Sights of Aachen

Aachen Cathedral

The Cathedral at dusk around 2045.

It’s one of two very famous landmarks here in , besides the city hall which is situated directly opposite of it. You wouldn’t miss them if you’re in the right place. It’s that big that it will definitely catch your attention and your camera’s.

And mine certainly did.

Last week, I was lucky enough to join a customized, short guided tour around . 2 hours of walk and 10 euros didn’t come to a waste. At least now I know a little history of the place that I will be until next year.

The cathedral was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. It was built around 800 AD by Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, and is the oldest cathedral in northern .

The name Charlemagne is pretty much synonymous with . There are events named after him, his statues etched at important places and he was buried here when he died in 814 AD.

If you have a good look at the structure, there are 3 different types of architecture there. All these 3 are built in different centuries. It started out with the structure in the middle, initially called the Palatine Chapel.

From 936 to 1531, it was the church of coronation of 30 German kings and emperors. Charlemagne’s throne was used for these coronations.

600 years later in 1414, on Charlemagne 600th death anniversary, they expanded the structure by building a 2 part glass chapel on both sides on the Palatine Chapel.

And it has since been called the Cathedral then.

Wait. Did I not say that the Cathedral and the Town Hall used to form what they call Palace of ? It was a collection of residential, political and religious buildings used by Charlemagne as the center of power of his Carolingian Empire.

Aachen Town Hall

But today, most of the palace has been destroyed and only the cathedral and town hall are still standing, facing each other. (The photo of the cathedral was taken from the place where the tourists are standing in the photo above)

September 5, 2008 | Filed Under Photography, Travels 

Comments

Leave a Reply