How many times I have been to Landstuhl already? I had a walk with a friend in this town once but we always passed this place when we visit everytime good friends in Ramstein, Miesenbach which is around thirty minutes drive from the city of Kaiserslautern. The photo first photo I got on the left side is the small chapel of the cemetery which is located at the back. The second photo is the Church in Landstuhl. Sad to say, we were not able to go inside because it was closed that time. Hopefully next time again. To give you more info of this municipality, please continue reading below.

Landstuhl is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the north-western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km west of Kaiserslautern.

It is perhaps best known in the United States of America because of the U.S. Army's medical installation. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) post, is often the first stop for American casualties leaving the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ramstein Air Force Base is also located nearby.

The earliest traces of human settlement in Landstuhl are from 500 B.C. From the Celtic period is the “Heidenfels” (i.e heathen rock), which was a holy site even into Roman times. From the Roman period is a settlement from the 1st Century A.D.

In the 15th Century, the von Sickingen noble family assumed responsibility for Landstuhl and the surrounding area. The most famous member of this family was Franz von Sickingen. Franz von Sickingen built his castle in Landstuhl – Burg Nanstein (the most visible landmark in Landstuhl and the surrounding area) - into a dominating fortress. From this base he moved to expand his domains by conquering other parts of southwestern Germany.

After several defeats, von Sickingen withdrew to his castle and was besieged by Richard Greiffenklau, Archbishop of Trier, and the Counts of the Rhine and Hesse. During the bombardment of Nanstein, Franz von Sickingen was killed. The castle was later expanded by von Sickingen’s descendants, but it was destroyed by the French in 1689.

Landstuhl is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Landstuhl.

Landstuhl is also known for being the birthplace of Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, former German basketball player Shawn Bradley and LeVar Burton, an actor best known as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation,Young Kunta Kinte/Toby in Roots, and the host of the PBS series Reading Rainbow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landstuhl