Bitburg Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Bitburg Overview
Bitburg is a city in Germany, capital of the district Bitburg-Prüm, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is situated approx. 25 km (16 mi.) north-west of Trier (Trier vacation rentals | Trier travel guide), and 50 km (31 mi.) north-east of Luxembourg (city). Two American airbases, Bitburg Air Base and Spangdahlem (Spangdahlem vacation rentals | Spangdahlem travel guide) Air Base, are located nearby.
Today Bitburg is a city in the Eifel, near Trier. Bitburg's Mayor, Dr. Joachim Streit, while not a party member, is ideologically aligned with the Social Democratic Party. Bitburg has circa 14,112 citizens. The biggest company is the Bitburger Brauerei, one of the largest beer manufacturers in the world. Bitburger Bier is a major sponsor of the German soccer team. Bitburg hosts the annual European Festival of Folklore.
Where to stay in Bitburg?
Check out our selection of hand-selected and quality Bitburg vacation rentals and holiday apartments.
Things to See in Bitburg
Majorettengruppen, one of the biggest folk festivals in Germany
Heimatmuseum
Kulturzentrum Haus Beda
Fritz-von-Wille-Museum
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Bitburg
Bitburg station is part of the Eifel line (KBS 474). Trains which pass through include he Eifel Mosel express (RH 12) - Cologne, Euskirchen, Gerolstein, Trier or the Eifel line (RB 83) - Gerolstein, Trier. The Nims Sauertalbahn branch accesses Bitburg (city), which originally crossed the Irrel. The trackage was shut down in several sections, with the last section to Wolsfeld shut from 1997. The remaining six kilometres were removed in 2006, and re-designed to a large extent to a cycle track.
Travel Insider Tips for Bitburg
My great-great-great-great grandmother was born at Rötteln Castle located above the Lörrach suburb of Haagen. My first trip to Germany this this past Oct 17-Nov 1st. I was able to visit the ruin where she was born. Please note, she was not born of royalty, but the daughter of the gatekeeper. While in Germany, we visited Trier, Cochem, Manderscheid and Bitburg. My sister lives near Bitburg, as her husband is in the U.S.A.F. Oh...We went to Paris, Basel - Switzerland and Luxemburg too...I cannot wait to return in March!
Shared by Gayle Kramer Dolinger, Nov 2010
When i first got to Germany in Bitburg the beer was warm, snapcap bottles of Bitburger Pils. We found a brook and put then in by the case.
Shared by Richard R Bruneau Sr., Jul 2010
I remember a large tent structure not far from Bitburg on Oktober fest, drinking beer and dancing. Great umpa music, ein,swie,sufa, but i didn't remember going back to Bitburg, what memories.
Shared by Richard R Bruneau Sr., Jul 2010
We had some pretty good times in the Bitburg- Spangdahlem area. Big tents, big Stiens for good beer and big boobs on the barmaids.
Shared by Richard R Bruneau Sr., Feb 2011
I would love to experience Christmas in Germany! On my trip there last year we visited a couple of little Christmas shops, one in Bitburg and one in Heidelberg. So cute!!
Shared by Maya Medina, Oct 2010
i don't drink beer but when i was living in Germany they always served Bitburger Pils in Bitburg.
Shared by Josie Cruz Patton, Aug 2010
You have to go and see Bitburg. The remains of the US Airbase, the famous Bitburg Brauhaus and part of roma Walls.. I lived there 5 years when the base was still operating. It is not far to Trier , supposed to be germany s oldest city with roman influence.
Shared by Margit Kühn, Jul 2010
My husband was stationed at Spangdahlem for three years - loved the area! Wish we could go back.....
Shared by Janet Harris Muscher, Oct 2009
I remember Fasching in Bitburg in 1960 and 1961, lots of fun but i was in the military and could have enjoyed it more if i wasn't.
Shared by Richard R Bruneau Sr., Feb 2011
jedes mal hab ich warmes bitburger gedrunken von dem gasthaus. lles gutes. das its the bestes bier..ole
Shared by Walpurga Susanne Hebert, Jul 2010
Bitberg festival
[ source: Flickr]
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Bitburg. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Bitburg: Bitburg (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Bitburg
More about the History of Bitburg
Bitburg originated approximately 2000 years ago as a stopover for traffic from Lyon, through Metz and Trier (Trier vacation rentals | Trier travel guide) to Cologne (Cologne vacation rentals | Cologne travel guide). The first mentioned name was “Vicus Beda”. Emperor Constantine I expanded the settlement to a road castle around 330, the central part of which forms the town centre to the present day. Bitburg is first documented only after the end of the Roman Empire around 715 as “castrum bedense”. It subsequently became part of Franconia.
Like the remaining parts of Eifel, Bitburg was very poor. Economic ascent began again with the seizure of power of Adolf Hitler and the measures for the creation of infrastructure that was important for war, particularly the West Barrier, new armed forces barracks and with the development of the Kylltal railway. It is said that the building used as the post office at Bitburg Annex (what is left of Bitburg Air Base) was the headquarters building for Hitler when he was in the city.
On 24 December 1944, Bitburg was 85% destroyed by air raids, and later officially designated by the Americans as a “dead city”. Subsequently, Luxembourg soldiers occupied the city, replaced by the French from 1955. In 1965 a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base was opened under American leadership. At the end of the 1980s, the French withdrew their last troops and NATO took over the former French barracks. After the First Gulf War large parts of the USAF 53rd were moved into the larger Spangdahlem (Spangdahlem vacation rentals | Spangdahlem travel guide) base. In 1994, NATO finally quit most of Bitburg for the airport.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Bitburg Travel Guide special...
This Bitburg travel guide provides you with an overview of Bitburg, Bitburg pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Bitburg destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
