Editor's picks
A local's shortlist — the places worth your time first, each with a tip.
Aachener Dom
Landmark · Altstadt
Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel, consecrated around 800, later encased in a Gothic choir — and in 1978 one of the first twelve sites anywhere on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the first in Germany.
Local tip: The octagon is free to enter but the Kaiserthron and the treasury need a ticket and a timed slot — book the guided tour rather than wandering in, because the throne is upstairs and closed to unguided visitors. The Domschatzkammer next door is one of the most important church treasuries in Europe and takes twenty minutes.
Elisenbrunnen and the hot springs
Culture · Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz
A neoclassical colonnade over two drinking fountains fed by Aachen's sulphurous thermal springs — the reason the Romans built here and the reason Charlemagne stayed.
Local tip: The water smells of rotten eggs and you are supposed to drink it anyway; it is free and locals do. The Carolus Thermen on the other side of the Stadtgarten is where the springs are actually enjoyable, and Burtscheid — a second, separate spring field a short walk south — is the quieter, older half of Aachen's spa story.
Pontstraße
Nightlife · Between the Markt and the Ponttor
The student street: 500 metres of bars, kebab shops, cafés and cheap kitchens running from the town hall to a surviving 14th-century city gate.
Local tip: It is loud, cheap and reliably busy on a Tuesday, which is what having 44,000 students in a small city does. Walk to the Ponttor end for the medieval gate and the quieter bars; the stretch nearest the Markt is where every first-semester group starts and it shows.
Café van den Daele
Food · Büchel, Altstadt
A café in a 17th-century house that has been serving Aachen's Printen, Reisfladen and coffee for generations, in a warren of small wood-panelled rooms.
Local tip: Order the Reisfladen rather than the Printen — the rice tart is the genuinely local thing and nobody outside the region has heard of it. Then buy Kräuterprinten by weight from a proper bakery for taking home; the soft chocolate-coated ones in gift tins are not what people here eat.
Dreiländerpunkt, Vaalserberg
Nature · Vaals, Netherlands — 20 minutes from the centre
The corner where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet, on the highest point of the European Netherlands at 322 metres, with a maze and viewing tower on top.
Local tip: You can get there by city bus and be standing in three countries inside half an hour, which is the single best way to explain Aachen to a visitor. Go on a weekday — at weekends it is Dutch families and coach parties — and walk back down through the Aachener Wald rather than taking the bus both ways.
The Lousberg
Hidden gemNature · North of the Altstadt
A wooded hill immediately above the city centre, landscaped as a public park in the early 1800s under French administration, with the best view over Aachen from the top.
Local tip: It is one of the earliest public parks laid out in Germany and hardly anyone visiting the cathedral goes up it. Twenty minutes' climb from the Ponttor and the whole city, the cathedral, the Klinikum and the Belgian hills behind it lay out in front of you. Best in the hour before sunset.
Explore 127 places across Aachen
Museums, landmarks, monuments, heritage sites and parks — mapped, with photos. The most notable spots first.
Museums & galleries
(14)
MuseumSuermondt-Ludwig-Museum
Art museum in Aachen, Germany
MuseumLudwig Forum für Internationale Kunst
Modern art museum in Aachen, Germany
MuseumAachen Cathedral Treasury
Museum in Germany
MuseumMuseum Vieille Montagne
Museum in Aachen.
MuseumCouven-Museum
Museum in Aachen, Germany
MuseumChâteau de Raeren
Castle in Raeren, East Belgium
MuseumEnergeticon
Museum in Germany
MuseumContinium
Museum in Kerkrade, the Netherlands
MuseumNeuer Aachener Kunstverein
Arts association in Aachen, Germany
MuseumKunsthaus Nordrhein-Westfalen
Museum in Aachen, Germany
MuseumGöhltalmuseum
Museum in Aachen.
Zollmuseum
Horbach
Museum in Horbach.
Besucherzentrum Grube Adolf Park
Museum.
Maison du Terroir Moresnet
Museum.
Landmarks & architecture
(28)
LandmarkPalace of Aachen
Carolingian palace in Aachen, Germany
LandmarkCastle Eyneburg
Castle in Kelmis, East Belgium
LandmarkBurg Rode
Castle
LandmarkGranus Tower
Tower
LandmarkKatschhof
Public square in Aachen, Germany
LandmarkChâteau de Graaf
Castle in Plombières, Belgium
LandmarkWaldenburghaus
Castle in Kettenis (Eupen), Belgium
Landmark
LandmarkBurg Kinzweiler
Castle
LandmarkBurg Eschweiler
Castle
LandmarkBurg Alsdorf
Castle
LandmarkBurg Raaf
Castle in Raeren, Belgium
LandmarkChâteau de Bempt
Vastle in Moresnet, Belgium
LandmarkFrankenberg Castle (Aachen)
Castle (that also hosts a museum)
LandmarkBelvedere water tower
Tower in Aachen, Germany
LandmarkBurg Schwartzenburg
Castle
LandmarkWasserturm Bardenberg
Tower
LandmarkBurg Orsbach
Castle
LandmarkBurg Röthgen
Castle
LandmarkBurg Schönforst
Castle
LandmarkBurg Seffent
Castle
LandmarkBurg Stolberg
Castle
LandmarkBurg Wilhelmstein
Castle
LandmarkEuropaplatz
Square in Aachen, Germany
LandmarkKaiserplatz
Public square in Aachen, Germany
Wasserburg Haus Heyden
Castle.
