Winter in the border triangle: The best trips from Aachen to Belgium and the Netherlands

Why Aachen is the perfect starting point for trips in winter

Anyone who lives, studies or works in Aachen quickly realizes that this city not only stands for itself, but is also a hub in an entire region that reaches far beyond the German border. Especially in winter, when the Christmas market is over, the days are short and everyday life has a firm grip on you, it is extremely worthwhile to use just that and simply drive out from time to time — for half a day, a weekend or just a few hours in which you experience another city, another language or a different atmosphere.

Aachen is located in the border triangle, which is not only a nice geographical fun fact, but also means in concrete terms: You can be in Belgium, the Netherlands or the Eifel in a short time, and it is precisely this proximity that makes winter trips so attractive. Instead of planning a big vacation for weeks, you can decide: Going to Maastricht tomorrow? Going to Liège next weekend? Briefly to the point of three countries? — and with relatively little effort.

This article shows you how to use Aachen as a starting point for your trips in winter, which destinations are particularly worthwhile and why it matters so much to have a home from which you can organise everything in a relaxed way.

Maastricht in winter: Dutch flair just a stone's throw away

Why Maastricht is an ideal winter destination from Aachen

Maastricht can be reached so quickly from Aachen that many forget at some point that they are going to another country. Nevertheless, you immediately feel that you are in another world: a different language, different signs, different architecture, different shop culture — and it is precisely this mix that makes the city a perfect contrast to everyday life in Aachen, especially in the dark season.

In winter, Maastricht has a very special charm: The old town with its narrow streets, pretty facades and many small boutiques looks even more atmospheric in the cold, especially when the Christmas lights are on or the city center is subtly illuminated. You can stroll through the pedestrian zone, let yourself drift, stop off at a café in between and enjoy the feeling of being in a kind of mini city trip for a few hours without having a long journey behind you.

What you can do in Maastricht in winter

A typical winter day in Maastricht could look like this:

• You start in Aachen in the morning, get on the train or in the car and are in the city center of Maastricht in a relatively short time.
• Afterwards, stroll through the old town, look at small shops, discover bookstores, concept stores and cozy cafés.
• At lunchtime, sit down at a restaurant or café, try Dutch or international cuisine and warm up.
• In the afternoon, you can either continue walking through the city, stroll along the Maas or visit one of the museums.
• In the evening, you'll head back to Aachen, just in time to start your everyday life the next day without stress.

Maastricht is also ideal if you simply need the feeling of going “abroad” in winter without taking a vacation, and it is a city that seems lively and relaxed at the same time — perfect for short breaks.

Liège (Liège) in winter: Belgian city life with character

Why a winter trip to Liège is worthwhile

Liège is less well-known than Maastricht, but at least as exciting. The city appears more robust, more urban, sometimes a bit harsher, but incredibly lively. In winter, when temperatures drop, Liège has a special atmosphere where you can experience Belgian lifestyle, good food, markets and urban flair.

From Aachen, you can reach Liège relatively easily by train or car. Just getting there feels like a short city break, even though you actually only drive across the border a bit. When you arrive, you quickly notice that there is a lot different here than in Aachen: language, houses, rhythm of the city — and that is exactly the appeal.

What you can do in Liège in winter

A winter day in Liège could look like this, for example:

• You stroll through the city center, giving yourself time to discover the architecture, squares and bridges across the Maas.
• You'll visit one of the markets or stroll past the shops, which range from big chains to small specialty stores.
• Treat yourself to Belgian food — from hot, hearty dishes to typical sweets.
• If you like, visit a museum, a church or an exhibition and dive into the history of the city.
• At the end of the day, you drive back to Aachen and take with you the feeling of having experienced a completely different side of the border triangle for a moment.

Liège is particularly suitable for people who like cities that have a bit of “rough edges” and want to leave their comfort zone without planning a big tour right away.

The border triangle near Vaals: winter walks across three borders

The three-country point as a quiet antithesis to city life

Only a few places symbolize Aachen's location as strongly as the point of three countries near Vaals. Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet there — and although it is “just” a geographical point in the forest at first glance, the town has its own charm, especially in winter.

Instead of being out and about in a noisy city, you are surrounded by nature at the Dreiländerpunkt. In winter, the forests, trails and viewpoints appear calm, almost meditative. When there is snow or the ground is frozen, you also get that crunching sound under your shoes, which many immediately associate with winter walks.

What you can do there

The Dreiländerpunkt is not a spectacle full of attractions, but rather a place where you:

• take short or longer walks, for example through the forest or to viewpoints
• are traveling with friends or family and talking about God and the world on the side
• Get a sense of how closely three countries are together here
• Just get out of the city without having to travel an extremely long way

Especially if you spend a lot of time sitting indoors — in lectures, in the office or in your apartment — such a short walk at the border triangle in winter is an ideal balance.

