Kornelimünster is the most picturesque district of Aachen and lies in the valley of the Inde, which means “swelling river” in the Celtic language.
To the right and left of the historic town center, rugged rocks remind us that Kornelimünster is in the Voreifel. The town center with its medieval provost church of St. Kornelius as well as cozy cafés and restaurants has been almost completely preserved to this day and invites you to stroll and linger.
Kornelimünster dates back to the founding of the monastery complex around 814. The buildings that have been preserved and largely spared from world wars are a clear example of a settlement around an imperial abbey that has grown over the centuries.
As a Benedictine monastery, pilgrimage destination and imperial abbey, Kornelimünster was an important place of religion and therefore a spiritual, intellectual and economic center across the region for centuries.
The Münsterländchen awarded to the monastery and the shrine trip formed the economic basis of the place. Even today, the relics are shown in Kornelimünster every seven years (again in 2021) in the same cycle as the Aachen Shrine Tour. During the Octave of Cornelius, local residents were allowed to run ostrich taverns (Cyprianuszäpper) and offer food and accommodation to the pilgrims.
Kornelimünster has been worth a trip for centuries. The place was already visited by prominent guests such as Napoleon and his wife Josephine at the beginning of the 19th century. In this context, the pavilion at the Klauser Chapel was created. The obelisk not far away was built in honor of King Friedrich Wilhelm III.
The area around Kornelimünster was settled very early on. The Roman remains of the former Varnenum temple complex above the town, from where you can see far into the Eifel, are impressive.
Source:
hso-nrw.de/geschichte-stadt-und-ortskerne/aachen