as of 31/03/2021
You have to wear a medical mask (FFP2, KN95, N95, surgical mask) while using the public transport or in shops.
aachen tourist service e.v.
- Due to the current regulations regarding the coronavirus, we have to cancel all our public guided tours.
- From 2/11/2020 the Tourist Info Elisenbrunnen will be closed until further notice.
- Our Service Centre can still be reached from Mon. – Fri. from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at +49 241 18029-50 or booking@aachen-tourismus.de.
- Please note that we require all cancellations in writing to booking@aachen-tourismus.de
Travel
- Accommodation in Germany will only be provided for necessary and expressly non-touristic purposes until 18/04/2021.
- Information for persons from risk areas you find here.
- Coach tours are forbidden.
- The public city tour will not take place until further notice.
Gastronomy
- Catering establishments and bars, clubs, discotheques, pubs and similar establishments are closed until 28/3/2021. Exceptions are the delivery and collection of take-away food for consumption at home and the operation of canteens.
Retail trade
- Please notice: The "test option" will apply for Aachen from on 29/03/2021. Despite an increased incidence rate, openings may be maintained, but only for people with a rapid test or self-test confirmed by an official body on the same day. An overview of the test centres can be found here.
- The food retail trade and drugstores are opened also without covid-test. Flower shops, garden centers and book stores opens on 8/3/2021.
- The retail trade can open on 8/3/2021. The owners decides on the opening of their shop. The number of customers is limited and they have to book an appointment.
- In the shopping centre "Aquis Plaza", you have to book an appointment for each shop itself. You will find information here.
- Customers are obliged to wear a medical mask (FFP2, KN95, N95, surgical mask) in accordance with the Corona Protection Ordinance.
Sights & Museums
Aachen Cathedral
- The cathedral is only open to those who pray. During the week and on Easter Saturday between 11am and 5pm, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday between 1pm and 5pm.
- There are no guided tours of the cathedral until 18/04/2021.
- The Easter services in the cathedral take place in presence, for the Easter Vigil (Easter Saturday 9:30 p.m.) as well as for the service on Easter Sunday at 11:45 a.m. access cards are required, which are available free of charge at the Dominformation until Maundy Thursday.
- The services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday can be celebrated digitally via the diocesan website and the diocesan YouTube channel.
- Only the participants in the Easter Vigil will receive an Easter candle suitable for this purpose; there will be no further sale of Easter candles.
Cathedral Treasury
The Aachen Cathedral Treasury is open at two weekends and in the second week of the Northrhine-Westphalian easter holidays.
- March 19 - March 21 between 10am and 5pm
- March 26 - March 28 between 10am and 5pm
- April 03 - April 11 between 10am and 5pm
- You are only allowed to stay one hour in the treasury.
- Tickets can be booked from on March 15 via +49 241 47709-145 (daily between 10am - 5pm) or via e-mail.
Rathaus Aachen (Town Hall)
- The Town Hall is closed for visitors until further notice.
Museums
- The municipal museums can be partially visited again from 13.03.2021, but only after booking an appointment in advance and with a limited number of visitors. Admission to the museums is only permitted to visitors who can present a negative, daily Covid-19 rapid test or confirmed self-test. The maximum time spent in the museums is 2 hours. The cafés in the museums will continue to be closed.
- Tickets for the Centre Charlemagne could be ordered here or via +49 241 432-4994.
- Tickets for the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum could be ordered here or via +49 241 47980-30.
- Tickets for the Ludwig Forum could be ordered here or via +49 241 1807-104.
- Tickets for the Internationales Zeitungsmuseum (Newspaper Museum) could be ordered here or via +49 241 432-4915.
- The Couven Museum and the Zollmuseum Friedrich are still closed.
- Visitors who have already purchased / reserved a ticket but wish to cancel their booking due to the test provision should cancel their reservation and send booked tickets to the Kulturbetrieb der Stadt Aachen, Mozartstraße 2-10, 52058 Aachen with the keyword: Rückerstattung Museumsticket and their bank details and address so that a refund can be made.
- The Fernmeldemuseum Aachen is open. You can make an appointment via +49 241 1911-148. The entrance and guided tours are for free. There are not any fixed opening hours, they depend on the wishes of the visitors.
- The Büchel-Museum Rote Burg opens also. You can make an appointment via +49 171 4224434 or during the opening hours (Thursday + Friday 12am - 6pm) at the entrance of the museum. Guided tours are possible.
Please note that the admission prices of the museums may vary at the moment. You will find out the exact prices when you book your ticket.
Further cultural and leisure facilities
- Most of the institutions and facilities which are to be allocated to leisure activities will be closed until 28/3/2021.
- The Aachener Tierpark is open. Visitors have to book an appointment in advance here www.euregiozoo.de . You do not need a Covid-19 test for the zoo.
Events
- Major events are prohibited until at least 31/05/2021.
- At public events, cultural events, performances and concerts indoor and outdoor you have to maintain a distance of minimum 2 meters.
- The audience has to wear a mouth and nose cover also on the seats.
- Alcoholic drinks are forbidden.
- Singing along during musical contributions are not allowed.
- The CHIO Aachen - World Equestrian Festival ist postponed to September 10 until September 19, 2021.
- The Aachen Pilgrimage is postponed to June 9 until June 19, 2023.
- The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen will be awarded on October 02, 2021.
Local public transport
Please visit www.aseag.de to find out about the current situation in public transport.
Border triangle (Germany/Belgium/Netherlands)
- Since 30/9/20 Belgium and most parts of the Netherlands belong to the risk area.
- North Rhine-Westphalia, the Netherlands and Belgium continue to strongly advise against travelling abroad.
- The borders remain open, small border traffic is still possible.
- An overview of the travel advice and regulations can be found here.
- Non-essential travel is generally considered to be shopping/shopping/fuelling up, visiting friends and relatives not of the first degree, tourism/recreation as well as hiking and cycling.
- Belgium has also had an explicit ban on non-essential (leisure tourism) travel since 27 January until 18 April 2021. Belgium has announced increased border controls around Easter.
Please note that especially this information is constantly changing and we therefore cannot guarantee its current validity. Information can be found on the website of the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- Bus tickets for the Arriva bus to Maastricht are currently only available online via www.arriva.nl