Aachen in cold and rain: The best indoor activities in winter

Why Aachen can do more than just grey skies when it's raining and cold

Anyone experiencing winter in Aachen for the first time will sooner or later ask themselves the question that many know: What do I actually do here when it is cold, dark and wet and the rain comes across? The combination of wind, rain and low temperatures in particular means that you don't necessarily feel like walking around the city or hanging out outside for hours on end, and that's exactly when it becomes apparent how important good indoor activities and places where you feel good, relax, experience something or simply get there.

Aachen has the reputation of being a city with changeable weather, but that is exactly what has meant that there are a variety of offers and places that are perfect for days when you would normally like to hide on the sofa with a blanket. Instead of winter frustration and camp chill, you can see winter in Aachen as an opportunity to get to know new sides of the city that you might never look for in summer: museums with exciting stories, warm spas, cozy cafés, inspiring learning locations and activities where you can work yourself out without getting wet.

Whether you've just moved to Aachen, are studying here, are in town for a project or job, or are simply looking for ideas on what to do in Aachen when it rains — this guide will show you indoor activities that will get you through the winter and at the same time ensure that you experience the city in a new, deeper way.

Culture & history: How you can discover Aachen's past on cold days

Historic places that make you forget the rain

When a cold wind blows through the streets outside, it is the perfect time to get to know the historic side of Aachen from the inside. Instead of standing in the rain in front of impressive architecture, you can step in, take off your jacket and discover in peace what has shaped the city.

Aachen Cathedral, for example, is not only a landmark from the outside, but also a place on the inside where history and silence meet. Especially in winter, when there is less tourist hustle and bustle, you can take time to look at details that you sometimes simply skim over in summer — the light that falls through the windows, the mosaic-decorated surfaces, the special acoustics that automatically make you speak quieter. The situation is similar with other historic buildings and exhibitions in the city: They are not just a point of contact for rainy days, but spaces where you get the feeling of understanding Aachen better.

City history museums and exhibitions are ideal for afternoons when you won't be outside anyway. Instead of being annoyed by the weather, you use the time to look at connections: Why does Aachen's old town look the way it does, what has made the city a border and spa town, what role did it play historically in the region? Especially if you're new, it's a very quick way to go from “I happen to live here” to “I'm starting to understand why this place is the way it is.”

Wellness, warmth and water: spas and relaxation instead of permanent freezing

Why a visit to the thermal baths in Aachen in winter is almost always a good idea

There is hardly a better contrast to a wet and cold winter day than warm air, soft sounds of water, dim lighting and the feeling that you don't have to do anything but let yourself drift. Aachen has always been a city of springs and thermal baths, and that's exactly what plays into your hands in winter.

If you come home frozen after a hard day at university, a packed clinic, long hours in the laboratory or a day in the office, you can of course fall straight on the couch — or you consciously plan an evening or afternoon where you dive into warm water, let your body thaw slowly and switch your head from “to-do lists” to “do nothing.”

A visit to the thermal spa in winter is particularly suitable:

• as a reward after a written exam or completed homework
• as a break in the middle of stressful project phases
• as a meeting place with friends, where you really talk, without cellphones and distractions
• as a reset when you notice that the grey weather is slowly dragging you down

Many who live in Aachen underestimate for a long time how beneficial it is to consciously use the thermal offerings — only to realize at some point that a single evening spent in warm water sometimes brings more relaxation than an entire weekend on the couch.

Stay active: sport, action and exercise under one roof

Indoor sports as a counterweight to winter vibes

If you just swing between desk, bed and sofa in winter, the mood quickly drags down. Especially in a student city like Aachen, it's important to create a balance that makes your body notice: “I'm being used, I'm allowed to do something, I'm more than just a head hanging in front of a screen. ”

Indoor sports facilities are therefore extremely valuable in winter. Whether you prefer climbing or bouldering, in a sports hall doing university sports, in a gym, in a dance class or any other form of exercise — it is crucial that you regularly create spaces for yourself in which you can physically work out energy.

An example:
After a long day of studying in the library, struggling through scripts and slides, it's not another hour on Instagram that saves you, but rather an hour of bouldering, basketball, functional training or yoga. You come out sweaty but with a clear head and take a completely different feeling with you into the evening, even when rain is still pattering on the window panes outside.

Even if it takes effort to leave your home again when it's dark and cold, investing in exercise almost always pays off in winter — and helps you to keep concentration, sleep and mood stable.

Cinema, games, escape rooms: When you want fun instead of frustration

Entertainment that completely pulls you out for a few hours

Sometimes you don't need a deep culture or sporting activity, but simply a few hours in which you can be entertained, laugh, cheer on or solve a task together with friends. There are plenty of indoor activities in and around Aachen for just that, which are perfect for gloomy winter evenings when you would otherwise just “hang out”.

A movie night is the classic: popcorn, dark room, good story — and it can snow, rain or storm outside because of me while you dive completely into another world for two hours. Escape rooms or indoor game offerings work in the same way: You keep your brain busy, but in a playful, relaxed way that has nothing to do with exams, deadlines or grades.

Such evenings are especially important in winter because they give you the feeling that you have experienced something, even though you were actually “just inside.” They break the routine of studying — eating — sleeping and reminding you that your life in Aachen is more than your schedule or work contract.

Cosy cafés: Aachen's second living room in winter

Cafés as a retreat, place of learning and meeting place

“What to do in Aachen when the weather is bad? “— one of the most common questions from people who have just arrived here. One of the best answers is: Go to a café that feels like it's welcoming you with open arms.

