Aachen

Aachen shares its Maastricht-Aachen airport (MST ^IATA) with Maastricht. It is located some 40 km outside the city centre, in the Netherlands. Maastricht-Aachen airport is connected to only a limited number of international destinations and served by budget carriers. Transit to and from the airport via public transportation is only possible via the city of Maastricht.

The nearest major international airports are Düsseldorf (DUS ^IATA) and Cologne-Bonn (CGN ^IATA). Both airports can be reached by train (via the Düsseldorf and Cologne central stations respectively) or car in an hour. Another major airport within close proximity is Brussels (BRU ^IATA). It can be reached by train with a change either in Liège, Leuven/Louvain, or Brussels.

Smaller airports within reasonable distance are Weeze (NRN ^IATA) in Germany, Eindhoven airport (EIN ^IATA) in the Netherlands, and "Brussels" South Charleroi Airport (CRL ^IATA) in Belgium. All three airports are bases for low-cost airlines. They can be reached by car in roughly 1h30, or by lengthy train journeys with several changes. Also, Liège (Lüttich) airport ((LGG ^IATA in Belgium is 45min by car and has some charter flights. Finally, https://www.antwerp-airport.com/ (ANR ^IATA), also in Belgium, requires a 90-minute car ride. Aachen is probably unique in having 9 airports in 3 countries within 150 km.

If for some reason none of the nearby airports are feasible or affordable, the airport in Frankfurt (FRA ^IATA), Germany's main hub, has a direct ICE connection and offers a number of trains to Aachen with one interchange or less. For some airports the rail&fly programme the German railways offer together with several airlines might be an option. For more on that see rail air alliances.

🌍 Aachen Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station. Aachen has four other minor stations: Aachen Rothe Erde, Aachen Schanz, Aachen West and Aachen Eilendorf. In case of doubt, Aachen Hauptbahnhof is the most convenient station as it is served by all trains going to and through Aachen regardless of destination and it is closest to the city center.

• Eurostar and ICE trains directly connect Aachen internationally with Liège, Brussels and Paris. ICE trains also provide direct connections every two hours from Frankfurt via Cologne, and daily connections from Berlin via Hanover and occasional connections to Hamburg.
• Flixtrain serves the city.
• There are also local trains from Liège every two hours.
• Local trains (Regionalexpress) from Siegen via Cologne and Hamm via Düsseldorf run every half hour and take around 55 minutes from Cologne, 85 to 110 minutes from Düsseldorf.
• Regional trains from Maastricht serve Aachen via Heerlen, Landgraaf and Herzogenrath (1 hr, €12.80)
• Nightjet, the Austrian Railways' sleeper train, runs twice a week from Brussels via Aachen to Vienna, Munich and Innsbruck. It calls at Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz, Frankfurt airport, Würzburg and Nuremberg where the train divides: one portion runs via Linz to Vienna, the other via Munich to Innsbruck.

Aachen is connected by four bus operators for regional and long distance connections:

• Arriva from Maastricht and Heerlen. Bus line 350 from Maastricht serves Aachen every 15 minutes and passes through Margraten and Vaals (1 hr). Bus line 44 runs between Heerlen and Aachen (45 min, €5.80). Both lines call at various stops in Aachen including Aachen Hauptbahnhof. (updated Aug 2022)
• Flixbus. Flixbus operates several national and international bus connections. Coaches arrive at the stop at Henricistraße. (updated Aug 2022)
• Sindbad. Sindbad operates international services to Poland and Ukraine. (updated Aug 2022)

The buses call at three different locations depending on the operator:

• 🌍 Bus stop at Aachen Hauptbahnhof. Located directly besides the main train station. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Bus station Henricistraße. Located to the north west of the city centre near local bus stop Aachen Bendplatz. (updated Aug 2022)
• 🌍 Bus station Wilmersdorfer Straße. Located to the east of the city centre near local bus stops Aachen Hüls and Aachen Wilmersdorfer Straße. (updated Aug 2022)

Being on major routes from the Netherlands and Belgium to Germany, easily reachable via the A4 and A44.

