Aachen Aachen Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Charlemagne's imperial capital anchors Germany's westernmost corner, its medieval Altstadt radiating from the UNESCO-listed cathedral where Holy Roman Emperors were crowned for six centuries. The thermal springs that drew Celtic tribes and later Roman legions still feed the city's wellness culture — you'll catch sulfurous wisps rising from public fountains along Büchel and Elisenbrunnen. The compact center rewards walking: from the Rathaus's Gothic towers to the student-filled cafés spilling onto Pontstraße, Aachen feels both scholarly and quietly prosperous, its proximity to the Belgian and Dutch borders lending a cosmopolitan undertone.

The dining scene skews hearty and regional, with Rhineland classics like Sauerbraten and Himmel un Ääd appearing alongside contemporary European cooking in the streets around the Markt. Printen — the local spiced gingerbread — remains the edible souvenir of choice, sold from bakeries that have operated for generations. Evening drinks gravitate toward the atmospheric wine bars of the Domviertel or the livelier student haunts near RWTH Aachen University, one of Europe's leading technical institutions whose presence keeps the city's cultural calendar surprisingly robust.