A spa town with a hopping student population and tremendous amounts of character, Aachen is most famous for its ancient cathedral. It makes for an excellent day trip from Cologne or Düsseldorf or a worthy overnight stop.
Aachener DomCATHEDRAL
It’s impossible to overestimate the significance of Aachen’s magnificent cathedral. The burial place of Charlemagne, it’s where more than 30 German kings were crowned and where pilgrims have flocked since the 12th century. Before entering the church, stop by the new Dom Visitors Centre for info and tickets for tours and the cathedral treasury.
The oldest and most impressive section is Charlemagne’s palace chapel, the Pfalzkapelle. Completed in 800 (the year of the emperor’s coronation), it’s an octagonal dome encircled by a 16-sided ambulatory supported by antique Italian pillars. The colossal brass chandelier was a gift from Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa during whose reign Charlemagne was canonised in 1165.
Pilgrims have poured into Aachen ever since, drawn as much by the cult surrounding Charlemagne as by four prized relics, including the loincloth purportedly worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. To accommodate these floods of the faithful, a Gothic choir was docked to the chapel in 1414 and filled with such priceless 11th-century treasures as the pala d’oro (a gold-plated altar-front) and the jewel-encrusted gilded copper pulpit. At the far end is the gilded shrine of Charlemagne that has held the emperor’s remains since 1215. In front, the equally fanciful shrine of St Mary shelters the four relics.
Unless you join a guided tour, you’ll barely catch a glimpse of Charlemagne’s white marble throne in the upstairs gallery. It served as the coronation throne of those 30 German kings between 936 and 1531. The tours themselves are fascinating for the level of detail they reveal about the church.
The oldest and most impressive section is Charlemagne’s palace chapel, the Pfalzkapelle. Completed in 800 (the year of the emperor’s coronation), it’s an octagonal dome encircled by a 16-sided ambulatory supported by antique Italian pillars. The colossal brass chandelier was a gift from Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa during whose reign Charlemagne was canonised in 1165.
Pilgrims have poured into Aachen ever since, drawn as much by the cult surrounding Charlemagne as by four prized relics, including the loincloth purportedly worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. To accommodate these floods of the faithful, a Gothic choir was docked to the chapel in 1414 and filled with such priceless 11th-century treasures as the pala d’oro (a gold-plated altar-front) and the jewel-encrusted gilded copper pulpit. At the far end is the gilded shrine of Charlemagne that has held the emperor’s remains since 1215. In front, the equally fanciful shrine of St Mary shelters the four relics.
Unless you join a guided tour, you’ll barely catch a glimpse of Charlemagne’s white marble throne in the upstairs gallery. It served as the coronation throne of those 30 German kings between 936 and 1531. The tours themselves are fascinating for the level of detail they reveal about the church.
RathausHISTORIC BUILDING
Fifty life-size statues of German rulers, including 30 kings crowned in town between 936 and 1531 AD, adorn the facade of Aachen's splendid Gothic town hall. It was built in the 14th century atop the foundations of Charlemagne’s palace, of which only the eastern tower, the Granusturm, survives. Inside, the undisputed highlight is the Krönungssaal (coronation hall) with its epic 19th-century frescos and replicas of the imperial insignia: a crown, orb and sword (the originals are in Vienna).
DomschatzkammerMUSEUM
The cathedral treasury is a veritable mother lode of gold, silver and jewels. Items of particular importance include a silver and golden bust of Charlemagne, a 10th-century bejewelled processional cross known as theLotharkreuz and a 1000-year-old relief-decorated ivory situla (a pail for holy water).
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