Eifel & nature around Aachen: winter hikes and quiet places

Why the Eifel is so slowing down in winter

The Eifel is right on the doorstep when viewed from Aachen. After just a short drive, you are in a landscape that feels completely different from the city — quieter, wider, more rural. In winter, when the trees are bare, fog over fields or even snow falls, the Eifel seems almost magical.

Of course, the weather is sometimes harsher there, but that is exactly part of the experience. You can walk on cleared trails, walk along lakes, roam through forests or climb up hills from which you can see further into the countryside. And then you stop off somewhere, warm up and drive home with a deep exhale.

This is what a winter trip to the Eifel could look like

For example, a typical day could look like this:

• You start in Aachen in the morning, travel by car or train to an Eifel city or village of your choice.
• From there, you can go hiking — preferably with a planned break on a bench or in an inn.
• You leave your mobile phone and everyday life in your pocket for a few hours and are simply out and about.
• In the afternoon or early evening, you drive back to Aachen — tired in body but with a clearer mind.

Especially for people who work a lot mentally during the week, a day like this in the Eifel in winter is a real reset button.

How to organize your trips from Aachen in winter in a relaxed way

Away, keep an eye on time and budget

The big advantage of trips from Aachen is that you can keep them uncomplicated. You don't have to book flights, plan huge budgets, or accept long travel times. Instead, you can choose goals that can be achieved in one to two hours and structure your days so that you sleep in your own bed again in the evening.

A few tips to make this work well:

• Decide consciously: city trip (Maastricht, Liège) or nature (border triangle, Eifel)?
• Plan your journey — train, bus or car — so that you don't spend more time in traffic than in the actual destination.
• In winter, pay attention to the weather forecast and daylight so that you are not standing somewhere in the forest in the dark.
• Don't set yourself up too much — it's better to experience one place intensively than to quickly check off five.

If you go on trips regularly, you can even keep a small list of which places you still want to see and “work through” one of these points every now and then when you realize: Now I need a break from everyday life.

Why a good apartment in Aachen is the key to relaxing trips

Basecamp feeling instead of an interim solution

All of these trips are twice as fun when you know you're coming back to a place that really feels like home at the end of the day. If you return to an improvised accommodation, a half-finished shared room or a makeshift room that is too small, there is always a remnant of uncertainty or unrest.

An apartment that suits you becomes virtually your base camp in the border triangle:

• You start off relaxed in the morning because you know where your stuff is, how to get there and what you're looking forward to.
• In the evening, you return to a room where you can shower, cook, relax and sleep without having to fight through the construction feeling.
• You can explore the border triangle over the long term without having to replan where you actually live every time.

Especially for students, expats, project workers or professionals who are in Aachen for a limited time, this is a huge difference: Instead of “I live here somehow”, there is a feeling of “I have a fixed location here from which I can set off.”

Good Shepherd: Furnished apartments in Aachen as a home base for your winter trips

If you are looking for such a temporary home, the Good Shepherd Aachen West offers exactly what you need: an apartment that is already furnished, has an all-inclusive rental structure and allows you short distances to the city and easy connections to the region.

What does that mean in practice:

• You don't have to worry about furniture, kitchen, Internet or additional costs, but move into a finished apartment where everything important is already available.
• Die All inclusive rent gives you planning security, which is particularly important in winter when heating and electricity costs create uncertainty in traditional tenancies.
• The location in Aachen West is chosen so that you can quickly reach RWTH, the Melaten Campus, the University Hospital or in the city center, but at the same time you are also well connected if you want to start towards Belgium, the Netherlands or the Eifel.
• Common areas such as the gym, co-working, laundry lounge and common rooms in the new building ensure that you not only sit in your apartment, but also have indoor places in the house where you can meet people, work or move around.

In addition, in Good Shepherds again and again Special offers for specific apartments are available — with reduced entry prices or special conditions — which can make your decision even easier, especially at the start of winter or semester, because you can start in Aachen with a stable base not only organizationally but also financially.

Conclusion: Winter in the border triangle — more than just grey days

If you live in Aachen, you have an entire region at your feet, and it's worth actively using it, especially in winter. Instead of accepting grey everyday life between rain and darkness, you can:

• drive to Maastricht and enjoy the Dutch old town flair
• set off for Liège and experience Belgian city life
• drive to the Dreiländerpunkt or to the Eifel and travel outside in peace
• Realize again and again how good Aachen feels as a starting point for all these places.

All these trips become easier, more relaxed and more spontaneous when you have a residential base in Aachen that works, doesn't stress you out and makes you feel like you've ended up in a good place — whether as a student, as a career starter, as a researcher or as someone who lives here for a certain period of time.

With a furnished apartment in Aachen, as in Guten Hirten in Aachen West, you have exactly this base: a home with clearly calculable all-inclusive rent, finished equipment and a good location in the border triangle. This makes winter not a time of endurance, but a phase in which you can discover an entire region — with Aachen as your starting point.