Situated along the Rhine River in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Vallendar is centrally located between Frankfurt and Cologne. Vallendar is home to several elderly people and college students with a total population of approximately 8,500 inhabitants. Unlike college towns in the USA, Vallendar is a historic town, or village, that strongly holds onto their heritage and traditions. Vallendar has unique shops along the windy and hilly streets. Shops like a watch repair shop, shoe shop, and a linen shop can be found in the town. There are also several bakeries, cafes, and restaurants. Most of these shops typically only accept Euros and speak German, or very little English. This makes it very difficult to communicate; however, pointing always works. It is German law that a resting period takes place during 1pm-3pm. Shopping during this time period is very difficult since most stores and shops close down. Some places reopen and some stay closed until the next morning at 8am.