Aachen

Welcome to Aachen

Aachen is a lovely city in Germany. It is the 27th-largest city there, with about 261,000 friendly people living in it. Aachen is situated in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, close to the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands.

The city has a very old history. It started as a small Celtic settlement and later became important to the Romans, who built warm baths there because of the natural Aachen thermal springs. Aachen grew even more under Charlemagne, who ruled the Frankish Empire. Many important leaders were crowned there.

Today, Aachen is known for its university, the RWTH Aachen University, one of the best technology schools in Germany. The city also has many factories and businesses focused on science and engineering. A special food from Aachen is Aachener Printen, a type of spicy gingerbread that people enjoy eating.

Aachen is also famous for its beautiful Aachen Cathedral. This special place was built by Charlemagne around the year 796. Inside, you can see Charlemagne's throne and even his tomb. For a long time, many important German kings and queens were crowned here. Today, the cathedral is a special place protected by UNESCO.

The city has many other interesting sights, like the Aachen Rathaus, its old city hall. On the first floor, you can find paintings showing stories from Charlemagne's life. Each year, a special prize named after Charlemagne is given out here. The city hall is also where the mayor works and where the city council meets.

Aachen is a busy place where many different products are made. Factories there make electrical goods, special fabrics, chocolate, glass, machines, rubber items, furniture, and metal products. They also make chemicals, plastics, beauty products, and tiny needles.

The city loves fun activities and traditions. Aachen is also known for a special sweet bread called Aachener Printen. It is different from regular gingerbread because it uses sugar syrup instead of honey.

Aachen has many important schools and universities. RWTH Aachen University, started in 1870, is famous for teaching engineering, computer science, physics, and chemistry. It also has a big hospital and a botanical garden.

Aachen is known for its fun sports events. Every year, the city hosts the CHIO, a big horse competition that is very important in the horse world. The city's football team, Alemannia Aachen, plays in a lower division now. Their old stadium, Tivoli, opened in 1928 and had a special feeling. It was torn down in 2011, and the team now plays in a new stadium called New Tivoli.

Aachen's main railway station, the Hauptbahnhof, opened in 1841 and was later moved closer to the city center. It connects to cities like Cologne, Mönchengladbach, and Liège. There are also buses that go to nearby towns in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Aachen is linked to the Autobahn network and has an airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport, for flights to some European places.