…and yet so very much at the heart of life. If you want to get to know Aachen from a different angle, you should definitely take a stroll through Burtscheid—only about a ten-minute walk from the city center. Like the Frankenberg district, this district has its own spirit: it is a mix of several attractive things. Hot healing water meets cold water. Coffee culture meets stylish urban café culture, history meets modernity, baroque meets spa history, nature meets architecture. Sounds interesting? It is.

I stroll into the Kurpark. Not a spa garden from a bygone era, no, Burtscheid is still a spa town today. Burtscheid is bubbling with life – in the truest sense of the word. Beneath the district lie some of the hottest thermal springs in Central Europe, which the Romans used for their bathhouses. The water reaches the surface at up to 74 degrees (Celsius) – perfect for spa treatments, your back, and so much more.
I am fascinated by the beautifully landscaped nature of the Kurpark, which harmoniously incorporate a fountain, benches, walking paths, flower beds, meadows, and the Rosenquelle. There is still a hint of the Belle Époque in the air.

I am magically drawn to St. Michael's Church, not least because the path up the hill is a staircase, and staircases have always fascinated me. The church towers above Burtscheid, and the view down to the houses from different eras is fascinating. My path to Burtscheider Markt leads from the main portal of the church down an ancient staircase, and I wonder what these stones have seen over the years.

The Burtscheider Markt – a square and pedestrian zone where life pulsates. Children, spa guests, business people, pensioners, students, shoppers and people milling around are all present. Really present – they don't just “walk through,” they consciously shop, consciously enjoy a coffee, consciously talk. I can sense a refined aura.

Urban coffee culture attracts me everywhere, and so I am drawn to Leni's. A café with its own roastery and correspondingly delicious coffee specialties, offering treats such as breakfast and cake, but also selling coffee beans and stylish cups from its own label.

A few meters further on is the traditional Lammerskötter pastry shop, which serves as both a store and a café with a beautiful outdoor terrace, delicious gingerbread cookies, pralines, cakes, and savory dishes. A treat for the taste buds, also available to take away, because Öcher Printe gingerbread cookies are known to taste good all year round.

On Fridays, you can stroll through the weekly market with all your senses. Vegetables, fruit, bread, cheese, coffee, flowers. Simply a colorful mix for everyday needs, and yet it is a luxury to be able to shop in such a beautiful setting at the Burtscheid market. “Stay a while, moment” – a quote that is so wonderfully fitting for me.

Urban flair always has so many facets. Cafés, small green spaces, benches, and beautiful shops are part of it for me. And Burtscheid has a lot to offer in this regard. But there is also the facet of local life, which for me is reflected in the facades of the houses. And so I stroll through the side streets of Burtscheid, look up, and can't get enough.