Centre Charlemagne is Aachen’s city museum, located near where a medieval courthouse once stood, between the Mariakerk (now the cathedral) and the King’s Hall (now the town hall).
To see in Aachen
Centre Charlemagne
The current building was completed in the late 1960s and houses an exhibition space of around 800 square meters. The museum’s permanent collection focuses on the history of Aachen, with a special emphasis on Charlemagne, the city’s most famous historical figure.
Visitors are guided through a timeline starting from the first settlements in the 5th century BC, moving through the Carolingian period under Charlemagne, the Middle Ages, the Baroque era, and Aachen’s rise as a spa town, all the way to modern times. With an audio guide available in several languages, including Dutch, visitors can explore around 30 stations that provide a detailed look at the city’s past.
The museum is particularly engaging for families and children, offering interactive exhibits where visitors can learn about daily life and culture during the Carolingian period through hands-on experiments. Centre Charlemagne also hosts temporary exhibitions, adding variety to the visitor experience and deepening the exploration of specific historical themes.
