The Palatinate Forest south of Kaiserslautern rewards a day's exploration. The sandstone rock formations around Dahn (40 minutes south) are spectacular — towers of red sandstone rising through the trees, with marked walking routes between the major formations. The area merges into the French Vosges, and crossing the border into Alsace takes under an hour.
The Deutsche Weinstrasse runs along the eastern edge of the forest: Bad Dürkheim (with Europe's largest wine barrel, the Riesenfass), Deidesheim, and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse are all pleasant day destinations with excellent Riesling and Dornfelder. The ruins of Trifels Castle, south of Annweiler, are historically significant — Richard the Lionheart was held here as a prisoner in 1193 — and dramatically situated on a rocky promontory.