Schloß Thor
Castle.
Kasteel Goedenraad
Castle.
Monuments & memorials
(4)
MonumentKongressdenkmal
Monument in Aachen, Germany
216
Historic site.
Moses
Public artwork by Cornel Bücken.
Haarener Kreuz
Historic site.
Places of worship
(63)
ReligiousAachen Cathedral
Roman-Catholic cathedral in Aachen, Germany
Religious
Religious
ReligiousKornelimünster Abbey
Abbey in Germany, attached to the congregation of Subiaco
ReligiousSt. Michael's Church
Church in Aachen
Religious
ReligiousSaint Paul's Church, Vaals
Church in Vaals, Netherlands
Religious
ReligiousBilal-Moschee
Mosque in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousRedemptoristenklooster
Monastery in Wittem, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Remigiuskerk
Church in Simpelveld, Netherlands
Religious
ReligiousKlosterrather Hof
Former house of refuge of Rolduc Abbey, later a residential building and factory in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousDreifaltigkeitskirche
Church building in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousFinkenbergkirche, Stolberg
Church building in Stolberg, Germany
ReligiousHeilig Kreuz, Aachen
Parish church in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousVogelsangkirche
Church
ReligiousWaalse Kerk
Former Walloon church in Vaals, Netherlands
ReligiousHervormde Kerk
Church in Vaals, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Catharinakapel
Chapel in Lemiers, Netherlands
ReligiousLutherse Kerk
Church in Vaals, Netherlands
ReligiousSint Agatha Church
Church in Eys, Netherlands
ReligiousOnze-Lieve-Vrouw-Onbevlekt-Ontvangenkerk
Church in Terwinselen (Kerkrade), Netherlands
ReligiousFranciscanerklooster van Bleijerheide
Monastery in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousEvangelische Kirche Zweifall
Church building in Stolberg, Germany
ReligiousHuis De Esch
Building in Vaals, Netherlands
ReligiousSt. Salvator
Church building in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousSt. Sebastian, Würselen
Church building in Würselen, Germany
ReligiousSankt Johannes der Täuferkirche
Church in Eynatten, Belgium
ReligiousKloster St. Jöris
Former monastery in Germany
ReligiousAnnakirche, Aachen
Church building in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousDeutschordenskommende St. Gilles
Religious in Aachen.
ReligiousBrandenburg, Sief
Monastery
ReligiousSt. Josef
Church building in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousKloster St. Raphael
Religious in Aachen.
ReligiousEinsiedelei Kornelimünster
Religious in Aachen.
ReligiousMarienkapelle Burtscheid
Church building in Aachen, Germany
ReligiousJozef Arbeiderkerk
Church in Huls, Netherlands
ReligiousHH. Lambertus en Genovevakerk
Church in Holset, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Paulusbekeringkerk
Church in Epen, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Cunibertuskerk
Church in Wahlwiller, Netherlands
ReligiousSt. Stephanus
Church building in Kornelimünster/Walheim, Germany
ReligiousSint-Jan de Doperkerk
Church in Mechelen, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Martinuskerk
Church in Welten, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Catharina en Luciakerk
Church in Lemiers, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Martinuskerk
Church in Vijlen, Netherlands
ReligiousHuize Damiaan
Monastery in Simpelveld, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Dionysiuskerk
Church in Nijswiller, Netherlands
ReligiousSaint Anne Church
Church in Heerlen, Netherlands
ReligiousKleine Kerkje
Church in Eygelshoven, Netherlands
ReligiousJohannes de Doperkerk
Church in Eygelshoven, Netherlands
ReligiousProtestantse Kerk
Church in Chevremont, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Antonius van Paduakerk
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousHeilig Hart van Jezuskerk
Church in Haanrade (Kerkrade), Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Lambertuskerk
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousSint-Jozefkerk
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousAbdijkerk Rolduc
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousBlijde Boodschapkerk
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousOnze-Lieve-Vrouw-Tenhemelopnemingskerk
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
ReligiousOnze-Lieve-Vrouw van Altijddurende Bijstandkerk
Church in Kerkrade, Netherlands
St. Antonius
Place of worship.
Kapelle Ave Maria
Place of worship.
St. Pius X.
Place of worship.
Heritage & archaeology
(7)
Archaeological
ArchaeologicalVarnenum
Archaeological in Aachen.
ArchaeologicalVon-Halfern-Park
English landscape park in Aachen, Germany
ArchaeologicalRoman villa Lemiers
Netherlands
Wasserschloss Ottegraven
Archaeological site.
Archäologisches Fenster
Archaeological site.
Archäologisches Fenster Barbarossamauer
Archaeological site.
Parks & nature
(8)ParkSalvatorberg
Mountain
ParkStadtgarten Aachen
Park in Aachen, Germany
Park
ParkElisengarten
Park
ParkKaiser-Friedrich-Park
Park in Aachen, Germany
ParkKennedypark
Public park in Aachen, Germany
ParkKurpark Burtscheid
Park in Aachen.
ParkSandkaulpark
Park in Aachen
More to explore
(3)Rollefbachviadukt
Viewpoint.
Gipfelblick
Viewpoint.
Stellwerk-Aussichtsterrasse
Viewpoint.
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