64km (40 miles) W of Cologne, 80km (50 miles) SW of Düsseldorf

The ancient Imperial City of Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle), at the frontier where Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands meet, is inseparably connected with Charlemagne. He selected this spot as the center of his vast Frankish empire. History is important here, but today there's also a youthful joie de vivre that attracts young people from all over the world. Visitors also come for the sulfurous hot springs and the magnificent cathedral.

Aachen has an even longer history as a spa than as an imperial city. Roman legionnaires established a military bath here in the 1st century A.D. By the end of the 17th century, Aachen was known as the "Spa of Kings" because royalty from all over Europe came here to take the cure. Its springs are among the hottest in Europe. The treatment includes baths and the Trinkkur (drinking the water). The spa gardens are the center of resort activity, with attractive ponds, fountains, and shade trees.