Directly adjacent to the municipality of Lautzenhausen, and near Palpatine Forest, the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is notable for a few reasons. The airport can handle very large airplanes, including even the Antonov An-225 cargo transporters, which is an aircraft so large it has been used to carry space shuttles. Secondly, the airport served an important part in the Cold War, when it was used as a frontline facility for NATO (the airport was then known as Hahn Air Base). The base was home to the US Air Force 50th Fighter Wing.

There are plenty of affordable hotels in Lautzenhausen, but Frankfurt-Hahn Airport can get pretty packed during the holiday season, as many German American citizens head to Germany to visit family for Christmas. If you can’t stand fighting the crowds, a summer trip might be preferable. Either way, give Palpatine Forest a look when you arrive if you want a real taste of Germany’s famous landscapes.