Welcome to Aachen: Complete Guide for Expats
Everything you need to know about living in Aachen as an expat
Welcome to Aachen, a city full of history and charm! A town nestled in Germany’s far west in the state of North Rhein-Westphalia, at the crossroads of Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a city with something to offer, whether you are a student who plans to stay here temporarily, a professional, or even a family wishing for peace while still enjoying most of modern life’s comforts and a wonderful geographical location. What is there to know about its history? What is useful information on finding accommodation and just running errands in general? Will you be able to navigate in English? We will cover all of these questions and more!
A Brief Snapshot of Aachen’s History and Significance
The roots of Aachen go back to Roman times when it served as a notable center within the empire. Renowned for its healing thermal springs, the city was known as Aqua Granni and became a thriving spa destination.
As a soon-to-be Aachener, you might have already encountered the phrase: “The city of Charlemagne”. Why, you might ask? It’s because Aachen was his favorite city so much so, that he established it as his imperial residence and chose it as the location for his magnificent Palatine Chapel, now part of the iconic Aachen Cathedral.
For over 600 years, Aachen was the coronation city for German kings, with over 30 monarchs crowned within its cathedral walls. In recognition of its historical and architectural significance, Aachen Cathedral was named Germany’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
If you’re a history buff, you may already know much of this—or even looked it up yourself! For those who’d like to dive deeper, we highly recommend exploring the Aachen Cathedral’s official website and Britannica’s page about Aachen for more details.
Aachen’s Vibrant Cultural Scene
Aachen is quite active when it comes to culture and always has something to offer. The following museums: Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Ludwig Forum, Town Hall, Centre Charlemagne, Couven Museum, and International Newspaper Museum, are a must-see for any history fanatic. Even the medieval artifacts and contemporary pieces reflect the culture and history of Aachen.
Theater Aachen has some fantastic performances and ‘Mörgens’ has some great contemporary and avant-garde productions, so if you are a fan of theater or music, you do not need to worry, as Aachen has something for everyone. They host opera, drama ballet, and even concerts.
Jazz enthusiasts will fit right in with the loads of places Aachen has to offer. Head over to the Dumont Aachen if you're looking for some regular live sessions or the Club Tajine which has open-stage jazz nights on Mondays. Elysee Café is also a favorite with locals due to its cozy vibe and astonishing music.
Carnival in Aachen
Aachen’s Carnival or simply Fastelovend is a famous celebration that forms part of the Rhineland's customs. On “Rosenmontag”, or Rose Monday, it reaches its climax with a festive parade that has over 100 floats and marching bands. Costumed revelers dancing to the party's theme while capturing these jovial moments are filled with immense enjoyment as the customary “Oche Alaaf!” fills the air.
The Children’s Costume Carnival is celebrated on Carnival Sunday which makes it a favorite among many families. This is a parade with groups consisting of children, schools, and even marching bands with fastelovend spirit. It is quite similar to the one prior to World War II. For more details on these happenings check on the NRW Tourism site.
Aachen Christmas Market
Aachen is changing into a winter wonderland by the end of the year with its famous Christmas Market. The market has about 120 wooden stalls that sell various items in every niche category. Other than crafts and presents, visitors can also appreciate the local specialties like unforgettable gingerbread in the form of Aachener Printen, and crispy potato pancakes known as Kartoffelpuffer. For further information, make sure to check the official Aachen Christmas Market website.
To get more information about all the upcoming cultural events, concerts, and festivals in Aachen check out the Aachen Tourist Service Events Page. There is something in Aachen for everyone so all the residents and tourists will be left inspired.
Moving to Aachen: A Guide for English-Speaking Newcomers
Registration and Language
Citizens of EU countries must only register their residence at the municipal citizen’s office called Bürgeramt. If you are a citizen from outside the EU, ensure you have the necessary documentation for obtaining a residence permit. You can find more information and the official procedures on RWTH Aachen University's page. While some may consider this a challenge, most of the young people around the place can converse in English so you should manage rather well. Successive and permanent residents are encouraged to learn the language if they plan to stay for a long time. Learning the language is a gesture of goodwill and opens a window to experiencing positive things in life here! This can be done through various available programs and language schools.
Healthcare
Germany is known to have some of the best health services in the world, and there are many hospitals in Aachen, including Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, which caters to English-speaking people.
It is vital to know how the system functions, in particular how to efficiently access covered services, especially how the public and private split forms. You can read about how the German healthcare system works in detail in the linked article!
Living in Aachen as an Expat or a Student
The city is easily walkable or bikeable and its small size makes it ideal for exploring. Burtscheid is also much quieter, making it suitable for families, while popular neighborhoods like Pontviertel make it ideal for students as it is very close to the RWTH university and has a pulsating atmosphere.
For accommodation, students tend to prefer shared flats or ‘Wohngemeinschaften’ WGs, while modern apartments or historic townhouses are preferred by working professionals. The websites wg-gesucht.de and immobilienscout24.de are very convenient for looking for housing.
Aachen is noticeably cheaper than other big German cities such as Frankfurt and Munich. According to FlatSurfer, as of 2024, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Aachen ranges from €500 to €800.
Accommodation & Apartment Hunting
We are not going to lie, finding accommodation in Aachen is not the easiest task. It might be a bit easier for students, because of the numerous student housing, but if you want to have your apartment, be prepared to:
- a) either look for months,
- b) pay more than you might have initially expected, or
- c) lessen your expectations, or
- d) all of the above.
It might be new to you depending on which country you are coming from, but most apartments come unfurnished here, even to the point that renting a place with no kitchen and lightbulbs is pretty common as well.
Approximately half of the German population rent, rather than own, so they invest more in their flats by purchasing their appliances and customizing their flats to their liking, which usually means that when they move, they take what they can with them or sell some of their belongings.
An agreement of the next tenant having to take over certain furniture with the owner is also pretty common, so on top of the 2-3 months deposit and first month of rent, you may also be expected to pay a few hundred or thousand more on furniture/appliances which were owned and used by the previous tenant. Of course, they cannot force you to do so, but the owner has the right to choose someone willing to. You may miss your chance to rent an apartment that ticks all of the boxes for you solely because of this.
Why Choose Aachen for Your Next Chapter?
Aachen is more than just a city to live in: it’s a city to thrive in. In particular, students and researchers from different corners of the world come to Aachen because of RWTH University, one of Europe’s leading technical institutions. Professionals, too, have much to gain from Aachen given the innovative industries within the city in particular engineering and technology.
Its location is another major draw. Living in Aachen allows you to be not more than an hour from cities like Maastricht (Netherlands) and Liège (Belgium). This central position makes Aachen ideal for people looking to use weekends to visit Paris or go hiking in the Ardennes mountains. Aachen truly serves as a perfect base to explore the rest of Europe.
Thanks to expat communities and Aachen’s close-knit community, getting connected is easy. You can invest your time in international clubs and attend meetups to make friends within the city instantly.