Twin towns
Aachen
If you have ever wondered about the city of Aachen in Germany, here are a few details.
- Aachen was founded 1200 years ago by Charlemagne as the seat of government of the Franconian empire, the centre of the western world and 33 German kings were subsequently crowned there.
- 800 years before Charlemagne the Romans so enjoyed the thermal springs that they built thermal baths in Aachen.
- It is a university city, attracting students - some 47,000 - from 80 nations. It therefore has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere.
- It is very near the borders of the Netherlands and Belgium.
Besides being twinned with Halifax, Aachen is also twinned with:
- Reims in France
- Ningbo in China
- Toledo in Spain
- Arlington in USA.
In 1978 Aachen Cathedral|
became the first German building to be put on the UNESCO list of the World's Cultural Heritage. The central feature of the cathedral is the eight-cornered dome, the Octagon, built by Charlemagne to house valuable relics sent from Constantinople and Jerusalem.
A walk round Aachen is a journey through different centuries - medieval fortifications, Gothic Churches, Baroque town houses and delightful fountains.
Aachen is famous for Aachener Printen which is a kind of gingerbread as well as for needle making, the annual International Horse Show and the Charlemagne Peace Prize.
Web sites
Willkommen in Aachen|
German language site containing information about the city of Aachen, including the city centre, buildings and technology.
Aachen: Touristisches Portal der Stadt|
German language site containing tourist information about Aachen.
Aachen: City Information|
English language site containing current tourist information about Aachen. The site also contains numerous links to hotels, guided tours, museums and dining information
How to get to Aachen|
English language site detailing transport links to Aachen via the following methods: car; train; coach; plane; public transport; Euregio train and car sharing.
Town Hall, Crossley Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 1UJ
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