The town of Pirmasens stands in western Germany just three miles from the border with France. Zweibrücken Airport is eight miles to the west. This gently rolling hilly area is known as Südwestpfalz and, if you have a rental car, it's easy to drive to all the main points of interest. The highlights include the Palatinate Forest, which covers a wide area stretching over the border into northeast France. Look out too for the impressive castles at Drachenfels, Altdahn and Berwartstein. Meanwhile, over the border are the romantic ruins of the French Château de Hohenbourg and Château du Petit-Arnsberg.
Visitors who hire a car in Pirmasens can fully explore all the attractions of the town and its immediate surroundings. The Pirmasens highlights include a museum dedicated to the renowned 400-mile-long German defensive fortifications of the Siegfried Line or 'Westwall'. This museum is housed in a spectacular former underground section of the Line. The Dynamikum Museum meanwhile is bang up to date, with interactive displays about science. The grand brick town hall overlooks a leafy central square at the heart of the community. Other local attractions to look out for are the Bürkel painting gallery, a museum of shoes and a family-friendly chocolate factory.