In Brand, you can discover local history and culture through very different themes: Brand Cathedral, the Brand Bull and performances at Theatre Brand. A viaduct on a long-distance cycling route adds a different perspective. Before your trip, you can decide whether church art, local history, theatre or cycling will be your main focus.
Church Art and Architectural History
The parish church of St Donatus, locally known as “Brand Cathedral”, was rebuilt between 1880 and 1883. It is a 55-metre-high, three-aisled hall church. The church’s treasures include a Wendelinus reliquary from 1897 and coloured choir windows from 1952 and 1954. The dates offer different points of reference for your visit: the rebuilding, reliquary and windows represent different stages in the building’s history and furnishings. Those interested in sacred art will find both the church interior and specific items of its furnishings here.
Theatre and Local Landmarks
Theatre Brand is a community theatre with its own venue. Its changing repertoire includes comedies, cabaret, crime plays, musicals, improvisation and performance. There are also regular theatre groups for children and young people. This gives the theatre a different approach to culture than the historic churches and their furnishings: here, different forms of stage performance take centre stage. If you are planning a theatre visit, check the current dates, as the programme changes.
Brand’s market square is home to the Brand Bull, a bronze sculpture installed in 1976. As a local symbol, it expresses Brand’s civic identity. The work connects a specific public space with a more recent date in local history. This sets the sculpture apart from the older church architecture and theatre productions.
Chapel and Vennbahn Viaduct
There is a chapel in Niederforstbach. It stands on the old pilgrimage route to KornelimĂĽnster and is maintained by local residents.
The Vennbahn railway bridge viaduct in the Rollefbach valley dates from 1884. A long-distance cycling route along the former railway line between Aachen and Luxembourg crosses the structure; from there, you can enjoy views across the valley. This brings together a former railway line, a present-day cycling route and a historic viaduct. It therefore differs from the local cultural themes centred on the church, theatre and sculpture.
Aachen as a Wider Travel Destination
The wider travel destination of Aachen offers further historical and cultural attractions. Charlemagne was buried in Aachen Cathedral in 814; in the Middle Ages, the cathedral was the coronation site of German emperors until 1531. The Cathedral Treasury presents more than twelve centuries of sacred art that has shaped the cathedral since the time of Charlemagne. The Couven Museum brings to life the everyday world of Aachen’s upper middle class from the Rococo to the Biedermeier period. The Ludwig Forum presents international contemporary art in a former umbrella factory, while the Carolus Thermen combine modern architecture with Aachen’s centuries-old bathing culture.
Getting around Aachen: The cathedral is in the heart of the old town, about a 15-minute walk from the main railway station. Elisenbrunnen is also in the heart of the old town and is easily reached on foot or by bus. Check the latest bus services before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Vetschau, KornelimĂĽnster.
Back to the wider travel overview: Aachen.
