The Elisenbrunnen is one of Aachen’s most famous landmarks. Its neoclassical colonnade was built based on designs by Johann Peter Cremer and Karl Friedrich Schinkel and serves as a reminder of the city’s long tradition of bathing. Behind the arcades, the characteristic scent of the warm springs—which were already in use during Roman times—still rises to this day. As you walk by, you can sense the connection between architecture and healing waters that defines this place. Despite being destroyed during World War II, the fountain was faithfully reconstructed in the 1950s. As a result, it still evokes the atmosphere of a historic spa town amidst the modern cityscape.