Location
Living in Dudeldorf
Dudeldorf is acclaimed to be the most beautiful and picturesque village in the Spangdahlem area. Located only 3.3 miles from the bases Main Gate is takes less than five minutes to commute from work to home. The town is on the DoD School bus route. The population is c. 1100 inhabitants + c. 300 U.S. military members. The village divides into the new residential area and the historical district where the Wool Weaver House is located and which is marked by the upper and lower medieval town gates.
The skyline is dominated by the Castle and the steeple of Saint Mary Queen Catholic Church. The Church bell marks the rhythm of life as it has been doing for centuries: wake-up call at 7 a.m., lunch at 12, and “Feierabend” (leisure time) at 6.30 pm. The village conserves an ensemble of restored houses, which makes it attractive not only for locals but also for people form other parts of Germany and a growing community of residents from other European countries.
On weekends mainly German and Dutch tourists visit the historical district on hike or bike tours in the area. The main event is the traditional Christmas Market where many home owners open their barns and houses to install stalls with traditional handicraft and Christmas items.
Dudeldorf counts with a bakery (right across the street from the Wool Weaver House), a butcher, two bank offices, a barber, a hairdresser, a car repair shop, a small grocery store, four restaurants (German traditional, French international, Italian, Thai) and a hotel. There is a kindergarten and elementary school.
Village life is pretty laid back. As there are few houses with gardens, a lot of locals, especially in summer, use the street in front of their houses for a barbecue or just to sit on their benches set up next to the door step to have a chat with whoever happens to pass by. It’s not unusual to see fathers playing soccer with their sons on the street while road traffic stands by until junior marks his goal. In summer there is almost a Mediterranean, Southern European feel about the village.
Dudeldorf is a safe. THE criminal offense of the year 2012, which even made it into the local paper, was the theft of diesel from a truck parked in the village’s business park over the weekend.
The area has a lot to offer: If you are a nature lover you have the Eifel National Park just a couple of miles away. The river Kyll valley attracts hikers from near and far. For children there is a nearby amusement park at Gondorf.
The nearest off-base shopping facilities are located in Bitburg, the county capital, with the famous beer factory (5 mile drive). The city of Trier, one of Germany’s principal tourist magnets, is just a 30 minute drive away. If you need the big city feeling you might want to go Cologne (87 mi.) in less than two hours over the German Autobahn. Cologne is THE capital of Western Germany with a population of c. 1.000.000 inhabitants. Luxemburg City is another interesting destination (38 mi.). Weekend trips to Paris or Amsterdam may be another good idea. And low cost flight operator “Ryanair” takes you from the Hahn Airport (48 mi.) to almost any destination in Europe: Rome, Beaches of Spain, Berlin, Norwegian Fjords, Prague, London- wherever you like.
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