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    Aachen

    Germany

    Aachen

    CityUNESCO

    Aachen is located in Germany's westernmost tip, bordering Belgium and the Netherlands. Around 800, Charlemagne had his Palatine Chapel built here, the core of today's Cathedral.

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    7. Cologne & Rhineland
    9. Aachen
    Aachen is located in Germany's westernmost tip, bordering Belgium and the Netherlands. Around 800, Charlemagne had his Palatine Chapel built here, the core of today's Cathedral. In 814, he was laid to rest there, and between 936 and 1531, 30 kings were crowned in the Octagon. In 1978, the Cathedral became Germany's first monument on the UNESCO World Heritage list.The city, with around 249,000 inhabitants, is compact: its Cathedral, Cathedral Treasury, Town Hall on Katschhof, and Elisenbrunnen are close by. Try Aachener Printen, a spicy pastry available in bakeries all year round. Cologne is about 50 minutes away by regional train.
    Aachen has around 249,000 inhabitants and is located in the tri-border region with Belgium and the Netherlands. Its focal point is the Cathedral (Dom), a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978: Charlemagne was buried here in 814, and between 936 and 1531, 30 kings were crowned. The Cathedral Treasury (Domschatzkammer) displays around 130 exhibits. Between the Cathedral, Town Hall (Rathaus), and Elisenbrunnen, the Old Town (Altstadt) is compactly situated, ideal for a walking tour. Be sure to try Aachener Printen, the city's traditional pastry.

    Sights in Aachen

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    City Hall Aachen
    Historic Landmark

    1City Hall Aachen

    The Gothic-Baroque Town Hall stands on Katschhof opposite the Cathedral. Inside are 19th-century frescoes and replicas of the Imperial Regalia.
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    Aachen's Dom
    Church

    2Aachen's Dom

    The Cathedral's core is the octagonal Octagon of the Palatine Chapel, built by Charlemagne around 800. He was laid to rest here in 814, his remains rest in Charlemagne's Shrine. Between 936 and 1531, 30 kings were crowned in the Cathedral. In 1978, it became Germany's first monument on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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    Elisenbrunnen
    Historic Landmark

    3Elisenbrunnen

    Neoclassical pavilion with two drinking fountains, from which sulfurous thermal water flows. It also houses the central Tourist Information.
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    Restaurants in Aachen

    1

    MARKT 43

    Restaurant right on Aachen Market, right in the Old Town.
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    2

    male'ma

    Turkish restaurant on Wirichsbongardstraße, a short walk from the Dom.
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    3

    AKL's Lebanese Restaurant

    Lebanese mezze, grilled dishes, shawarma and sandwiches in a simple, small eatery with counter service.
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    Culture in Aachen

    The Imperial City is closely linked with Charlemagne. He rests in the Cathedral since 814, and between 936 and 1531, 30 German kings were crowned here. The Cathedral Treasury holds around 130 exhibits. The Town Hall on the Market Square and the Elisenbrunnen round off the tour. Aachen is also an old spa town, whose thermal springs are up to 74°C hot. The Printen are a part of everyday culture.

    On the Go in Aachen

    Old Town attractions are walkable. Cologne is about 50 minutes by regional train. The Three-Country Point is accessed via Vaals, Netherlands.

    Accommodations in Aachen

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    Campgrounds in Aachen

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    Nearby

    Eupen

    Eupen

    Eupen, close to the German border about 15 kilometers south of Aachen, is the capital of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. Here you speak German, experience baroque townhouses from the time of the clothmakers, and are just minutes away from the edge of the High Fens.The city is divided into the Upper Town with its Market Square and St. Nikolaus, and the Lower Town along the Weser. Just outside the city gates are the Wesertalsperre and Hertogenwald, popular destinations for hiking and cycling.
    Monschau

    Monschau

    Monschau lies in the narrow valley of the Rur, nestled between the slopes of the Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel, close to the Belgian border. The medieval old town is traversed by the Rur and is characterized by half-timbered buildings and slate-clad houses, which today host cafés, restaurants, and artisan shops.The town grew prosperous from fine cloth production: it began here in the late 16th century, reaching its zenith in the 18th century under Johann Heinrich Scheibler. This story is told in the Rote Haus, now a museum showcasing bourgeois domestic culture. Above the town, Burg Monschau, dating from the early 13th century, now houses a youth hostel.
    Maastricht

    Maastricht

    Maastricht is the capital of the province of Limburg and is located in the far southeast of the Netherlands on both banks of the Maas, between Belgium and Germany. You come for the old town around the Vrijthof with its Romanesque churches, for the remains of the 13th-century city wall, and for the underground passages in the Sint Pietersberg.
    Eifel National Park

    Eifel National Park

    Eifel National Park was established on January 1, 2004, as North Rhine-Westphalia's first national park, covering approximately 10,770 hectares between Nideggen, Gemünd, the Belgian border, and the Rursee. It primarily protects woodrush-beech forests, alongside lakes, streams, and open grasslands. The Kermeter forest area, with its high proportion of beeches, and the Urfttalsperre form the heart of the park.Around 3,300 hectares previously belonged to the Vogelsang military training area, which has been publicly accessible since January 1, 2006. Today, Vogelsang IP houses the Eifel National Park Centre, from which you look out over the Urftsee. If you plan to be out for several days, take the 85-kilometer-long Wilderness Trail from Monschau-Höfen to Hürtgenwald-Zerkall in four daily stages.
    Spa

    Spa

    Spa in den Ardennen südöstlich von Lüttich ist der Kurort, der allen Heilbädern seinen Namen gegeben hat. Seit 2021 gehört die Stadt mit zehn weiteren Bädern zum UNESCO-Welterbe der „Great Spa Towns of Europe“.Eisenhaltige Quellen, die Pouhons, prägen den Ort bis heute, ebenso Parkanlagen, Galerien und Villen aus dem 18. und 19. Jahrhundert. Wenige Kilometer südlich liegt die Rennstrecke Spa-Francorchamps, auf der die Formel 1 fährt.