Vrijthof is the heart of maastricht. A beautiful historic square surrounded by churches and…read morerestaurants. Known to many as the square where Andre rieu in July brings classical music concerts to live, where in February carnival is king and in december an ice skating rink. Great spot to sit down on the terrace and do some people watching.

Beautiful square in the center of the city, medieval environment, many restaurants and shops, great…read moreatmosphere. If you go to Maastricht do not miss it!

What an excellent tour in the quaint city of Maastricht. This hour long tour takes you through old…read moremines that span hundreds of kilometers long. Our guide was so knowledgeable & funny with our group. I highly recommend to do this if you find yourself in this lovely city. It is cheap too, maybe 6 euros. There's also a cute restaurant next to the caves, we didn't go there, but if we planned better, we would have. It is a nice view of the city.

Probably my favorite part of the whole trip: an archaeological dig frozen in time, with different…read moresections labeled to indicate if they came from pre-Roman, older Roman, younger Roman, early Middle Ages, and Middle Ages & late Middle Ages. Aachen was sought out in Neolithic times because its quarries product rocks suitable for flint tools!

We were all simply stunned when we entered the Dom. The Aachen Cathedral is…read more a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Carolingian Octagon was formerly the Palatine Chapel from Charlemagne's Aachen Palace. If the Old Town in Dubrovnik was built entirely from local limestone, then the Cathedral very obviously was built with stones and materials from all over, a testament to the city's wealth and influence. https://www.aachenerdom.de/en/

Stopped here as part of our tour of Aachen and definitely not disappointed!…read more This was actually our first stop because I had read some of the history behind the Dom and was absolutely fascinated. We had also read some of the myths surrounding the Dom and new we had to go. The interior was amazing! The ceilings are absolutely beautiful and incorporate so many different styles. The artifacts on display humble the observer due to their antiquity and history. Since we had read up on the Dom before we went, we didn't do the tour, but I wish we had since the tour takes you to parts of the Dom that simply aren't open. I could go into the long history of this place, but others have covered that. I recommend taking the tour and reading about the Dom before you go and take time to simply appreciate the beauty of the building and artifacts!

Aachen is best known as the seat of the unified Western European empire under Charlemagne of the…read moreCarolingian Empire. His Palace of Aachen comprised of structures for political, residential, and religious purposes. The Aachen Town Hall was constructed 1330-1349 atop the foundations of the Aula Regia or King's Hall of the Palace. Above ground, only the Granus Tower of the King's Hall is retained. "From 936 to 1531, the German kings held their coronation banquets in the original Carolingian King's Hall, and later in the Coronation Hall of the Town Hall. The Town Hall is the official seat of the Lord Mayor and the Aachen city council." - Aachen Rathaus signage Unfortunately, we were in Aachen on a Monday when Museums are closed, but the Charlemagne Centre contains a model of an artist's rendition of the palace complex. Wikipedia has a possible reconstruction, too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Aachen

The Aachner Rathaus was interesting, with some beautiful artifacts, intricate detailing in each…read moreroom and spectaular architechture. I think the thing that detracted from it is that its not that big, so when they do a guided group tour, if you are not part of the group and want to go around and enjoy it at your own pace, well it is kind of difficult as the group tends to spill over into every room. But go at a quiet time and you will be impressed.