Aachen's Historical Buildings Tour, Aachen

Aachen's Historical Buildings Tour (Self Guided), Aachen

Evolved from an ancient Roman settlement, Aachen is one of the oldest and most historic cities in Germany. At one time it served as the capital of Holy Roman Empire. Today's Aachen is just a small city yet with a very rich history and stunning architecture. Despite being heavily damaged during World War II, some of its historical buildings have survived to our days courtesy of the strenuous reconstruction effort started almost immediately after the war.

As the royal residence of the emperor Charlemagne, Aachen was the principal coronation site of Holy Roman emperors and German kings from the Middle Ages to the Reformation. The Palatine Chapel, a masterpiece of the distinctive Carolingian architecture, incorporated within Aachener Dom (Aachen Cathedral), was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. The Cathedral itself, an eye-catching monument to Europe's illustrious past, is a fine mix of Carolingian and Gothic styles. Luckily, it suffered relatively little damage during WWII, and is currently one of the most influential buildings on the continent – architecturally, historically and religiously.

Also noteworthy are the well-preserved medieval churches such as St Foillan and St Nicholas, as well as the Rathaus (Town Hall), a wonderful stately edifice constructed circa 1530 on the ruins of Charlemagne’s palace and containing the magnificent Hall of the Emperors. Its renown was so great that later many town halls throughout Medieval Europe were modeled on it. Another monument still extant, originally a portion of the Charlemagne imperial palace, is the Granusturm (Granus Tower).

One more relic from the times when Aachen was a Free Imperial City is the Ponttor, a 14th-century gate once manned by soldiers, now used by German Youth and Scout groups.

There are quite a few historical buildings in Aachen where you can learn much about the city's glorious past. To explore the most spectacular of them in your good time and at your own pace, take this self-guided walking tour.

Image Courtesy of Flickr and Günter Hentschel.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Aachen

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Aachen's Historical Buildings Tour
Guide Location: Germany » Aachen (See other walking tours in Aachen)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk or build your own)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Aachen?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Aachen Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Aachen?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Aachen, Germany

Create Your Own Walk in Aachen

Creating your own self-guided walk in Aachen is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Aachen Introduction Walking Tour

Welcome to Aachen, a city with roots stretching back to Neolithic times. For thousands of years, people have been drawn here by its mineral springs. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of settlements dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. In those ancient days, the Celts made their home here, likely to worship Grannus, the god of light and healing.

By the second century, the Romans had... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles