Alt-Aachener-Kaffeestuben

The Alt Aachener Kaffeestuben (Old Aachen café house, Café Leo Van den Daele) is located in the centre of town at the Büchel. This café is the oldest of the Aachen cafés. It offers many Aachen specialities like Printen (sweet ginger bread), fruitflans etc. The café is designed in the original style (Aachen-Liège style of the 18th and 19th century) and contains a large collection of "moulds" for Printen manufacturing.

Fountains

Aachen is full of the most beautiful fountains. They symbolise the importance of water for Aachen as a spa town. There are so many fountains in the small area of the town centre that it is recommendable to take part in a fountain city tour and to get to know every fountain's and monument's own history. The fountains tell us about Aachen's rich history and its present time.

CHIO

The Chio is one of the biggest international equestrian events and takes place every year in the area of Aachen Soers. The CHIO is not only an important event for the lovers of equestrian sports but has become one of the favourite events of the Aachen region due to its very special flair. Here the old and the young meet in order to watch the performances of riders from all over the world. It is easy to relax and enjoy the spectacle with a glass of champagne or a small treat of culinary delicacies. A unique experience is the annual carriage and cart tournament in the Aachen forest and the farewell of the nations at the end of this 5-day event.

Cathedral

The Aachen Dom (Cathedral) was built by Emperor Charlemagne around 786 AD. The core of the Aachen Cathedral is the former Palace Chapel of Charlemagne. At the time of its construction this chapel was the largest domed building north of the Alps. In the middle aisle the so-called Emperor's Throne, the throne of the German kings, can be seen. Next to the Cathedral is the Cathedral Treasury (Domschatzkammer). Here a unique collection of precious works of art from the Aachen Cathedral's history is displayed. This collection is one of the most important ecclesiastical treasures in Europe.

Elisa Fountain

The Elisa Fountain (Elisenbrunnen) is the symbol of the spa town of Aachen. It was constructed in 1827 according to plans of the architects Cremer and Schinkel. At the time, the Elisa Fountain served as a drinking hall and a promenading hall and still today it is possible to try the healing thermal waters of Aachen from this fountain. Marble plaques remind us of the names of the famous visitors that came to the Aachen spa over the centuries, amongst them Händel and Casanova.

Tourism

Every year millions of visitors come to Aachen in order to see the historical sights in connection with Charlemagne. The guests mainly come from neighbouring countries like The Netherlands, Belgium and France. However, others come from European countries that are further away and even from the United States. Aachen invites day visitors to a stroll through the town or a city tour focussing on the cultural aspects of the town. Those visitors that stay overnight may be participants of large congresses or come to Aachen on business or just want to get to know the town during a weekend break.

Food and restaurants

Aachen makes it easy to relax and enjoy a friendly atmosphere combined with a high standard of service. Come and visit one of the historical restaurants, the café terraces in the city, the student pubs in the student quarters or the gourmet restaurants. There is lots of choice.

Hotels

Aachen is a tourist oriented town and offers a large number of hotels of all categories. You will find the large hotel chains as well as small family-run businesses. In Aachen everybody is able to find the accommodation of their choice – be it luxurious and upmarket or comfortable and informal in a family environment.

Information

Information about the city of Aachen can be obtained from the aachen tourist service e.v. Here you can book city tours and programmes for one day or several days as well as hotel rooms. The aachen tourist service is also happy to assist you with the organisation and support of congresses.

Youthful

Despite its historical past, Aachen has always remained "young at heart". This is partly due to the great number of students who are studying at the Rhineland-Westphalia Technical University. Furthermore Aachen has the highest density of pubs per number of inhabitants of all German towns. This also contributes to the city's rather youthful atmosphere. In the summer the Aachen Market Place becomes the favourite meeting point for people of all ages. Here people meet for a drink or simply to chat and enjoy themselves.

Charlemagne

Aachen is hugely indebted to Charlemagne (who was born on 2nd April 742) because he built his favourite palace in Aachen. Here he resided and was buried after his death in 814. Charlemagne brought the idea of a unified Europe to Aachen and this still lives on being symbolised by the awarding of the Internationaler Karlspreis (International Charlemagne Award). The people of Aachen erected the Market Fountain with Charlemagne’s statue in the Aachen Market Place in his honour.

Lousberg (Lous Mountain)

According to legend the Lousberg was created by the devil as an act of revenge. The devil had been tricked by the people of Aachen once before (see the legend of the Cathedral's "Wolf’s Door"). He was so enraged about this embarrassment that he intended to cover the city and the Cathedral with a mountain of sand. For this purpose he got a large bag of sand from the beach. On his way back to the city, he was labouring under the heavy load when he met a farmer's wife with badly worn shoes and asked her the way to Aachen. However, the farmer's wife had recognised the devil and told him that she was just coming from Aachen. She said that she had bought her new shoes in Aachen and now they were already totally worn – this was how far it was to Aachen. Hearing this news, the devil dropped the sand sack, angry and exhausted. The spot where the devil dropped the sack is today's site of the Lousberg. From here you have a magnificent panoramic view of the whole city.

Museums

Aachen has a large variety of museums, displaying art from past to present. The Couven Museum invites you to a tour through one century of the Aachen culture of living. The Suermondt-Ludwig Museum displays art from antiquity to the present day in over 44 exhibition rooms. The International Newspaper Museum is a collection of first editions, jubilee and last editions of the international press and is unique of its kind in the world. The Ludwig Forum for International Art is more than a museum: dance performances, theatre and film events often take place here, apart from exhibitions of various other kinds of contemporary art. Other museums include the Computer Museum, the Frankenberg Castle, the Aachen Customs History Collection as well as the former Imperial Abbey of Kornelimünster.

