Aachen Cologne North Rhine-Westphalia Germany
50.77528869285563,6.08382738562615

Aachen

The city of Aachen has a lot of history, it is where 32 emperors were crowned for 1000 years. It is the westernmost city in Germany, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, near the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands. The city has four universities, recognized for their academic excellence, making it a young, dynamic and highly educated metropolis.

Originally a Roman spa called Aquisgranum, Aachen rose to prominence in the late 8th century during the rule of Charlemagne, becoming his favourite residence and a centre of Western culture and learning. From the coronation of Otto I in 936 until the 16th century, more than 30 German emperors and kings were crowned at Aachen. Aachen was fortified in the late 12th century and granted municipal rights in 1166 and 1215, and it became a free imperial city about 1250. Aachen began to decline in the 16th century. It was too remote from the centre of Germany to be convenient as a capital, and in the 1560s the coronation site was changed to Frankfurt am Main. Aachen was frequently at odds with the emperors during the Protestant Reformation. In 1656 the city was devastated by a great fire.

Aachen hosted several peace conferences, including those ending the War of Devolution (1668) and the War of the Austrian Succession (1748). Occupied by Napoleon’s army in 1794 and annexed by France in 1801, it was given to Prussia after the Congress of Vienna (1814–15). The city was briefly occupied by the Belgians after World War I. It was severely damaged in World War II, and it became the first large German city to fall to the Allies (October 20, 1944).

The noteworthy medieval churches of St. Foillan, St. Paul, and St. Nicholas were destroyed or heavily damaged during World War II, but their reconstruction began almost immediately afterward. The Rathaus (town hall), built about 1530 on the ruins of Charlemagne’s palace and containing the magnificent Hall of the Emperors, was also damaged and restored. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)
Read More

Known in ancient times as: Aquae Granni
Periods/Settlements: roman, late-antique, modern

Distance between:

Berlin to Aachen 337 Miles / 543 Kms
Munich to Aachen 307 Miles / 495 Kms
Hamburg to Aachen 255 Miles / 411 Kms

Total Area 160.85Km2

Postal Code 52062

Community Code: 05 3 34 002


Population (2019)

Total: 247,380 inhabitants
Total Men: 128,754
Total Women: 118,626
Density: 1538 people x km2

Find Hotels at Aachen

More Information about Aachen

Articles related to Aachen

Discover Aachen, Charlemagne´s capital city
15 Best Things to Do in Aachen (Germany)
1,200-year-old bones found in Aachen Cathedral in Germany believed to belong to Charlema