Time Difference Between Ramstein, Germany & California

Ramstein is located within the German state of Rhineland-Pfalz. The city is a part of Kaiserslautern county and it adheres to the Central European Time Zone. In the month of March, the clock moves ahead one hour due to daylight-saving time. California is in the western United States and falls within the Pacific Time Zone. Like Ramstein, California's clock also moves ahead one hour during the early summer months.

Time Difference

• Ramstein's Central European Time Zone is nine hours ahead of California's Pacific Time Zone. So when it is 5 p.m. in Ramstein, it is 8 a.m. in California. When it is 2:35 a.m. in Ramstein, it is 5:35 p.m. in California. The time of hour will always vary, but the minutes will not.

Coordinated Universal Time

• The world's clocks are regulated by a time standard known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Currently, the UTC is officially held at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. This time standard is also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). All of the world's time zones are regulated in terms of positive (+) or negative (-) hourly offsets from the UTC. Ramstein's Central European Time Zone is listed as UTC+01:00 when daylight-saving time is not in effect. This means that the time in Ramstein, Germany, is always one hour ahead of the time in Greenwich, London. During daylight-saving time, the Ramstein clock moves ahead an hour, changing from UTC+01:00 to UTC+02:00. California's Pacific Time Zone is listed as UTC-08:00 when daylight-saving time is not in effect. Therefore, California is always eight hours behind Greenwich. When daylight-saving time is in effect in California, the Pacific Time Zone moves to UTC-07:00.

Time and Dates

• Due to the nine hour time difference in Ramstein and California, dates can vary. The difference allows for it to be a Tuesday morning in Ramstein when it is still Monday night in California. When it is 4 a.m. on June 25 in Ramstein, for example, it is only 7 p.m. on June 24 in California.

Daylight Saving

• Ramstein's Central European Time Zone skips an hour ahead during daylight-saving time. Since 1996, this change typically occurs on the last Sunday in March. Central European Time becomes known as Central European Summer Time. The time switches back in Ramstein on the last Sunday in October. Since 2007, daylight-saving time comes in California on the second Sunday in March. Pacific Standard Time becomes Pacific Daylight Time, and the clocks move forward an hour. Daylight-saving time ends in California on the first Sunday in November.

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Things to Do in Ramstein

Ramstein is a town in Germany located on the western side of the country, just southwest of Frankfurt. The city is home to an United States Air Force base, Ramstein Air Base, making a large percentage of the population military staff and their families. No matter if you are military or simply on vacation, you can find plenty of things to do in Ramstein that cater to a variety of interests.

Visit City Museum

• The City Museum (no website; Miesenbacher Street 1, Ramstein-Miesenbach; 011-49-06371-838186) is located right in the center of Ramstein. There, you can spend the day learning the city's history, exploring the old country store located within walking distance of the museum and exploring any number of the visiting exhibits that the museum features. A variety of lectures, presentations and concerts are also offered throughout the year. You can visit the museum Tuesday through Sunday between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Relax at Azur Water World

• For a little recreation during your stay in Ramstein, consider visiting the Azur Water World (freizeitbad-azur.de) for hours of aquatic fun for the entire family. The facility has a huge community swimming pool and a paddling pool for younger children. Additionally, a hot tub and a sauna is available for those who want a spa experience. The facility also has a waterfall and a water slide. Hours of operation are 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and holidays.

Golf at Woodlawn Golf Course

• For more outdoor recreation during your stay in Ramstein, check out the Woodlawn Golf Course (woodlawngolf.com). During the on-season, the Woodlawn Golf Course offers activities for all ages, such as a kids day each Sunday when admission is free with an adult. The course also features Ladies' Day each Wednesday, and frequently offers days exclusively dedicated to Active Duty only. If you are not interested in doing any golfing yourself, consider attending one of the golf tournaments that Woodlawn Golf Course hosts.

Go to Haus des Burgers

• Visiting a conference center might seem odd or boring if you do not have a meeting to attend, but not in Ramstein. The Haus des Burgers (hausdesbuergers.de) offers more than just accommodations for meetings and banquet facilities. It also features the local library, an Italian restaurant and even a bowling alley. Additionally, various events and festivals are held throughout the year, such as an International Brass and Drum Festival in July, and Oktoberfest.

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Places to See in Ramstein, Germany

Ramstein Air Base is the headquarters of the United States Air Force in Europe and as such, is home to the largest U.S. community outside of the United States, with a population of more than 50,000. Set in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz in the southwest corner of Germany, it is surrounded by the country’s main wine-growing region. The city of Ramstein-Miesenbach, originally formed by the merger of two farming villages, is outside the base’s west gate.

Old City Hall

• This beautiful baroque building, the oldest in Ramstein, has gone through many incarnations from brewery to pub, then city hall. Now it is home to the Museum im Westrich, which has a permanent collection of exhibits offering insight into local culture, folklore and art. It also is home to the Center for Documentation and Exhibition, which charts the city’s history and relationship with the American community since it arrived shortly after World War II when the base was built in 1951.

Market

• Shop with the locals at the Saturday market in the main square in Ramstein, where stalls are brimming with an array of fresh produce, plants and flowers. Sculptor Professor Gernot Rumpf designed the fountain in the middle, which was themed on the city’s history. Or visit Miesenbach’s market square where the “Goose Anna” fountain, sculpted by Otto Kallenbach, commemorates a local farmer’s girl.

Palatinate Forest

• Go hiking or bicycling across the Palatinate Forest Nature Park, which starts on the edge of the city, and has a comprehensive network of trails. Follow the route taken by medieval Christian pilgrims, heading to the northwest Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela to the tomb of Saint James. St. James’ Way is marked by stones engraved with the saint’s scallop shell emblem.

Leisure

• Take a dip in Azur Water Park next to the Empire Stadium. The center has an indoor pool with a large 140-foot slide, water cannons and waterfall showers. Children can enjoy the lighthouse mini-slide and fountains while their parents can sink into the hot tub or sauna. In summer, an Olympic-size pool opens outside, complete with diving towers, a giant slide and water basketball nets. Or head to the Haus des Burgers community center to visit the bowling alley.

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