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
EuropeGermanyNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Aachen
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · Europe
About Aachen
Aachen works well as a base: 10 minutes from Vaals, 30km from Hautes Fagnes.
Aachen is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with about 270,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Vaals, about 5 km away.
Aachen is the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 264,000 inhabitants. It is the western-most 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.
Where to Stay in Aachen
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Aachen?
Within an hour or so of Aachen: Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt (5 km), Valkenburg Marl Caves (20 km), Gileppe Dam (23 km), Monschau (27 km).
Are there any good drives near Aachen?
The nearest famous roads are Baraque de Fraiture, Mosel Valley Wine Route and Moselle Valley Road (B53).
Where is Aachen?
Aachen is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, about 5 km from Vaals.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 265,208
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 50.7766, 6.0834
Emergency & Services
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 GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Aachen
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Valkenburg Marl Caves
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
Gileppe Dam
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
Monschau
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
Vrijthof Maastricht
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
Hautes Fagnes
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
Eifel 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
Signal de Botrange
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
Driving roads near Aachen
- Right hereVaalserberg DrielandenpuntThe Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
- 23 kmGileppe DamA 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.
- 31 kmSignal de BotrangeAt 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
- 64 kmBaraque de FraitureBelgium's second-highest point at 652 m, a windswept Ardennes plateau crossroads on the N89 with a small ski station and sweeping high-fen scenery.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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