Parking in the town centre costs around €2 per hour. There is also park and ride available around the outskirts of the town.

If you don't have your own vehicle, car-sharing is a possibility. Car-sharing is very common in Germany, but you should of course be cautious when booking a trip nonetheless. blablacar.de and mitfahrgelegenheit.de are good resources for finding rides to Aachen, although you're less likely to be successful if you're looking to book far in advance. Payment is expected.

There are several conventient possibilities to hitchhike to and from Aachen. More details and recommendations are available in the Aachen article at hitchwiki.

Aachen has a city bus system, operated by ASEAG, including a few night bus lines. Most buses run to the central bus station 🌍 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.

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.

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.

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 adviced. 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.

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

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 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 M-F after 11:00; Sa-Su 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)

• 🌍 Cathedral Treasury (Domschatzkammer), Johannes-Paul-II.-Straße. Treasure grove (Schatzkammer) hours: Jan-Mar: M 10:00-13:00; Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. Apr-Dec: M 1000-13:00; Tu-Su 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 Cross of Lothair and the Bust of Charlemagne. Public and private tours are available with reservations for additional cost. €5/adult, €4/concession, €10/family. (updated Aug 2017)

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

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

• 🌍 Couven-Museum, Hühnermarkt 17, ☏ +49 241 4324 421. 18th-century house and furniture. 
• 🌍 Grashaus, Fischmarkt. Original town hall, completed in 1267, is one of the oldest buildings in Aachen. 

• 🌍 Haus Löwenstein. 14th-century building. 
• 🌍 Ponttor. 14th-century city gates. 
• 🌍 Marschiertor. 13th-century city gate. 

• 🌍 Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Wilhelmstraße 18, ☏ +49 241 4798. German and Dutch sculpture and painting collection. 
• 🌍 Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst (Ludwig Forum for International Art), Jülicher Straße 97-109, 52070 (Slightly outside the city centre, in between Stadtgarten and Europaplatz), ☏ +49 241 1807 104, info@ludwigforum.de. Tu W F 12:00-18:00; Th 12:00-22:00: Sa Su 11:00-18:00. While the building looks less than impressive from the outside, Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst houses a grand collection of contemporary art, including works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring. Text accompanying the works is given in German and English. Adult €10; Child €6. (updated Feb 2018)

RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen) If you are interested in architecture, you can find all building styles from 1900 till today concentrated at the city-campus around Templergraben with the exception of the Uniklinik requiring a short bus ride.

• Main building
• Kármán Auditorium
• Audimax
• Mogam
• Super-C The reception building of the RWTH-Aachen. Build to resemble the letter C. Nicely illuminated at night. The lower half of the C is underground, so the letter looks more like a super Tau т.
• Reiff Museum
• Rogowski building
• Department of mining
• Semi 90
• Heizkraftwerk (now lecture halls)
• Uniklinik. The university's hospital. One striking example of post-modern architecture like the Centre Pompidou in Paris. 

• 🌍 Zollmuseum Friedrichs, Horbacher Straße 497, 52072 Aachen-Horbach (Bus 44), ☏ +49 241 9970 615. 1st and 3rd Sunday 11:00 and 14:30. Museum about border crossings and the border. Phone to reserve. 
• 🌍 International Newspaper Museum (Internationales Zeitungsmuseum), Pontstraße 13, ☏ +49 241 4324 910. 
• 🌍 Belvedere rotating water tower (Drehturm), Belvedereallee 5, ☏ +49 241 9188 043. Old water tower turned restaurant in Lousberg park above the town. 

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. 

