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Monument · Aachen, Renânia do Norte-Vestfália
Elisenbrunnen
Neoclassical pavilion from 1827, with an open colonnade and two pavilions, from which Aachen’s sulfurous thermal water flows at about 52 °C. Symbol of the spa city and home to the tourist information office.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Elisenbrunnen
The Elisenbrunnen is the symbol of Aachen as a spa town. The cornerstone was laid in 1822 and the building opened in 1827. The design is by Johann Peter Cremer, revised by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and the name honors Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, then Crown Princess of Prussia.
The complex has an open colonnade of columns between two pavilions. Two drinking fountains bring water from the Emperor’s spring (Kaiserquelle), which emerges at about 52 °C. The water is high in sulfur, and the rotten-egg smell can be noticed from a distance. Signs warn that it is not ordinary drinking water.
Aachen has more than 30 thermal springs, used since Roman times. In the gallery, marble plaques from 1883 commemorate famous visitors who came to take the waters, such as Peter the Great, Frederick the Great, Casanova and Händel.
Behind the pavilion is the Elisengarten, a garden in the city center, with an archaeological display showing remains of the area's first inhabitants. The tourist information office of Aachen operates inside the Elisenbrunnen itself.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 20 to 30 minutes, including the Elisengarten.
Best time
At any time of day; the colonnade is open. The tourist information office operates during business hours, with reduced hours on Sundays.
How to get there
It is on Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz in the center, about a five-minute walk from the cathedral. Several city buses stop at the Elisenbrunnen stop.
Tip
Try a sip of the hot water at the drinking fountains, just for the experience: the sulfur smell is part of the visit. Next to the entrance of the tourist information office there is a tactile model of the building.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Elisenbrunnen
Why does the Elisenbrunnen smell like rotten eggs?
Because Aachen’s thermal water contains a lot of sulphur. Hydrogen sulfide gas gives the characteristic smell, noticeable near the drinking fountains.
Can you drink the water from the Elisenbrunnen?
The water comes out hot, around 52 °C, and many people try a sip out of curiosity. Signs on site caution that it is not ordinary drinking water.
Where is Aachen’s tourist information office?
At the Elisenbrunnen itself, on Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz in the city centre, about a five-minute walk from the cathedral.