A plan for Aachen

Aachen was the preferred residence of Charlemagne, "Roman" Emperor from 800 to 814 AD and king of an empire covering much of modern-day Italy, France, Germany and the Benelux. Additional information can be found at the Route Charlemagne Aachen website.

As Aachen is a legally recognised spa, it could call itself Bad Aachen, but refuses to do so, as it then would no longer be first in almost all alphabetical lists.

The city lies at the borders of Germany with Belgium and the Netherlands, forming the economic region called the Euregio Maas-Rhein. There are several Euregios in Europe, but regionally speaking just of "the Euregio" is understood to mean the one centred on Aachen.

History

1 Aachen Cathedral (Der Aachener Dom / Hohe Domkirche), Domhof 1, ☏ +49 241 4770 90. Jan-Mar: daily 07:00-18:00; Apr-Dec: daily 07:00-19:00. During mass access is restricted to attending in the services. Tourist visits are recommended for Mon-Fri after 11:00; Sat-Sun after 12:30. Aachen Cathedral is one of the most famous examples of occidental architecture. Around 800, the core building of the Palace Chapel was built. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Gothic choir (the "Aachen glasshouse"), the north and south chapel were added. Through the centuries, many other constructions and decorations were completed. Today, it is a unique and beautiful two-storey cathedral of classical pillars, bronze railings, golden masterpieces, glassworks, etc. The cathedral is the memorial and funeral place of Charlemagne (814). Heiligtumsfahrt The Aachen pilgrimage has taken place every year since 1349. In 1978 it was the first German building to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. €1 for a wristband that allows taking photos (though they usually will not collect it if you're on a tour). (updated Aug 2017)

Aachen Cathedral Tour, Dominformation Visitor Center, Johannes-Paul-II.-Str. 14:00. There's a 45-min English guided tour every day. Tickets are sold inside Dominformation (not the cathedral). €4/adult €3/concession. (updated Sep 2017)

2 Cathedral Treasury (Domschatzkammer), Johannes-Paul-II.-Straße. Treasure grove (Schatzkammer) hours: Jan-Mar: Mon 10:00-13:00; Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Apr-Dec: Mon 1000-13:00; Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed on 24 and 25 Dec, 31 Dec, 1 Jan, and some days around carnival. Ecclesiastical treasures from Antique, Carolingian, Ottonian and Staufian epochs, including the Cross of Lothair and the Bust of Charlemagne. Public and private tours are available with reservations for additional cost. €7/adult, €4/concession, €14/family. (updated Aug 2017)

3 Rathaus, Markt, ☏ +49 241 4320. The medieval town hall. The mayor of Aachen still has their office in there.

4 Elisa Fountain (Elisenbrunnen), Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz. Built 1827, thermal waters of the spa town.

5 Couven-Museum, Hühnermarkt 17, ☏ +49 241 4324 421. 18th-century house and furniture.

6 Grashaus, Fischmarkt. Original town hall, completed in 1267, is one of the oldest buildings in Aachen.

Lousberg. A recreational area on a hill situated just 10 minutes walking north from the city center. Offers stunning views of the city below and the landscape around.

Market place. Sit in the central city on a summer evening, watch students strolling by, listen to guitar players and have a beer, bought at a small Turkish or Chinese diner around.

Frankenberger Viertel. Walk through the Frankenberg Quarter an alternative area in the south of Aachen; have lunch or dinner in a Turkish or Arab diner.

Events

Some of the most popular events are listed below. The city events website and the city magazine Klenkes list other events by calendar.

