Aachen Cathedral
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Aachen ( / ˈɑːxən / ⓘ AH-khən, German: [ˈaːxn̩] ⓘ; French: Aix-la-Chapelle; [a] Aachen dialect: Oche [ˈɔːxə]; Latin: Aquae Granni or Aquisgranum) is the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 252,000 inhabitants.
- 173 m (568 ft)
- Aachen
Aachen, city, North Rhine-Westphalia state, western Germany. It was a royal residence of the emperor Charlemagne, and it served as the principal coronation site of Holy Roman emperors and of German kings from the Middle Ages to the Reformation. Learn more about Aachen in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Tourism in Aachen – Welcome to the website of the official tourism organization of the city of Aachen. Here you will find information about city tours, overnight stays, sights and everything about your stay in Aachen.
Vogelsang IP Vogelsang 70, 53937 Schleiden- Burg Frankenberg Goffartstrasse 45, 52066 Aachen
- Wasserturm Lousberg Belvedereallee 5, 52070 Aachen
- Observatory Am Hangeweiher 23, 52068 Aachen
- Lindt Factory Outlet Süsterfeldstr. 130, 52072 Aachen
- Bahlsen Outlet Aachen Süsterfeldstrasse 27, 52072 Aachen
- BABOR Outlet Aachen Neuen hof 190, 52070 Aachen
- Zentis factory outlet Jülicher Straße 177, 52070 Aachen
- Tivoli Sports Strangenhäuschen 11, 52070 Aachen
- Climbing forest Unterer Backertsweg 7, 52074 Aachen
- Climbing park - SnowWorld Landgraaf
- 100.5 Arena – ice rink Hubert-Wienen-Straße 8, 52070 Aachen
- International Newspaper Museum Pontstrasse 13, 52062 Aachen
- Mini golf in the city park Monheimsallee, 52062 Aachen
- Snow World Landgraaf
- Grashaus markt 3, 52062 Aachen
1. Visit Aachen Cathedral. Cathedral, Church. Share. Add to Plan. View Tours. Constructed by Emperor Charlemagne around 796CE, Aachen is one of the oldest cathedrals in Europe. Although it was heavily bombed during World War II, it underwent a 30-year, €40m renovation, completed in 2011, and is back to its former glory.
- Aachen Cathedral
- Cathedral Treasury
- Rathaus
- Markt
- Centre Charlemagne
- Three-Country Point
- Couven Museum
- Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum
- Elisenbrunnen
- Ponttor
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Ordered by Charlemagne as a Palatine chapel at the end of the 8th century, this monument was his burial place in 805. From 936 to 1531 the cathedral also witnessed the coronation of a long line of Holy Roman kings. Charlemagne’s throne, a simple stairway leading to an unadorned seat, dates to 796 and was used for every coronation at the cathedral. ...
Part of the same UNESCO site, the treasury holds one of Europe’s most valuable collections of Medieval liturgical art. Displayed in a building on the cathedral cloisters, the pieces date from Late Antiquity to the Gothic period, covering roughly 1000 years. It’s almost unbelievable that this assortment of reliquaries, crosses, holy water vessels, c...
It can be humbling to think that just by visiting Aachen’s city hall you’re following in the footsteps of Charlemagne, whose imperial palace was at this very place. There’s more remaining than you might think, as the Granus Tower survived the palace’s demolition in the 13th century and its lowest four storeys are all original. The city hall was com...
At the top of the city, all streets leading to the square in front of Aachen’s City Hall have to climb a steep slope. When the weather’s good Markt will be teeming with people, propped on the railings of the Karlsbrunnen fountain or sitting at the cafe terraces. The market days on the square are Tuesday and Thursday, when there are stalls selling p...
The museum for Aachen reopened in a new glass building in 2014 and goes into different episodes from the city’s past. You’ll begin with the earliest Celtic settlements in the area and the learn about Aachen’s foundation as a spa resort under the Romans. A lot of attention is paid to the Carolingian period and the role played by Charlemagne in turni...
Just southwest of Aachen is the border between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The lines converge at the summit of Vaalserberg, a 320-metre hill, which also happens to be the highest point of the mainland Netherlands. That point is marked by a simple waist-high obelisk, and you can do the clichéd thing of linking hands across the border. On t...
In a sophisticated 17th-century townhouse are 34 rooms showcasing bourgeois lifestyles in the 1700s and 1800s. The attraction is named after the Rococo architect and master builder Johann Joseph Couven and his son Jakob, who conceived dozens of Burgher houses in the city. The interior of the townhouse is decorated with every kind of furniture to co...
The Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum is named after the banker and art collector Barthold Suermondt who donated his art collection to the city in the 1880s. Since then the museum’s stock of painting and sculpture from the 12th century to the 20th century has grown steadily. Some of the most valuable older pieces are by the Renaissance sculptor Tilman Riemen...
Aachen’s rebirth as a spa town is symbolised by this Classicist pavilion and colonnade built in 1827. The monument is named after Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, future wife of Frederick William IV of Prussia. You can see a bust of her in the Elisenbrunnen’s rotunda. The water that flows from two fountains inside is the Kaiserquelle, which is 52°C a...
Raised in 1320 Ponttor is one of the last fragments of Aachen city walls, and is one of only two gates left standing. The defences were pulled down during Napoleon’s occupation of the city at the turn of the 19th century. The structure, made of an outer barbican, a gatehouse with portcullis and bridge passage over the moat defended by crenellations...
Discover the history and culture of Aachen, the former imperial residence of Charlemagne and the site of 31 coronations of Holy Roman kings. Explore the UNESCO-listed cathedral, the treasury, the city hall, the spa and more attractions in this charming city.
Things to Do in Aachen, Germany: See Tripadvisor's 51,473 traveler reviews and photos of Aachen tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in May. We have reviews of the best places to see in Aachen. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
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