Aalen

　　Aalen is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the banks of the Kocher River at the foot of the Swabian Jura Mountains, about 48 kilometers from Ulm, and serves as the capital and largest city of the Ostalbkreis district. In Aalen, the past and present, culture and history, work and leisure, landscapes and local customs blend seamlessly to create a unique natural and cultural landscape.

　　The Aalen Theater was established in 1991 and is the newest and smallest civic theater in Germany. Between 2008 and 2009, it hosted over 400 performances, attracting 21,000 visitors. The city is home to two major museums: the Aalen Limes Museum, which is one of Germany’s most renowned museums dedicated to the Roman Limes frontier, featuring an extensive collection of Roman frontier-related documents and many precious artifacts from the Roman era; and the Geological and Paleontological Museum, located in the Old Town Hall, which houses over 1,500 fossils from the Swabian Jura, including ammonites, ichthyosaurs, and corals.

　　St. Nicholas Church was built between 1765 and 1767 and is the only surviving late-Gothic building in Aalen. St. John’s Church dates back to the 9th century and is the oldest church still standing in Baden-Württemberg, famous for its 13th-century frescoes.

　　Aalen Reason to Visit: A city in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state rich in tourist resources Continent: Europe Country/Region: Germany Province/State: Baden-Württemberg City: Aalen