Walking in the footsteps of Charlemagne

Today we drove about an hour west of Cologne to the city of Aachen near the border with Belgium.  Aachen isn't usually one of the top places listed when visiting Germany -- Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bavaria, and the Black Forest will likely be mentioned first. However in 800 AD, Aachen was the capital of most of Europe as it was the home of Charlemagne.  After the fall of the Roman Empire, Charlemagne united most of western and central Europe and was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III.  He died in 814 and was buried in the Aachen Cathedral.  You can read more about Charlemagne and his life by clicking here.

Royal throne

Given its history, Aachen Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the first in Germany to be designated as such.  In addition to being the final resting place of Charlemagne, it was also the site of the coronation of German kings and queens. Beginning with the coronation of King Otto 1 in 936, 30 kings and 12 queens were crowned here until 1531.  The imperial marble throne still resides in the cathedral though it is no longer used.

The interior of the cathedral is a blend of architectural styles given its lenghty history of being constructed in stages.  It is more ornate than we expected.  The original portion was constructed as an octagon with a domed roof. The choir section, built in the 1400s in the gothic style, has 80-foot high windows. Mosaic tiles cover the walls on the lower level of the octagon, and gilded paintings cover the dome.  Photos definitely do not do justice to seeing it in person.

Aachen's Christmas market is adjacent to the Cathedral, and we walked through the various stalls while drinking glühwein.  On the way back to the parking garage, I was able to find a spot without crowds to fly my drone and capture the entire cathedral in a single photo.  Even with overcast skies and misting rain, it still made for a beautiful sight.