Aachen was Charlemagne's favourite residence, and for more than 600 years German kings came here to be crowned. Today it is a lively university city on the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands, with hot springs under its streets and a cathedral that was the first German site on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Here are the facts and stories that make the city special.
10 fun facts about Aachen
- Germany's first World Heritage Site: in 1978 Aachen Cathedral became the first German cultural site on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
- Charlemagne's own church: the core of the cathedral, the eight-sided Octagon, was built from around 798 as the chapel of Charlemagne's palace. The emperor was buried here in 814.
- A coronation church for six centuries: from Otto I in 936 to Ferdinand I in 1531, about 30 German kings were crowned in Aachen.
- A plain stone throne: in the upper gallery of the Octagon stands a simple marble throne, traditionally linked to Charlemagne. Newly crowned kings sat on it, and it can only be seen on a guided tour.
- The hottest springs in Central Europe: the Aachen and Burtscheid thermal springs reach more than 70°C in places. The Romans built baths here, and Charlemagne himself loved to swim in the warm water.
- A fountain that smells of eggs: at the Elisenbrunnen, a classical colonnade from the 1820s, you can taste the thermal water. The smell of sulphur tells you it comes from deep underground.
- A town hall on an emperor's palace: the Gothic town hall was built in the 14th century on the foundations of Charlemagne's great hall. Since 1950 it has hosted the ceremony for the Charlemagne Prize, awarded for work on European unity.
- A protected biscuit: Aachener Printen, hard spiced gingerbread, is a protected geographical indication, so only bakers in and around Aachen may use the name.
- Three countries, one point: just outside the city, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet at the Dreiländerpunkt on the Vaalserberg, which is also the highest point of the mainland Netherlands.
- A pilgrimage every seven years: since 1349 the cathedral's four great cloth relics have been shown to pilgrims every seven years, in the Aachen Pilgrimage. The last was in 2023.
The legend of the devil and the wolf
When the people of Aachen were building their church, the story goes, they ran out of money. The devil offered to pay for the rest, on one condition: he would take the first soul to enter the finished building. The townspeople agreed, but on the day of the consecration they chased a wolf through the door first. The devil, cheated out of a human soul, grabbed the wolf's soul and stormed off in such a rage that he slammed the bronze door and tore off his thumb. Visitors still put a finger into the lion's head on the door to feel for the devil's thumb, and a bronze wolf stands in the entrance hall, beside a bronze pine cone that once decorated a fountain.
The Octagon, explained
Charlemagne wanted a church to match the great buildings of Rome and Ravenna, and had antique columns brought over the Alps for it. The result was the Octagon, for centuries one of the largest domed buildings north of the Alps. Inside, the huge round chandelier was a gift from Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the 12th century, and the Gothic choir, with its tall walls of glass, was added in the 14th and 15th centuries. The golden Shrine of Charlemagne, which holds the emperor's remains, was completed in 1215.
What to eat in Aachen
- Aachener Printen: crisp or soft spiced gingerbread, plain or covered in chocolate, sold all year in the bakeries around the cathedral.
- Öcher Puttes: Aachen's soft blood sausage, protected by the EU since 2016, often fried and served with potatoes and apple.
- Reisfladen: a tart filled with creamy rice pudding, a speciality shared with eastern Belgium.
- Aachen Sauerbraten: the local version of marinated beef has a sauce thickened with crumbled Printen.
Good to know before you go
- The cathedral treasury, one of the most important church treasuries in Europe, is in a separate building next to the cathedral and needs its own ticket.
- To see the throne and the upper gallery of the Octagon, join one of the cathedral's guided tours.
- The Carolus Thermen spa lets you bathe in the city's thermal water, a good end to a day of sightseeing.
- From late November, the Christmas market fills the squares around the cathedral and the town hall.
Explore Aachen with World City Trail
Our Aachen scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 24 minutes of walking, including Aachen Cathedral and the Town Hall.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like.
Play the Aachen scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.