Aachen

This is where Europe comes to life. Maastricht, Liege and Brussels are on the doorstep. Belgians and the Dutch go shopping as easily in Aachen as Aacheners do at their neighbours.

Aachen is where tradition and progress come together. Even Charles the Great gathered the learned from across Europe around him and made his favourite palatinate a melting pot of artistic and spiritual life. Charles left his mark all over the city. The cathedral is the first German building on the UNESCO list of important cultural monuments and the gothic City Hall, in which 32 German kings celebrated their royal banquets, are of Carolingian origin. They remain centrepieces of Aachen’s old town. Despite this tradition, Aachen is not a museum city, but much more a modern and cosmopolitan one, whose contacts extend far beyond Germany’s borders. The Old Town, with its many bars, cathedral and City Hall, the fountains and baths above the hottest springs in Europe, characterise the colourful way of life on the streets and squares, which in summer feels almost Mediterranean. The cultural diversity and quality as well as the numerous possibilities for relaxing and spending one's leisure time determine Aachen’s special flair.