The one with the mayor
Azure Route in Aachen, 20/06 - 23/06
Moin from Aachen!
After a cancelled train on our way from Nijmegen, the main organiser of the stop, Berk, greeted us at the train station, and just like that, we had arrived at the final stop of our journey: Aachen.
Having hosted ambassadors the previous year, AEGEE-Aachen knew that by this stage of the route we would all be feeling quite sluggish and burnt out. So we were so grateful that they checked in on us regularly and had kept the programme fairly relaxed and chill. We never felt guilty for taking things a little slower, being sleepier than usual, or needing some extra rest. Also the continuing high temperatures gave us a very good excuse to do so.
One of the highlights was for sure visiting the thermal baths during our first night. Previous ambassadors had already hinted that this would be something special, and during many of our train rides I found myself dreaming about relaxing in the upcoming baths and pools. And they did not disappoint, we stayed until closing, the 3,5 hours fled past. At one point, while Alina and I were lounging in a bubbling pool, we both let out a simultaneous disappointed “aww” when the bubble cycle ended. Our reaction amused a local man next to us enough that he laughed at us. It was a sweet moment.
We discovered that next week there would be a pretzel-scented sauna. That would´ve been an interesting cultural experience. The whole experience was so, so wonderfully relaxing.
During the night, a thunderstorm rolled over Aachen, treating us to a beautiful view of lightning from Bent’s balcony. At the same time, Germany had won a World Cup match, which meant fireworks, cheering, and honking cars. The combination of flashing lightning, fireworks exploding in the distance, and the constant sound of car horns created an almost apocalyptic atmosphere. If this was the reaction to winning a group-stage match, I can only imagine what it would be like if Germany were to win the entire tournament.
The chorus of car horns accompanied us as we tried to fall asleep, until eventually the rain arrived and quieted the celebrations. And I think it was the best sleep I’d had in a while.
Once awake again, we explored Aachen’s old town and learned about its history and several legends. The cathedral, built under Charlemagne, was one of the highlights. So detailed and full of art. Besides being architecturally impressive, it reportedly houses several important religious relics, including what is said to be the diaper of Jesus.
And Bent knew exactly how to motivate us for the city tour: he led us to an ice cream shop early on. There we also met Akshit, making it both a social and strategic stop.
There I may have discovered my new favourite ice cream flavour: zitrone. The yoghurt flavour I chose alongside it was delightful as well. As someone who frequently suffers from order envy and immediately regrets not picking what someone else ordered, I was incredibly pleased with my choices this time.
And yes, I got two scoops. I’ve learned from my mistakes.
Aachen is a city full of legends that our guides happily shared with us. One that we heard was the legend about the Devil, who helped fund the construction of the cathedral in exchange for the first soul to enter it, believing that this would be the soul of the great emperor Charlemagne. The clever townspeople outsmarted him by sending a wolf inside first, leaving the Devil with a wolf’s soul instead of the great Charlemagne’s.
We also passed through one of the old city gates, where legend says that students who walk underneath it will never finish their studies. Needless to say, the two students among us, Bent and Alina, weren’t willing to take the risk.
We visited the local office and later had a barbecue with AEGEE-Aachen and Erasmus students. So many people showed up to enjoy the hot weather together, and there was even a DJ setting the mood with music. Only a pool or a beach was missing.
After the barbecue, we made our way to Oliver’s place, a local host in the area. We had heard about an ice cream cake and were kindly invited over to try it. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Another recipe found its way into the collection: a lime cookie ice cream cake. What a perfect summer treat.
By that point, we had gathered enough recipes to make our own little “Azure recipe flyer.” It might have been one of my favourite moments of the stop, just sitting around the kitchen table, sharing cake, and chatting and laughing with the locals. So simple but so precious.
The next day finally brought the workshops—two in a row: How to Talk About Climate without preaching and Slow Travel, Slow Living.
There weren’t many participants, just four, but they seemed very engaged, and knowledgeable which led to some discussions we hadn’t come upon yet. We discussed the roles of politicians, scientists, and citizens, and how bringing these groups together is essential. She felt that there was significant responsibility for scientists to carry in communicating their findings in a way that is understandable and accessible to decision-makers and the wider public. During the second workshop, the three remaining participants, bravely enduring the heat while huddled in front of a fan, worked together to plan a trip from Aachen to Stockholm. The overall fatigue among the ambassadors lingered quietly in the room, though we hoped it remained unnoticed so as not to affect the participants’ experience. Only after finishing this second workshop did it suddenly hit us that it was the last workshop we would deliver on our route.
Later we joined a social gathering where we discovered the game Halli Galli, a fast-paced card game in which players flip fruit cards in turns and must quickly ring a bell when exactly five of a kind appear. Even before joining we could hear the intensiveness and competitiveness of the game from the other side of the room. Some participants were clearly seasoned professionals, but Alina and I still managed to win a few rounds, even if we never took the overall victory.
The next day we had the exciting chance to interview Michael Ziemons, Aachen’s Lord Mayor since November 2025. He has built a career in education, research, and public service, with a particular focus on social responsibility, digitalization, and community development. When Phaedon asked the mayor for advice for young people, his answer was simple but powerful: stay active and persistent. Care about the issues that matter to you, and show that you care through your actions. Overall he was very friendly and left us with a fun and light impression of himself.
After the interview, we went for a quick meal, although we unfortunately didn’t have time for a third lemon ice cream. We then had a small scare while trying to get back into the AEGEE office, where our bags were stored. The key didn’t seem to work. Luckily, a woman arrived at the same time and let us in, so we still made it to our train on time.
Right now, I’m writing this report from the train to Brussels, on our way to the Europe on Track final conference. Aachen was a wonderful last stop with its thermal baths, mayor and all. And of course with such sweet and understanding locals. In our leaving hurry we forgot to give them our thank you gifts but shall mail them from Brussels.
And then there are no more night trains, buses, couches, or new locals to meet ahead of us. But we are leaving for Brussels with countless conversations, stories, and people we will always carry with us and the feeling that something ended, but nothing was truly left behind.
Written by: Kadi Värnik
(and the Azure team)