Kaiserslautern isn't the shortest city name on earth. Probably not the longest, but not quite as abrupt as Bury. Or Cork.

That's why the 50,000 Americans in the town and area have opted for something simpler. K-Town.

K-Town may not have too many claims to fame but 60 years after the end of the war, it is still home to 50,000 servicemen and women from the USA - the highest concentration outside the States, or so somebody in one of the bars told me.

Despite the large US presence K-Town is very much German, although perhaps as a result english is pretty widely spoken.

I wasn't setting my hopes too high on going there. After all, a leaflet detailing five of the town's highlights included one being the 1970s Town Hall with 25 storeys, and another the football stadium. For tourists, Paris it is not.

Welcome to K-Town: The town hall in the distance.

And true, there's not lots to see. However, it's a lively town - particularly for a Friday night match as I can testify - and it's certainly worth a one-night stopover for that reason alone.

The chances are you'll arrive at the Hauptbahnhof (main station). Virtually all the town (except the stadium) is to the north of that, ie in front of you as you wander out of the main entrance.

The shops, bars and restaurants are largely centred on the pedestrianised area of town, around ten minutes walk away from the station. It's the oldest part of town, pleasant enough but no Prague. You can take your pick of beer halls and cafes and apparently there's an irish bar too although I didn't make it there.

The gateway to this part of the old city is St Martin's Square, or Martinsplatz, a chilled out and shady square surrounded by cafes.

Chill out: The middle of the town.

Slightly further north of this is the aforementioned Town Hall (Rathaus), tall and blocky, shooting up into the skyline. If you're so include take the lift to the 23rd floor for a panoramic view over a coffee or beer.

Next door you'll find the Imperial Palace, first began in 1152, and the Casimir Building,

A little further north again and you'll stumble across the Japanese Garden, opened in 2000 and a little corner of the city devoted to the gardens and atmoosphere of the Far East.

If you're looking for somewhere to stay - and want somewhere completely different - i'd definitely recommend checking out the Alcatraz Hotel next to the garden - also known as the first German prison hotel.

Yep, they've converted an old clink into a luxury place to stay. But they've kept the old character of the place so yes, you can opt to sleep in one of the cells - pictured here.

Norman Stanley Fletcher... : My room in the Prison Hotel

I checked one out and it's well worth it. Each one has a toilet (no slopping out) and flat screen TV, with showers at the end of the corridor.

It's beautifully decked out in modern style throughout, with a top breakfast to boot and it won't break the bank, with singles from 49 euros and doubles from 69 euros It even has a bar. Behind bars.