About Aachen


The official link for informations about Aachen is: www.aachen.de.

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Sightseeing in Aachen

The impressive Aachen Cathedral was erected on the order of Charlemagne in 786 AD and was on completion the largest cathedral north of the Alps. On his death Charlemagne's remains were interred in the cathedral and can be seen there to this day. The cathedral was extended several times in later ages, turning it into a curious and unique mixture of building styles.

The 14th-century City Hall lies between two central places, the Markt (marketplace) and the Katschhof (between City Hall and the cathedral). The coronation hall is on the first floor of the building. Inside you can find five frescoes by Aachen artist Alfre Rethel which show legendary scenes from the life of Charlemagne, as well as Charlemagne's signature.

The Elisenbrunnen is one of the most famous sights of Aachen. It is a neoclassical hall covering one of the city's famous fountains, and is just a minute away from the cathedral. A few steps to the southwest of the Elisenbrunnen is the city's 19th-century theatre.

Also well known and well worth seeing are the two remaining city gates, the Ponttor, a half-mile northwest of the cathedral, and the Kleinmarschiertor, close to the main train station. There are also a few parts of both medieval city walls left, most of them integrated into more recent buildings, some others visible.

The university

RWTH Aachen University, established as polytechnicum in 1870, is a center of technological research of worldwide importance, especially for electrical and mechanical engineering, computer sciences, and physics. The university clinic associated with RWTH, the Klinikum Aachen, is the biggest single-building hospital in Europe. Over time, a host of software and computer industries have developed around the university.


Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science (AICES)
at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. Email: acces@aices.rwth-aachen.de
Tel. +49 (0)241 80 99131, Fax +49 (0)241 80 628498