Things To Do in Aachen
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Aachen Attractions
Aachen’s Altstadt (Old Town), the area you want to explore, is surrounded by a ring road.Tthe Hauptbahnhof is on the southern part of the ring. From Bahnhofplatz in front of the station, walk north on Bahnhofstrasse to Theaterstrasse, and turn left, or northwest. This will bring you to the giant Theater Aachen, a postwar reconstruction of the city’s original 1825 theater, opera and concert hall. From here, head northwest to Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz, where you’ll find the tourist office and the Elisenbrunnen, a colonnaded neoclassical building that sits atop Aachen’s famous thermal springs. The sulphury-smelling water spills out into shallow pools behind the building, where you’ll find the Elisengarten, a landscaped garden area where recent archaeological excavations of Aachen’s Roman and medieval past are on view in a glass-walled pavilion. You’ll see the spires of the Dom (Cathedral) to your northwest. Just north of the cathedral is Marktplatz (Market Square), the main square in Aachen’s Altstadt, and the site of the Gothic Rathaus (Town Hall). The Carolus Thermen, the city’s thermal bath and pool complex (open to the public), is northeast of the Altstadt, just beyond the ring road, in the The Stadtgarten (City Park).
Center Charlemagne
In late 2014 a new city museum will open in Aachen. The Center Charlemagne, Katschhof (tel. 0241/4324919; www.aachen.de; 5€ adults, 3€ students/children; Tues–Sun 10am–6pm), located between the cathedral and Rathaus, presents a historical overview of Aachen and is the starting point of a designated “Route Charlemagne” that links all the significant buildings and museums in Aachen. 5€ adults, 3€ students and children. Tues–Fri noon–6pm (Fri until 8pm); Sat–Sun 11am–6pm.
Guided Tours
From April through December, 90-minute guided tours of Aachen’s Altstadt are offered in English every Saturday at 11am, departing from the Tourist Information office at the Elisenbrunnen; cost is 8€.
- Gym/Spa
Carolus Thermen
If you have the time, this is a fun and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours in Aachen. For over 2,000 years, the warm mineral waters that flow from thermal springs below the town have been used for health and relaxation. This bath complex in the Stadtgarten features outdoor and… - Museum
Couven Museum
Home decor of the upper middle classes from the rococo to the Biedermeyer eras is displayed in period rooms in this lovely house in the Altstadt. - Religious Site
Dom (Cathedral)
Between a.d. 792 and 805, as part of his now vanished palace, Emperor Charlemagne built what’s called the Palatine Chapel, or the Octagon. This eight-sided, two-tiered, domed structure clad in multi-colored marbles is the first part of the cathedral that you enter, and the oldest.… - Landmark
Rathaus (Town Hall)
Some 500 years after Charlemagne’s death in 814, the Aachen Rathaus was built on the site of the emperor’s ruined palace. Part of the ancient palace structure can still be seen in the so-called Granus Tower at the east side of the hall. After a fire in 1656, the fadade of the… - Museum
Suermondt Ludwig Museum
The museum displays an impressive collection of medieval German sculpture, 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, and.modern works from the 1920s and 1930s. Wilhelmstrasse 18. [tel] 0241/479800. www.suermondt-ludwig-museum.de. Admission
Aachen Nightlife
For information about what's happening in Aachen, pick up a copy of the booklet Tourist-Information, published and given away free by the tourist information office. You can also download a copy at www.aachen.de. Alternatively, you can buy a copy of the monthly glossy, Klenkes, a magazine available in news kiosks around the city for 2€.
The Performing Arts
Classical concerts are presented in the town's convention center, Kongresszentrum Eurogress, Mondheimsallee 48 (tel. 0241/91310; www.eurogress-aachen.de; bus: 57), by the local symphony orchestra and by visiting chamber orchestras. The Theater Aachen (formerly the Stadttheater), Theaterplatz (tel. 0241/47841; www.theater-aachen.de; bus: 33, 34, or 57), hosts opera, theater, and dance recitals. Ticket prices in both places are 14€ to 100€. If you understand German and want to see experimental theater and plays by Bertolt Brecht and the like, head for the small and rather cramped Theater 99 Akut, Gasborn 9-11 (tel. 0241/27458; www.akut-theater99.de; bus: 166). Tickets are 19€ to 56€.
Bars & Cafes
There are at least a half-dozen bars in or around Aachen's Marktplatz. One of the most appealing is Café Kittel, Pontstrasse 39 (tel. 0241/36560; www.cafekittel.de; bus: 13), which somewhat resembles a greenhouse; its menu concentrates on beer, wine, sandwiches, and quiche. It's open Monday to Thursday 10am to 2am, Friday and Saturday 10:30am to 2am, and Sunday 10am to 1am.
Live Music
A final nightlife venue is the Domkeller, Hof 1 (tel. 0241/34265; www.domkeller.de; bus: 1, 11, or 21), which offers live blues or jazz on some nights and lots of hubbub every night. It is open Sunday to Thursday 10am to 2am and to 3 or 4am Friday and Saturday.
