Aachen is one of the most historic cities in Germany. It was first a Roman town, the ruins of which can still be seen on the streets of modern Aachen. The famous Aachen Cathedral saw the coronations of 31 Holy Roman Emperors and 12 queens. It is easily the most royal city in Germany.
Aachen Cathedral 
Aachen Cathedral 
Aachen Cathedral 
Relic of Charlemagne
The cathedral was built by Charlemagne in the 9th century and historical artefacts and reliquaries can be seen for a fee in the museum. Exhibits include Charlemagne’s throne and his reliquary bust.
The famous emperor of the Frankish Empire, Charlemagne, also made Aachen his seat of power. He was illiterate, but this illiteracy made him the reformer of European education. French yé-yé singer France Gall laments Charlemagne’s invention of school in her 1964 hit Sacré Charlemagne.
Roman ruins pavilion 
Roman ruins 
Theater Aachen
With its importance in two empires, the city used to have a wall in the 14th century. The wall has since been dismantled, but the original city gate, the Ponttor, still stands as it did 600 years ago. The Marcheirtor is the other tower on the opposite side of town and dates back to the 12th century.
Rathaus 
Marschiertor 
Elisengarten Pavilion 
Elisengarten Pavilion
The Elisengarten in the centre of the city has a beautiful 19th century neoclassical pavilion and a water fountain. Ruins of old Roman structures protected by a modern pavilion can be found nearby. The Theater Aachen isn’t just a fine place for the arts, it’s also where you can catch a bus to Vaals in the Netherlands.
