Posted on February 26, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

“Suffering from a recurring twinge or an incessant sharp pain? You won’t be achin’ for long in this spa town”. *Hangs head in shame.* Sorry, it was so obvious, who could resist? Anyway, to get back to the facts….the spa town of Aachen is a real crossroads city, where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands converge.  The first thing that strikes you when you arrive in Aachen is the charming old-y world-y atmosphere.   The second thing that grabs your attention is Aachen Cathedral. The UNESCO World Heritage cathedral was built under the orders of Charlemagne in 786 AD.  When it was completed, it was famous for being the largest dome north of the Alps. Now, how’s that for impressive?

The Grashaus is another fine attraction.  It is one of the oldest non-religious buildings in downtown Aachen, as is the famous Elisenbrunnen spa well.

Aachen is not short on events either.  Every year it hosts international horse riding, horse jumping and driving tournaments.

Itchy feet?  There are plenty of easy day-trips in the surrounding area.  The Dreilandereck (three country border of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium) is one of the area’s star attractions. It is situated within a 10-minute drive of Aachen, close to Vaals (Netherlands).  If you’ve every dreamed of being in three places at once, try this! Oh and it’s completely free too. Also nearby is Zulpich, a pretty little town dating back to Roman towns.  You actually stumble upon it en-route to Bonn with Aachen car hire.  It features a newly opened museum that offers the low-down on Roman baths and bathing culture.  Zulpich is also a handy gateway to Eifel.  Maastricht makes for an especially scenic day trip.  As any good European will remember, it’s where the Maastricht Treaty of the European Union was signed in 1992.