A small city by German standards (circa. 240,000 population), Aachen is nicely nestled on the western border in the middle of the country. In fact, it’s Germany’s westernmost city. Situated in the Dreilaenderpunkt, Netherlands is within walking distance, Belgium only minutes away by car. Like a lot of German cities, the centre is based around the town hall facing onto the spacious main square.  Plenty restaurants and bars are dotted around the square, meaning the balmy summer months guarantee a lovely buzz. Many narrow cobbled streets lead off from the main square. A mixture of old world charm and modern architecture, Aachen is an easy place to walk around. A small city centre also means many good pubs close to each other! In historical terms, Aachen was the first German city to be liberated by the Allies in 1944.

I spent ten wonderful months in Aachen getting to know the city while also getting to know Europeans from various countries by speaking in one common language. Our university requirements for the Erasmus year were not linked to our final exams back in University College Dublin, meaning we had very little study to do. We had no mobile phones back in 1997/98 but didn’t need them, sure we knew that whichever pub we went there were bound to be a bunch of Erasmus friends already there! As well as making good friends from England, Wales, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Ireland of course, I improved my German language skills no end. I realised that Europeans in their early twenties have a similar outlook on life. Most importantly, I came home a more confident young man than the shy teenager who left. Possibly the most enjoyable year of my life thus far…sure who wouldn’t love ten months living abroad with zero responsibilities apart from deciding where the next session was going to be!