Needles

Needle manufacturing has a long tradition in Aachen. Aachen needles have an excellent reputation for quality worldwide. Aachen is the centre of the German needle industry and Aachen needle entrepreneurs export their products to about 100 countries. The long tradition of Aachen needle fabrication even produced a special kind of Aachen greeting, the so-called "Klenkes" (i.e. the small finger is shown spread away from the rest of the fingers). In earlier days children were used to sort out faulty needles with the help of the spread-away small finger. Over time, this working method developed into the special "Klenkes" greeting.

Medal for Combating Deadly Seriousness

The fame of the Aachen Carnival has spread far into other countries due to the award ceremony of the "Orden wider den tierischen Ernst" (Medal for Combating Deadly Seriousness). The medal is awarded to famous people who have rendered outstanding services by acting with humour in their daily working lives. The awarding of the "Orden wider den tierischen Ernst" is the climax of the Aachen Carnival.

Printen (Sweet ginger bread)

The "Printe" is the Aachen "national baking product". The name Printe is derived from the English term "to print". In earlier times pressure moulds that were cut into wood were used for the Printen manufacturing. Those moulds gave the Printen their characteristic shapes. The baking recipe is still guarded by the Aachen Printen bakers as a "family secret". The Printen specialty comes in many variations: hard and soft, with herbs, chocolate or nuts and in all kinds of shapes.

Springs

Aachen owes its name "Bad Aachen" (Aachen Spa) to its hot springs. The Romans had already come to Aachen in order to have their various ailments cured by the healing waters from the hot springs of the region. Today Aachen is a much-loved spa town. The hot spring water is used for bathing cures or drinking cures. Aachen has four spa hospitals where you can be treated for your illnesses in a peaceful and soothing atmosphere.

T own Hall

In the former place of the Imperial Palace of Charlemagne, today you can find the Cathedral and the historical Town Hall. Today’s Gothic Town Hall was erected at the beginning of the 14th century on the foundations of the original Palace, which had been destroyed. The Town Hall contains the "Coronation Hall". Here the copies of the Imperial Regalia (Imperial Orb, Imperial Sceptre, Imperial Sword, Imperial Cross, Ceremonial Sword, Holy Lance and Imperial Gospel as well as the Bag of St Stephen and the Sabre of Charlemagne) can be seen. The Coronation Hall is decorated with frescos by the German historical painter Alfred RetheC

Casino

The Aachen Casino is situated in the former "Neues Kurhaus" (New Spa House). It lies in the midst of a beautiful park that is lovely to take a walk in. The Aachen Casino allows you to try your luck at gaming entertainments such as Roulette, Baccara, Black Jack and various other gambling machines. The Casino does not only provide sophisticated entertainment, but it is also very well suited to meet with friends for a glass of champagne in a pleasant environment.

Theatre

The Aachen Theatre with its classical columns that were created by the architects Cremer and Schinkel has been the lively location of theatre performances since 1825. Here everybody can find something that pleases them from opera, operetta, drama and musicals to dance and experimental theatre. The theatre is seen as a springboard to the big theatres. Over the years many successful artists, conductors, directors, singers and actors have started their career on this stage.

Aachen's environment

Part of Aachen's fame is due to its unique environment: the town is situated in a region where three countries meet. At Aachen the borders of The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany come together. The "Dreiländerpunkt" (Three Countries Point) is a favourite destination for excursion trips for people in the vicinity from all three countries. The Dreiländerpunkt has an elevation of 322.5 meters above sea level and is therefore also the "heighest point of The Netherlands". At this point you can understand the connection between Aachen and Europe - Aachen lies in the heart of Europe.

Events

The event calender begins in February with the highlight of the Aachen Carnival, which is the awarding of the "Orden wider den tierischen Ernst" (Medal for Combating Deadly Seriousness). In May Aachen becomes "Mad for Jazz". A jazz festival invites people for both shopping and swinging. On Ascension Day the annual "Internationaler Karlspreis zu Aachen" (International Charlemagne Award) is awarded to people who have rendered outstanding services to the European idea. The summer is introduced by the Aachen Culture Summer, which offers various concerts and other cultural events. June is always the month of the International Equestrian Event (CHIO) in Aachen Soers, an experience that does not just delight the fans of equestrian sports. In August wine experts and wine lovers get excited by the annual Wine Growers Festival. In September the European Market of Arts and Crafts takes place in the town. It attracts artists from all over Europe who come to Aachen to exhibit their products. The event calender finishes with the Aachen Christmas Market in December.

Christmas market

The Aachen Christmas Market is one of the 5 largest and most beautiful Christmas Markets in Germany. It takes place every year in front of the historical setting of the Cathedral and the Town Hall. The Katschhof, one of the most stunning squares in Europe, is also integrated into the festive spectacle. The Christmas Market offers homemade products, culinary delicacies and last but not least the genuine Aachen Printen. The pre-Christmas atmosphere is enhanced by candle light, mulled wine and Christmas songs. If it starts snowing in addition, the Christmas Market is the most amazing experience for people of all ages.

The future

The RWTH (Rhineland-Westphalia Technical University) plays a big role in Aachen’s future. The idea of a unified Europe, which has been formed by Charlemagne a long time ago, also contributes to a life that is oriented towards the future. The economical future of Aachen has been guaranteed for a long time ahead due to the establishment of large corporations in the area. All of this shows that Aachen is not just a town with a long and rich past but that it is also oriented towards the future.