Overlooked Aachen

You would think that a town with history stretching back 5,000 years, one which was once a Roman military spa town and which was Charlemagne’s capital during the eighth century, would be a well-known tourist destination. This is true for Europeans, but, with the exception of my fellow history buffs, Aachen remains virtually unknown to Americans. 

During our November 2014 visit, the town was packed with tourists from all over the world, but relatively few were Americans. I’m equally guilty of overlooking Aachen, since my wife and I didn’t get there until our ninth visit to Germany over the past dozen years. My excuse is that Germany appears to have an unending supply of inviting towns with fascinating histories.

Situated at the westernmost tip of Germany, Aachen is conveniently located on a main rail line, less than an hour from Cologne and one or two hours from Brussels. It’s adjacent to the borders of both Belgium and the Netherlands, allowing for easy day trips to Liège, Belgium, and Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Most of Aachen’s sights are clustered within its remarkably compact historic core, a 15-minute walk from the town’s Hauptbahn­hof (main railway station). The historic core is also the location of the town’s Christmas market, which receives almost 1.5 million visitors each year.

Aachen’s premier attraction is the Aachen Dom (Aachen Cathedral), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It incorporates the Palatine Chapel, the construction of which began late in the eighth century in conjunction with Charlemagne’s palace, which no longer exists. The cathedral was the coronation church for 30 German kings.

Visits to the Dom are free, but there’s a €1 (near $1.07) charge if you want to take photos. There is also a €5 charge to enter the Dom’s Treasury. 

Be sure to take the 45-minute tour in English, offered daily at 2 p.m. This informative, €4-per-person tour provides access into the Dom’s Gothic choir, where there’s a shrine containing Charlemagne’s remains, and upstairs for an up-close look at a throne dating back to Charlemagne’s time. Highly recommended!

Other recommended sights include the Rathaus Aachen (Town Hall), the Couven-Museum and the International Newspaper Museum, each with a €5 admission fee.

Between AD 936 and 1531, banquets for royal coronation ceremonies were held in the Town Hall’s Coronation Hall, now decorated with 19th-century frescoes. The engaging Couven-Museum displays upper-middle-class home decor from the 18th and 19th centuries in a historic building.

For a change of pace, check out the International Newspaper Museum (Ponstr. 13, Aachen; http://izm.de/en), which offers a collection of 200,000 newspapers covering five centuries.

While you can see many of Aachen’s attractions in a single, fast-paced day, it’s better to allot at least a day and a half for a more complete experience.

If you don’t mind crowds, time your Aachen visit for when its popular Christmas market is open. Our visit coincided with the 2014 market’s opening weekend. The town remained quaint and never felt touristy.

STEPHEN O. ADDISON, Jr.

Charlotte, NC