Aachen

Germany

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Ponttor, Gate of the original city wall, Aachen, Germany

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Why visit Aachen

Aachen has been around for millennia. The Romans nursed their war wounds and stiff joints in the steaming waters of its mineral springs, but it was Charlemagne who put the city firmly on the European map. The emperor, too, enjoyed a dip now and then, but it was more for strategic reasons that he made Aachen the geographical and political capital of his vast Frankish Empire in 974 – arguably the first empire with European dimensions.

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Gems of Germany: Cross-Country Castles, Culture, and Cuisine in 13 Days

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  1. 1 Sipping regional white wines in the rolling hills and lush countryside of the Rhine Valley
  2. 2 Indulging in the lavish spa culture and thermal baths of elegant Baden-Baden
  3. 3 Channeling your inner royal throughout Bavaria's many, magnificent castles
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