This March, I took a trip with my dog to Aachen, a city near the Eifel mountains in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) just next to the border to Belgium.
Since we were just passing through, I can’t recommend you a place to stay in Aachen with your dog, but we did have lunch in this dog friendly Korean restaurant which was good value. 11 EUR for a Bibimbap in a traditional stone bowl and a coke? Sign me right up. Of course, my dog received a bowl of water and cuddles as well.
Anyway, on to our visit to Aachen! Find out all about our trip below.
THE ROUTE
Originally, we wanted to park in the parking lot near the cathedral, but we ended up finding convenient street parking near the St Jakob’s church. Be aware that most of the inner city of Aachen has paid parking only.
From the St Jakob’s church, we walked to the market square, which is home to the city hall (Rathaus) and the Aachen cathedral (Aachener Dom).
Did you know that the cathedral is one of the oldest in Europe, since it was already consecrated in the year 805? Today it is part of the UNESCO world heritage and it is also the last resting place of the emperor Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse).
After visiting the main square, we walked over to the so-called Ponttor, one of the two remaining gates of the wall that used to surround the city.
It was built in the 14th century to defend the city against any attackers, and I must say: It’s a pretty cool building. You can walk through and still see some of the old defense systems, such as loopholes. My dog was a little more excited about the lawn just in front, but to each their own!
The Ponttor was already the last stop on our short visit to Aachen and we made our way back to the parking spot.
HOW LONG IT TAKES AND WHO IT’S FOR
We spent around two hours walking around Aachen, but that includes an extended break for lunch. The city centre is very walkable and relatively flat, so it was not strenuous. I would call it a nice little stroll.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We found the city to be quite cute and easily walkable. Coupled with some interesting historical buildings, Aachen was a nice stop for a trip with my dog.
A trip with my dog 