Imperial city in the ‘Three-Country Corner’
Being charmingly located at the border of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands makes the imperial city of Aachen not only a popular tourist destination but also a city of long history and treasures of art. But for two things Aachen is especially well known. The water that is heated to 74 degrees Celsius by the Eifel volcanoes and that has already being enjoyed by Celts and Romans. Well, then there is of course Emperor Charlemagne who, prompted by these healing springs built his palace in Aachen and thus made it centre of the great Frankish Empire. In the 18th and 19th centuries every famous personality came for those waters to Aachen – from Casanova to the Russian Czar. It’s also these waters that originated the city’s name. The Latin “aqua” or medieval Franconia word “ahha”, both mean water.
Numerous buildings and monuments in Aachen testify of around 2,000 years of history. There is for instance the Aachen Cathedral and its imperial throne that was seat for 30 German kings. The cathedral treasury and Gothic city hall are also among Aachen’s most important sights. Not forgotten should be the Route Charlemagne. It is an ensemble of important historical and modern buildings in Aachen’s centre. Every station of the route deals with a subject which stamped ours just as Emperor Charlemagne’s time. At different stations the route tells about subjects like "history", "science", "Europe", "religion", "power", "economy" or "media" and therefore at the same time about the development of Aachen as an European town.
Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II and Angela Merkel have been here. Just as the Euro and the people of Luxembourg they are all past winners of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen that is given since 1949. Each year in May monarchs, presidents, heads of government and important cleric and academic personalities come to Aachen to witness the ceremony. The Charlemagne Prize honours only that which is of political, cultural or academic service to Europe.
More information: http://www.aachen.de/EN/ts/Current_information/index.html
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