Café culture in Aachen plays a completely different role in winter than in summer. Cafes become places where you:

• be able to work on homework with a laptop and headphones
• Meet up with friends to chat, play games or make plans
• Be able to sit alone and read while rain is drumming at the windows outside
• relax after a stroll through the city or a day at the Christmas market

You can recognize good winter cafés by the fact that you don't have to make room after 20 minutes, but feel welcome to stay longer, whether with a second coffee, a piece of cake or a hearty snack.

For students, cafés are often an addition to the library: On days when you feel like you have no energy for “rigorous learning,” you can sit down in a café and do at least a few things — emails, literature research, structural planning — and thus prevent the day from completely flying by.

Indoor learning locations: When you need to stay focused in winter

Between library, study room and apartment

Winter is not only the time of mulled wine and candlelight, but usually also the phase in which tests, fees and deadlines are approaching. That is why indoor activities in Aachen are not just “leisure activities”, but also, in concrete terms, learning and working strategies.

Libraries and study rooms at universities may be more crowded than usual during this time, but they give you structure that you may not have at home. You can divide up your day clearly: lecture in the morning, bib in the afternoon, free time in the evening. If you look for permanent learning locations that you go to regularly in winter, the result is a routine that will carry you through exhausting times.

At the same time, your home or apartment is also an indoor place of learning — but only if there are conditions there that make concentrated work possible in the first place. A quiet desk, reliable Internet, enough space for documents and the feeling that you feel comfortable and don't live permanently in a temporary solution are crucial. If you're sitting in a cluttered, half-finished room, constantly freezing, or worried about utility costs, studying in winter quickly becomes a tough task.

Living in Aachen in winter: Why a stable living situation makes things a lot easier

Indoor activities are only as good as the place you return to

You can still try out so many cool indoor activities in Aachen — at the end of the day, you always come back to the same place: your apartment, your shared room, your apartment. This is where it is decided in winter whether you can really relax, whether you can concentrate on your work and whether you feel at home in Aachen in the long term.

In winter, living becomes a test:

• When it drags and is cold, you notice every door that is poorly sealed.
• If your electricity and heating costs are incalculable, you don't sit relaxed on the sofa in the evening, but with a bad feeling before the next bill.
• When you wake up every morning in a messy room that never really seems finished, you don't feel like you're arriving.

Especially if you're studying, new to the city or just living in Aachen for a project, the question is worthwhile: How can I make sure that at least my home works while I deal with all the other challenges?

Furnished apartments with all-inclusive rent: A solution that makes a lot of sense in winter

One way to make this part of your life easier for yourself is furnished apartments in Aachen with all-inclusive rent, where you know what's in store for you right from the start and don't have to organize each post individually.

Instead of worrying about furniture, kitchen, lamps, Internet providers, additional costs and contracts in winter, you move into a living space that is already well thought-out and makes the most important decisions for you. This is particularly helpful if you:

• moving to Aachen from another city or country
• Start studying or a new job at the same time
• You move during the exam period
• Don't want to spend years collecting furniture and making temporary arrangements

You get a finished apartment, in which a bed, a kitchen, a workplace and a functioning infrastructure are already waiting for you. In addition, an all-inclusive rental helps you sleep peacefully in winter because you know that heating, electricity, Internet and other additional costs are already included in the package and that you won't suddenly be surprised by back payments if the winter is harder or longer.

Good shepherd: indoor life that suits winter in Aachen

One example of such a living concept is Good Shepherd in Aachen West. Here, in a listed building, modern apartments have been created that are tailored precisely to people who study, work or are involved in projects in Aachen and need a solution that works in everyday life — especially in winter.

What makes the Good Shepherd special:

• furnished apartments up to a certain size that you can move into without much preparation
• eine All inclusive rent, which already bundles significant costs so that you can plan
• eine Lage, which offers you short distances to RWTH, the Melaten campus, the university hospital and the city center
• common areas such as a fitness room, co-working, washing lounge and recreation rooms, which are also indoor activities and offer you alternatives if the blanket falls on your head

Especially in winter, you don't have to spend any additional energy on getting your living situation “up to speed” in any way, but can concentrate on your studies, your work, your relationships and the beautiful side of the city.

In addition, there are always good shepherds Special offers for specific apartments where you benefit from reduced entry prices or special conditions — something that can be a real financial advantage, especially at the start of winter and semester.

Conclusion: Aachen in cold and rain — your winter can still be good

Aachen in winter, especially when it's cold and raining, is the opposite of a postcard idyll — and yet this time of year can be a phase in which you really get to know the city deeply. The best indoor activities in Aachen consist not only of “killing time”, but also opportunities to develop, relax, have fun and consciously shape your everyday life:

• You can dive into the history of the city at museums, historic buildings and exhibitions.
• You can recharge your batteries in spas and wellness areas when winter drags you down.
• You can work yourself out in indoor sports and leisure activities and do something good for your body.
• You can find new routines in cafés and learning locations that will carry you through exam phases.
• And you can make sure that your home in Aachen is not another stress factor, but a place of retreat that you are happy to return to after every rainy day.

If you're looking for a housing solution that suits you this time of year — for example, a furnished apartment with all-inclusive rent at Guter Hirten — then you're laying an important foundation for the fact that winter in Aachen is not something you have to get through, but a time when you can grow, arrive and really experience the city.