Day trips from Aachen
16 hidden towns and nature spots within 150 km of Aachen, picked by Europe Revealed. Sorted from nearest to furthest.
20 km01 · Hidden town · NetherlandsValkenburgA hill town with a castle ruin, caves and the country's only cable car.
Trains from Maastricht take about 10 minutes.
25 km02 · Hidden townMonschauSlate-and-timber houses packed along a narrow river valley in the Eifel.
Buses run from Aachen in about an hour. Easiest by car.
30 km03 · Nature spot · BelgiumHautes FagnesHigh moorland crossed by wooden boardwalks, Belgium's highest point.
Easiest by car. Buses run from Eupen and Malmedy.
45 km04 · Hidden town · NetherlandsThornThe 'white village', where every house was painted white.
Easiest by car or bike. Buses run from Roermond.
65 km05 · Hidden town · BelgiumDurbuyA tiny cobbled town in the Ardennes, known for its topiary park.
Easiest by car. The nearest train station is in Barvaux, a few kilometres away.
95 km06 · Hidden town · LuxembourgViandenA fairytale castle above a river town in the Luxembourg Ardennes.
Buses run from Ettelbruck station, about 30 minutes.
95 km07 · Nature spot · BelgiumHan-sur-Lesse CavesHuge underground halls carved by a river in the Ardennes.
Easiest by car. An old-style tram takes visitors from the village to the cave entrance.
100 km08 · Hidden town · BelgiumDinantAn onion-domed church squeezed between the Meuse river and a cliff with a citadel.
Trains run from Namur, about 30 minutes. The centre is walkable.
105 km09 · Popular townCochemA castle on a vine-covered hill above the Moselle river.
Trains from Koblenz take about 50 minutes along the river.
110 km10 · Nature spot · LuxembourgMullerthalMossy sandstone gorges and forest paths, called Little Switzerland.
Buses run from Luxembourg City and Echternach.
115 km11 · Hidden town · BelgiumLierA canal town with a beguinage and an astronomical clock tower.
Trains run from Antwerp in about 15 minutes.
120 km12 · Nature spot · NetherlandsLoonse en Drunense DuinenA small desert of drifting sand in the middle of the Netherlands.
Easiest by car or bike from 's-Hertogenbosch or Tilburg.
135 km13 · Nature spotLoreley (Rhine Gorge)A legendary slate cliff above the narrowest bend of the Rhine.
Trains run to St. Goarshausen, then a hiking path or bus goes up. Boats pass the rock daily in season.
140 km14 · Nature spot · NetherlandsBiesbosch National ParkA maze of creeks and willow forests, home to beavers.
Buses run from Dordrecht. Easiest by car or bike.
145 km15 · Hidden townBacharachA half-timbered wine village in the castle-lined Rhine Gorge.
Trains run along the Rhine from Mainz and Koblenz. Boats stop here too.
150 km16 · Nature spot · NetherlandsHoge VeluweHeathland, forest and drifting sand dunes, with free white bikes to ride.
Buses run from Arnhem and Ede-Wageningen stations.Questions
Day trips from Aachen: good to know
What are the best day trips from Aachen?
Our favourite hidden places near Aachen are Valkenburg (20 km), Monschau (25 km), Hautes Fagnes (30 km) and Thorn (45 km). All 16 are on this page, sorted by distance.
How far are these places from Aachen?
All of them are within about 150 km of Aachen in a straight line, close enough for a day trip by car, and many by train or bus too. Check each place for how to get there.