Road Birkenfeld has good road links to Bundesstraßen 41 (east-west, between Mainz and Saarbrücken) and 269 (between Bernkastel-Kues and Saarlouis), as well as to Autobahn A 62, which is the most important north–south link, running between Trier and Kaiserslautern. Furthermore, Bundesstraße 269 links to the Hunsrückhöhenstraße, and thereby to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, which lies 50 km away by road. This journey is covered five times each day by a bus service. Rail Birkenfeld's rail link is 5 km away in nearby Neubrücke, which has a station on the Nahe Valley Railway (Bingen–Saarbrücken). Saarbrücken can be reached by train in 45 minutes, and Frankfurt in less than two hours. The former spur line leading to Birkenfeld has been abandoned, and is now a cycle path. Hiking trails Running outwards from Birkenfeld are five local loop trails for hiking with a total length through the region of more than 60 km. These are the Glockenweg (roughly 16 km), the Eulenweg (roughly 9 km), the Mausweg (roughly 12.5 km), the Mühlenweg (roughly 12.5 km) and the Rehweg (roughly 12.5 km). The long-distance Nahe-Höhenweg and the Sironaweg, which leads by many Celtic-Roman archaeological finds, likewise run by Birkenfeld. Cycle paths The roughly 120 km-long Nahe-Radweg and the Rheinland-Pfalz-Route run right through the middle of town. They are supplemented by three local cycling circuits, R1, R2 and R3, with a total length of just under 80 km. Public institutions Education Since 1996, a vocational school has been established on the grounds of a former US military hospital in the neighbouring municipality of Hoppstädten-Weiersbach. The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld (Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld) has, as a branch of the Trier University of Applied Sciences, made a significant contribution to the Birkenfeld region's economic development. For school-age children there is a broad array of offerings. Primary school Realschule plus Gymnasium Birkenfeld Förderschule Schwerpunkt Lernen (special school with focus on learning) Enjoying more than local importance is the Elisabeth-Stiftung medical rehabilitation foundation, with its specific offers of qualifications to people with either physical or mental handicaps. Alumni come from all over Germany and even from neighbouring countries. Among other academic offerings is the Volkshochschule Birkenfeld, a folk high school. Authorities Birkenfeld is the location of a number of authorities: District administration Verbandsgemeinde administration Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal employment agency) Land surveying office Police department Forester's office Sport and leisure Birkenfeld has, among other sport and leisure facilities, a heated outdoor swimming pool,