Spring: Carnival. Experience the whole city and region becoming an outdoor and indoor party. (updated Aug 2022)

Summer: Pinkpop festival. Enormous yearly music festival in Landgraaf just across the border to Netherlands. (updated Aug 2022)

Summer: CHIO equestrian championship. Annual international horse riding championship and horse show. (updated Aug 2022)

September: September special. Annual cultural and market event in the city center. (updated Aug 2022)

November - December: Aachen Christmas Market (Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt) (Located in the city centre. Parking nearby can be an issue some days, so it may be wise to make use of the Park & Ride system organised especially for the market. See the website for more information.), ☏ +49 2 41 936 88 949, info@mac-aachen.de. 11:00 – 21:00 daily. From late November until 23 December, Aachen's Christmas market takes over Katschhof, Münsterplatz and the market square. Traders offer a wide variety of gift ideas, such as cosmetics, jewellery and ceramics, and there are plenty of opportunities to eat and drink your fill - a trip here wouldn't be complete without a glass of Glühwein! If you need a break, take in a performance at the rear of the town hall (see the website for a detailed programme). The market looks particularly spectacular when lit up at night, set against the magnificent cathedral and town hall. Free entry.

Sports and recreation

Spa Carolus Thermen, Passstr. 79. Large and very well known spa, sauna and wellness place. (updated Aug 2022)

Aachen offers many different cuisines, from traditional German food to exotic cuisines. The centre offers restaurants of all categories, prices being relatively cheap in comparison with other German cities. Students prefer the snack bars and light meals offered at Pontstraße.

Budget

In the city center

1 Sultans of Kebab, Peterstraße 23. Döner Kebab, Turkish desserts. (updated May 2022)

2 Curry-Palast, Komphausbadstraße 39. German cuisine (updated May 2022)

3 Café & Bistro Anvers, Kockerellstraße 20. (updated May 2022)

4 Damascus Gate Restaurant, Peterstraße 36-38. Syrian cuisine (updated May 2022)

Around the Ponttor

5 Pont Grill, Pontstraße 119. Very cheap and good chicken, pizza and Turkish food. (updated May 2022)

6 Saray, Pontstraße 118. Turkish food besides döner kebab. (updated May 2022)

7 White House, Pontstr. 141- 149. Cheap but still nice-looking restaurant with special lunch offers: Buffet for €5.90 or Schnitzel for €4.90. (updated Nov 2017)

Near the city center

8 Jakobsimbiss, Jakobstraße 75. Chinese and Thai fast food. (updated May 2022)

9 Del Negro, Jakobstraße 73. Best ice cream in town.

10 Babylon, Königstraße / Karlsgraben. "The Kebab Cube" if you have only €2.20 left.

Mid-range

11 Goldener Schwan, Markt 37 (Opposite Rathaus), ☏ +49 241 3164 9. 15th-century building where you can get local and German meals. For example Aachener Puttes a type of Blutwurst similar to English black pudding.

12 Carlos I, Rennbahn 1 (next to the Cathedral), ☏ +49 241 2966 6. This Spanish restaurant offers authentic Spanish cuisine like Tapas, the perfect food for sharing, Paella, etc., at medium prices

San Sheng, Pontdriesch 13. Open only during weekday lunch hours. Authentic Chinese food.

13 Oishii, Pontstraße 83, ☏ +49 241 9008 360. Great Japanese restaurant. Reserve your table in advance.

14 Maranello, Pontstraße 23, ☏ +49 241 4636 3642. Daily 21:00-23:00. Italian pizza from a real stone oven. (updated Jan 2017)

15 Karibik, Sandkaulstraße 5, ☏ +49 1573 5570 933. Colombian restaurant.

There's no need to order your drinks at the bar when in Aachen - simply take a seat and a member of staff will come over to take your order. They'll write down what you've ordered on your coaster. When you've finished your drink, someone will soon come along and ask if you'd like to order another. When you're ready to pay, hand over your coaster to a member of staff. It's expected that you leave a small tip when paying; 5-10% is expected, typically by rounding up to the nearest Euro. You should make it clear you want to leave a tip before handing the money over by saying, for example, "I'll pay €8".