• Spa Carolus Thermen, Passstr. 79. Large and very well known spa, sauna and wellness place. (updated Aug 2022)
• Hangeweiher outdoor swimming pool. 1st of May to last Sunday before 16th of September. Exercise, cool down in the bassins and relax on the meadows. €3.50. (updated Aug 2022)
• Indoor swimming pools. Aachen has five public indoor swimming pools that are open throughout the entire year. (updated Aug 2022)

Large supermarkets, grocery stores and smaller kiosks are available throughout all of the city. German opening hours have a lessened effect in Aachen, as just across the border in the Netherlands, all shops are open in the small town of Vaals, which can be reached by bus lines 25, 33, 35 and 50.

• Adalbertstraße. Shops and cafes in one of Aachen's pedestrian zone shopping areas. 
• Krämerstraße and Market. Small shops in a very tourist area. 
• Großkölnstraße. The second big pedestrian zone shopping area in Aachen, where you´ll find clothing and more. 
• Jakobstraße. Smaller shops and boutiques. 

Aachen is famous for its characteristic local gingerbread called Printen. Characteristic bakeries can be found in many places around the city center. There are also two large factory outlets for sweets.

• 🌍 Nobis Printen, Münsterplatz 3. 
• 🌍 Klein Printenbäckerei, Krämerstraße 12. 
• 🌍 Lambertz Factory shop, Ritterstraße 9. Gingerbread and biscuits. 
• 🌍 Lindt Factory Outlet (Lindt Werksverkauf), Süsterfeldstraße 130, 52072. M-F 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-16:00. Stocks a wide range of Lindt chocolate products, at low prices, which have been produced in the neighbouring factory. 

• 🌍 Sultans of Kebab, Peterstraße 23. Döner Kebab, Turkish desserts. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Curry-Palast, Komphausbadstraße 39. German cuisine (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Café & Bistro Anvers, Kockerellstraße 20. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Damascus Gate Restaurant, Peterstraße 36-38. Syrian cuisine (updated May 2022)

• 🌍 Pont Grill, Pontstraße 119. Very cheap and good chicken, pizza and Turkish food. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Polonia, Marienbongard 24. Polish bistro. Has lunch offers. Four to six Polish beers. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Kathy‘s Frietnesse, Pontstraße 101-105. Fries with over 50 different sauces. Also hamburgers and Dutch specialities. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Saray, Pontstraße 118. Turkish food besides döner kebab. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 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)

• 🌍 Jakobsimbiss, Jakobstraße 75. Chinese and Thai fast food. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Del Negro, Jakobstraße 73. Best ice cream in town. 
• 🌍 Babylon, Königstraße / Karlsgraben. "The Kebab Cube" if you have only €2.20 left. 

• 🌍 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. 
• 🌍 Maredo, Reihstraße 10, ☏ +49 241 2140 8. Delicious Argentinian food chain based in Germany. Good food, not expensive. Open late and offer late-night specials and lunch specials. 
• 🌍 Estado Steakhaus, Seilgraben 39, ☏ +49 241 238 00. Great steakhouse with a salad bar and wide variety of dishes. 
• 🌍 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. 
• 🌍 Oishii, Pontstraße 83, ☏ +49 241 9008 360. Great Japanese restaurant. Reserve your table in advance. 
• 🌍 Maranello, Pontstraße 23, ☏ +49 241 4636 3642. Daily 21:00-23:00. Italian pizza from a real stone oven. (updated Jan 2017)
• 🌍 Karibik, Sandkaulstraße 5, ☏ +49 1573 5570 933. Colombian restaurant. 
• 🌍 Bacchus (Restaurant Bacchus), Roermonder Str. 28 (With Buslines 24, 27, 33, 44 und 47 from Aachen BusCentral station towards Pontstreet and Bendplatz. Get off at Ponttor and follow the road straight through the Ponttor and then through the underpass direction Bendplatz. On the other side of the underpass, go straight ahead. After about 50 m you will find us on the right handside. For car drivers, parking lots are available in the Rütscher Straße, in Turmstraße, on Roermonder Straße, as also around the Bendplatz which is just 350 m away.), ☏ +49 241 155545, info@bacchus-aachen.de. M-F 16:00–23:00, Sa Su 12:00–23:00. Great Greek restaurant with a wide variety of dishes. Absolutely recommendable gyros and grill dishes (updated Apr 2015)

