Hidden Treasures of NRW: Aachen
This December had been cold, dreary and pretty sad, until fate (and cancelled plans) got me to Aachen. I came to Aachen to meet my friend and for the both of us, this was our desperate attempt to bring some life into our winter. Aachen is not a city you can cover in a few days, which is why here I am: writing this post while still in Aachen! My friend Apeksha and this beautiful city of hers welcomed me with open arms and ensured that I end this year on a beautiful note!
Aachen is the westernmost city in Germany and is a stone’s throw away from Belgium and the Netherlands. I had heard of it because it is home to one of the best universities in Germany (RWTH Aachen University) but it turns out that the city is very versatile with a historic city centre. The City Hall of Aachen is a gorgeous example of Gothic architecture built in the 14th century. I was lucky enough to visit the city centre on a sunny day and the place gave me Hogwarts vibes! It had a very different kind of beauty, and it looked like someone had carefully preserved it from the ancient pages of history.
City Hall, Aachen
The Aachen Cathedral took my breath away, and stood proudly flaunting a metallic Gothic look, more than 1200 years after it was built. It is one of the oldest cathedrals in Europe and was the very first site to be granted UNESCO World Heritage status in Germany. The interior of the cathedral was as royal as the exterior architecture, with beautiful symmetrical intricate carvings all over! You can read more about the rich history of the cathedral here if you’re interested!
Aachen Cathedral
On one of my visits to the city centre, I noticed a hot water spring, Eisenbrunnen. As I dipped my freezing hands in the hot sulfurous water, I remembered my blog post about Bad Lippspringe. Wikipedia gave me some fascinating information: Aachen is a spa city and has been officially certified as “Bad Aachen”, but declines to use the prefix so it remains on the top of alphabetical lists. I almost laughed out loud at this, and wondered if Aachen is Germany’s “Sharmaji ka beta”, always at the top :P
Elisenbrunnen
When I searched online for things to see and do in Aachen, I stumbled upon something interesting and just had to go check it out! I had mentioned Stolperstein in my previous blog post and I saw them in Aachen too.
Stolpersteine in memory of Anne Frank, her mother and sister outside their temporary residence in Aachen
I suddenly got transported to the blurred memories of a teenage me reading “The Diary of a Young Girl”. This was a harsh reminder that none of what I read in that book was fiction. This little girl lived here, wrote her heart out, tried to save herself but finally succumbed to hatred.
Anyway, let’s move on to happier things. Before I spill any more beans, let me introduce to you a charming little Christmas tradition in Germany and/or Europe (and also one of my favorite things to do in December). Most cities host beautiful Christmas markets near their city centre which last for four weeks before Christmas. While they originated in Germany, they are now held in many countries. I enjoy drinking Glühwein (mulled wine) at such markets and then collecting the wine glasses as souvenirs. This wine is steaming hot and specially feels very nice to drink in such cold climate.
One week ago as the evening melted into night, the light from the skies descended upon the ground. Like most other cities (where the pandemic allowed a market to be held), the city centre in Aachen was decked up for the market and it was beyond beautiful. Set amidst the Gothic City Hall and the Cathedral, the bright colourful lights made everything come to life. I suddenly realised that this festive atmosphere helped me cope with the day ending so prematurely. Come 4 pm, I waited for the beautiful city lights to light up the dark and dreary nights, nights that didn’t seem to end!
Aachen Weichnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market)
Although I traveled a lot this December, walking around Aachen at night, having heart-to-heart conversations with my friend and then suddenly singing old Bollywood songs is an experience I will cherish all my life. This is not the December I had planned, but this will be a December I will never forget; and for that I will be eternally grateful!