 Manderscheid 28 Schloss Hamm FUN & CULTURE 47 Lünebach 56 Skiing 7 The Daun Maars 18 Mineral Water 29 Spangdahlem 38 Baustert Eschbachhof 48 Manderscheid 57 Tandem Jumping H O S T N A T I O 8 Ernzen 19 Morbach-Wederath 30 Speicher 39 Bitburger Brewery 49 Mannebach 58 Cascade Bitburg 9 Himmerod Abbey 20 Mürlenbach 31 Stausee Bitburg 40 Beda Market 50 Naurath Further information can be obtained at the subsidiary office at Spangdahlem Airbase, Bldg. 42. 5 HISTORY, TOWN & NATURE "tote Stadt", a dead city. Despite all of this, the citizens of Bitburg have ceaselessly proven their fortitude and gallantry and have continually managed to re-establish and restore their city. These reasons account for the BITBURG: THE BEER TOWN development of the modern Bitburg. IN THE EIFEL 1 "Haus Beda" is located at the "Beda" parking lot be- tween the County Community Bank and the "Volks- bank". It was founded in 1976 by Dr. Hanns Simon, who was a senior partner of the Bitburg Brewery. Haus Beda is Bitburg`s beautiful Cultural Center with a picture gallery of Fritz von Wille, a very famous Ger- man painter. Worthwhile visiting is the banqueting hall, © Stefan Bohl; www.bohl.de where concerts and other exclusive events take place. Also part of the "Beda Foundation" is a well assorted Bitburg’s beginnings were very humble. Nearly two library with over 50.000 pieces of literature. thousand years ago, a Heerstrasse (a Roman Military Road that went from Lyon, France, then to Metz, Trier on to Köln) came into being. On their way from Trier to Köln the Roman Army was able to march approxi- mately thirty kilometres in a day. As a result, Bitburg served as their first resting station and thus, became a small Roman fortress. As the Roman Empire expanded, Haus Beda – the house of culture the fortress flourished into a centre of handcrafts and trade. E .V. LEM H GDA N Part of Bitburgs "Oldtown" PA Bitburg has always had a military presence all through S its history. After WW II, the French and the Luxem- I L bourg had military control of the area. In 1955, Lux- embourg withdrew. After the arrival of the 53rd Fight- nc er-Bomber Squadron and the 36th Fighter-Bomber U Wing from Fürstenfeldbruck AB near Munich, Bitburg C O became an official American military installation in N The Bitburg City-Hall (Background: The Townhall) © Bildarchiv Stadt Bitburg September 1952. There was a time where the sum of NATO forces and their family members outnumbered Throughout its history, Bitburg has often been a ca- the local populace. In 1985, the French closed down sualty of war and suffered horrendously with the their garrison and handed their detachment to the most horrible event occurring on Christmas Eve in Americans providing them with very much needed 1944. Artillery shelling and bombing raids from the space. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and Base Re- Allies destroyed nearly 90% of the town. It was con- alignment and Closure Act, Bitburg was one of the H O S T N A T I O cluded in German military reports that Bitburg was a many military bases to be closed. 6 2 In September 1994, after 42 years, Bitburg Air Base BETTENFELD: closed its gates … and thus, the ending of an era. The sight of the former air base is still referred to by the MOSENBERGKOMPLEX locals as "Flugplatz". Windsborn Crater Lake is the only real crater lake north of the Alps. A quiet, circular lake surrounded by forest and overshadowed by the bizarre slag rings of Mosen- berg, it has been dominate for 24000 years. Take time to linger around one of the footbridges and take in the beauty of the area. Situated next to Windsborn is the swampy inaccessible Hinkelsmaar. A massive lava ex- plosion formed Mosenberg massif into the Kyll Valley. Horngraben (trenches) is particularly wild and rugged, covered with countless craggy basalt boulders. Information: Maarmuseum Manderscheid, Tel. 06572-920110, www.maarmuseum.de (Distance from Spangdahlem 20 km) BOLLENDORF: 3 M E .V.