• 🌍 La Bécasse, Hanbrucher Straße 1, ☏ +49 241 7444 4. French restaurant 

• 🌍 Hostel Aachen, Mauerstraße 116, ☏ +49 241 4305 288. Close to the city centre. 
• 🌍 Youth hostel Aachen (Jugendherberge Aachen - Euregionales Jugendgästehaus), Maria Theresia Allee 260, ☏ +49 241 7110 10. 

• 🌍 Leonardo Hotel Aachen, Krefelder Straße 221 (North of the centre between the stadium and junction 3 of the A4), ☏ +49 241 1803 0. 
• 🌍 Hotel Granus, Passstraße 2a, ☏ +49 241 1520 71. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. This friendly family-run place has 12 rooms and a bit of a cosy B&B atmosphere. It's clean and conveniently located in the city centre, with fairly modern rooms and a somewhat quaint breakfast area. It gets good reviews, also suited for family stays. On weekends, the reception has limited opening hours. Doubles from €90. 

• 🌍 Pullman Aachen Quellenhof, Monheimsallee 52, ☏ +49 241 9132 0. Spacious, comfortable rooms (although some could do with a little redecoration), a swimming pool, fitness area and excellent breakfast buffet. from €130. 

Here's an overview of Christian churches in central Aachen:

Catholic churches:

• 🌍 Aachen Cathedral (Der Aachener Dom / Hohe Domkirche), Klosterplatz 2 (Domhof - 15 min from central station), ☏ +49 241 4770 9110, fax: +49 241 4770 9144, info@aachenerdom.de. Su 07:00, 08:00, 10:00, 11:30; M-Sa 07:00, 10:00; Sa 08:00. (updated Jan 2017)
• St. Foillan, Ursulinerstr. 1 (just behind Aachener Dom), ☏ +49 241 4703 270, pfarrbuero@franziska-aachen.de. Su 10:00, 19:30; M-F 08:30, 18:30; Sa 18:30. (updated Jan 2017)
• St. Marien, Aureliusstraße 23 (3 min from central station), ☏ +49 241 3072 5. Sa 18:30; Su 09:45, 11:15 (Polish), 16:00 (Pol.); Tu Th 18:30; Fr 18:15 (Pol.). (updated Jan 2017)
• St. Peter, Peterskirchhof 1 (20 min from HBf; near bus depot), ☏ +49 241 4488 1. Sa 15:00 (Vietnamese); Su 11:15; M-F 12:15. (updated Jan 2017)
• St. Michael, Michaelsbergstr. 6 (Burtscheid). Sa 18:15; Su 19:00; W F 18:00. (updated Jan 2017)

For Protestant churches in Aachen see also this website.

• Annakirche, Annastraße 35 (15min from central station). Su 11:00. (updated Jan 2017)
• Auferstehungskirche, Am Kupferofen 19-21 (south from station Aachen-Rothe Erde). Su 09:30. (updated Jan 2017)

Other:

• Greek Orthodox Church St. Michael & St. Dimitrios, Jesuitenstr. 6 (close to the cathedral), ☏ +49 241 2857 2, aachen@orthodoxie.net. Su 09:00. (updated Jan 2017)
• Jewish community Aachen, Synagogenplatz 23, ☏ +49 241 4778 00, info@jgaachen.de. M-F 08:00-14:00. (updated Jan 2017)
• Bilal Mosque, Prof.-Pirlet-Str. 20 (near railway station Aachen-West), ☏ +49 241 8890 6, kontakt@izaachen.de. Friday prayer: 13:15. (updated Jan 2017)