The Pontstraße begins at Markt facing the historic city hall and ends at the Ponttor, part of the medieval city walls. Pontstraße is the main student hangout and offers a large variety of restaurants and bars, from pizzerias to late night hangout spots and a cinema (Apollo). A special treat are public fiestas happening at Karneval and important football matches. Don't miss it if you have the chance! Reached by a number of bus lines from Bushof; park near University.

Molkerei. Pub suitable for younger crowd, near Ponttor.

1 Cafe Madrid. Pub/bar better for an older crowd, posher, near Ponttor. (updated Nov 2017)

Pontgarten. Cheap cocktails and nice food.

Sowiso/Oceans. Typical student-inn.

Egmont, Pontstraße 1–3 (Right at one end of Pontstraße, close to the Rathaus), ☏ +49 241 4077 46, kontakt@egmont-aachen.de. Mon-Sat from 08:00; Sun from 09:00. A delightful bar/café that occasionally hosts live music. Food can be ordered from the Lebanese restaurant next door and brought to your table without you having to get up!

Nice pubs elsewhere:

Guinness House, Neupforte 6, 52062 (Despite the address to the left, the entrance is actually located just around the corner on Mostardstraße. It's situated between the city centre and the Pontstraße.), ☏ +49 241 4022 11. A stereotypical Irish pub, just like you'd find in any other big city. However, it's one of the few places in Aachen that sells cider, so it's definitely worth checking out if beer isn't your thing! There's also live music (more often that not traditional Irish music) here on a regular basis.

The old town is best explored on foot and orientation signs can be found all around. Apart from the centre, Aachen at a whole is a fairly large city.

By bus

Aachen has a city bus system, operated by ASEAG, including a few night bus lines. Most buses run to the central bus station 5 Bushof near the city centre. You can get tickets from the bus driver. On arrival in Aachen, it may be worth visiting the ASEAG Customer-Centre opposite the main bus station. Here, you can pick up timetables for all bus routes run by the company and you can of course speak to an adviser as well. There are no timetables available for services run by Veolia, such as the number 50 to Maastricht, or for bus services run by Deutsche Bahn, such as the number 66 to Monschau.

By train

Aachen does not have a tram, U-Bahn or S-Bahn network like many other large German cities. It is still possible to travel through the city by train. The euregio-Bahn is a local line that stops at the stations Aachen West (not far from RWTH Aachen University), Aachen-Schanz, Aachen Hauptbahnhof (the most convenient for the city centre) and Aachen-Rothe Erde. Ticket machines are available at all stations.

By car and carsharing

The city centre is mostly blocked for car traffic. A car can come in handy in the outskirts. Parking can get expensive, especially in the center of town.

The carsharing company Cambio has numerous stations in Aachen. It also offers stations in many other German and Belgian cities.

By bike

While being hilly and not the most biker-friendly town in Germany, there are a number of bike routes and getting around on bike is increasingly popular. As in other German cities, some bike thefts have been reported so reasonable caution is advised. Bike parking with surveillance is possible in "fahrrad station", near the central train station. You can rent a bike at the "fahrrad station", near the central train station.

By e-scooter

Several e-scooter rental systems such as Tier and Voi are active in Aachen in a similar fashion to other German cities.

By taxi and ridehailing

Are readily available on the streets as well as on fixed locations, e.g. near Aachen Hauptbahnhof station, Aachen Rothe Erde station and in Pontstraße. The same conditions as in the rest of Germany apply.

Aachen is also served by the ridehailing company Uber.

Aachen is one of Germany's safer cities on average, and the casual tourist does not have to worry whilst in Aachen. The city center is usually bustling with life, especially during the school year, though pickpockets can take advantage of people taking a drink.

With that said, the areas immediately surrounding the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) and the local bus station (Bushof) attract hordes of junkies. Furthermore, a lot of neighborhoods south of the city center can come off as sketchy if you are not accustomed to post-industrial towns. Most areas are usually fine.

As a border town, there is a certain amount of drug trafficking, but unless you are directly involved with this activity, you won't be affected.