scenic viewpoint
Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt
The Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
5 km · about 10 min drive
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · Europe
Aachen works well as a base: 10 minutes from Vaals, 30km from Hautes Fagnes.
Aachen is a city located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 265,208, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Aachen sits in Germany, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Berlin time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Aachen to your route.
Aachen is the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. It is the westernmost major city in Germany, lying approximately 61 km (38 mi) west of Cologne and Bonn, directly bordering Belgium in the southwest, and the Netherlands in the northwest.Read more
The city lies in the Meuse–Rhine Euroregion and is the seat of the district of Aachen (Städteregion Aachen).
The once Celtic settlement was equipped with several thermae in the course of colonization by Roman pioneers settling at the warm Aachen thermal springs around the 1st century. After the withdrawal of the Roman troops, the vicus Aquae Granni was Frankized around the 5th century, by which it came under Merovingian and later Carolingian rule. With the completion of the Carolingian Palace of Aachen at the transition to the 9th century, Aachen was constituted as the main royal residence of the Frankish Empire ruled by Charlemagne. Because of that, the city is sometimes called the "cradle of Europe". After the Treaty of Verdun, the city was within the borders of Middle Francia, until it became part of East Francia after the Treaty of Meerssen (870). It subsequently was part of the Holy Roman Empire and was granted city rights in 1166 by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, becoming an imperial city. It served as the coronation site where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans from 936 to 1531, until Frankfurt became the preferred place of coronation.
One of Germany's leading institutes of higher education in technology, the RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälisch Technische Hochschule Aachen), is located in the city. Its university hospital Uniklinikum Aachen is Europe's largest single-building hospital. Aachen's industries include science, engineering and information technology. In 2009, Aachen was ranked eighth among cities in Germany for innovation.
Aachen is located at the northern foothills of the High Fens and the Eifel Mountains. It sits on the Wurm River, a tributary of the Rur, and together with Mönchengladbach, it is the only larger German city in the drainage basin of the Meuse. The regional dialect spoken in the city is a Central Franconian, Ripuarian variant with strong Limburgish influences from the dialects in the neighbouring Netherlands. As a Rhenish city, Aachen is one of the main centres of carnival celebrations in Germany, along with Cologne and Mainz. The culinary specialty for which the city is best known is Aachener Printen, a type of gingerbread.
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Aachen offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Aachen is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe. The coordinates are 50.7766 latitude, 6.0834 longitude.
Aachen has a population of approximately 265,208 people, making it a city in Germany.
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Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for Germany8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
The Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
5 km · about 10 min drive
landmark
Hill-country Valkenburg hides Roman-era marl tunnels, a ruined castle and the Netherlands' only true hilltop drives.
20 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
A 19th-century dam near Spa crowned by a 13-ton stone lion, with a 78 m panorama tower and forested Ardennes reservoir views a short detour off the Verviers road.
23 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Slate-and-timber Eifel town crammed into the narrow Rur gorge near the Belgian border, its lanes essentially unchanged for 300 years; a historic mustard mill still grinds and the castle ruin hosts open-air concerts.
27 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
A grand cafe-ringed square anchored by two medieval churches in the Netherlands' oldest, most Burgundian city.
29 km · about 35 min drive
national park
Belgium's highest, wildest plateau of peat bog and boardwalk trails, often the snowiest corner of the country.
30 km · about 35 min drive
national park
NRW's only national park rewires former forest with wild beech, wildcats and one of Germany's darkest star-filled skies.
31 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
At 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
31 km · about 35 min drive
April to October
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