In Aachen's old town, Cafe van den Daele serves Aachener Printen, Reisfladen and traditional pastries among antique-furnished rooms. The cafe and confectioner also sends its specialties out through its own online shop.
Lambertz is an Aachen confectionery house founded in 1688 and among the historic makers of Aachener Printen and Lebkuchen. It remains headquartered in the city, where it presents its heritage and range.
Nobis Printen has baked Aachener Printen since 1858, alongside soft printen, bite-size printis and Aachener Domspitzen from its Charlottenburger Allee bakery. It holds Fairtrade certification and North Rhine-Westphalia's MEISTER.WERK.NRW craft award.
Best for Aachener Printen gingerbread since 1858, Fairtrade-certified
Nobis Printen has baked Aachener Printen -- the spiced, treacle-dark gingerbread native to the city -- since 1858, making it one of the longer-running names in Aachen's Printen trade. Its main bakery sits on Charlottenburger Allee, supplying both the bakery's own cafes and dedicated Printen specialty stores in the historic center.
The range goes beyond the classic hard biscuit: Nobis also bakes a softer printen, bite-sized "printis," and Aachener Domspitzen, alongside everyday bread, rolls and lactose-free options sold online and in-store. The business has built a modern sustainability profile onto its 19th-century roots, using Fairtrade-certified chocolate and organic coffee in its products.
That combination of tradition and certification has been recognized externally: Nobis holds the MEISTER.WERK.NRW craft award from North Rhine-Westphalia, along with DLG and GGA quality endorsements and membership in the Eifel regional producers' brand.
Family-run since 1912, Printenbäckerei Klein hand-bakes hard and soft Aachener Printen, Spitzkuchen and Moppen from a secret recipe at its Franzstrasse shop. Its own Printenmuseum next door gives guided tours of the craft's history.
Best for Hand-baked Aachener Printen and a working Printen museum
Printenbäckerei Klein traces its roots to 1912, giving the family more than a century in Aachen's Printen trade -- the city's dense, spiced gingerbread, sold hard or soft depending on how long it's kept. The bakery still operates from its historic base near Franzstrasse, in the heart of Aachen's old town, and describes its recipe as a closely held "Printen Geheimrezept" passed down within the family.
Beyond the standard hard and soft varieties, Klein bakes regional specialties including Spitzkuchen and Moppen, and offers vegan and lactose-free versions alongside seasonal Christmas and Easter ranges. Products are sold through the shop, gift boxes and wooden crates, and an online store with home delivery.
What sets Klein apart from Aachen's other Printen bakeries is its attached Printenmuseum, where guided tours walk visitors through the history and production methods behind the craft -- pairing the retail bakery with a standing exhibit on the trade itself.