How old is aachen

Only after 1, years! Aachen Cathedral was completely overhauled for 30 years - from to Statics, masonry, roof trusses, windows, mosaics - everything was put to the test. A total of 37 million euro was invested in the renovation work.

For the masonry work alone, half a million mosaic tiles, only millimeter in size, had to be removed and reattached later. The cathedral's exterior is also protected. To prevent the silhouette of the cathedral and the sight lines from being obstructed, it was given an official "buffer zone" in This also includes the Gothic town hall top left in the picture , which was built on the foundations of the Carolingian imperial palace.

And the Katschhof, the square between the cathedral and the town hall. Aachen's Christmas Market takes place here every year. The international Charlemagne Prize has been awarded in Aachen since It pays tribute to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to Europe and European unification.

Charlemagne is considered the "father of Europe", because at the height of his power his empire extended from the North Sea to central Italy, from the Pyrenees to present-day Hungary. It is most famous for having been built on the orders of Emperor Charlemagne — also known as King Charles the Great — during his lifetime, and it has also served as his resting place since his death in Expecting to see a grand, yet fairly standard, cathedral, I was pleasantly surprised by the real deal.

The mix of Gothic, Ottonian and Carolingian architecture gave the cathedral a captivating look inside and out. My favorite was the Palatine Chapel ordered by Charlemagne himself. Marble stone pillars with gold and blue mosaics adorned every inch of the high octagonal room. Although there was a lot going on, the Carolingian harmony was indisputable. From every angle, the one thing I couldn't help but notice was the stunning four-meter-wide golden Barbarossa chandelier hanging from the roof of the Palatine Chapel.

It was donated by Emperor Frederick I after canonizing Charlemagne in The importance of the cathedral is further magnified by it having been the coronation venue until for 31 German kings and 12 queens. I looked around, from the marble patterned floor to the deeply embellished ceiling, trying to imagine just how elaborate those coronations must have been.

Even today, the marble coronation throne is housed here. What began simply as a vision of Charlemagne, Aachen Cathedral is now considered as an important pilgrimage church. Since , every seven years faithful devotees from all over the world gather for the Aachen Pilgrimage known as "Heiligtumsfahrt," during which the holy relics — usually stored in St. Mary's shrine are displayed. These include what is thought to be the robe Mary wore the night Jesus was born as well as the loincloth worn by Jesus on the cross.

The city is marked with a prominent old town, full of traditional bars, whimsical fountains and local shops selling the locally-produced Aachener Printen. I tasted these spicy flavored cookies which reminded me of gingerbread. Buying a few packets as gifts for friends and family, I continued on with my exploration.

One of the highlights in the area is the 'Fountain of Puppets,' a bronze installation featuring movable characters, depicting the history of Aachen. Interestingly, this is only one of many fountains spread across the city. Following the narrow alleys, I found my way to the main Market Square which is flanked on one side with Aachen Town Hall. Open to the public since , the town hall stands on the very foundation of Charlemagne's King's Hall.

The further I ascended the staircase, the more the imposing gothic exterior and street noise was left behind. The main part of the church is free.

However, if you want to get to the upper levels you will need to join a tour. The tour also includes the treasury. The church tower also can be accessed occasionally. I managed once, but can't recall the occasion. The upper levels hold Charlemagne's throne built from plaster stones sought to originate from Jerusalem. For centuries German emperors would come to Aachen for their coronation. There is also a local bus connecting Aachen to nearby Maastricht as well as regional trains to Heerlen in the Netherlands and Liege in Belgium.

Due to its location on the main fast rail axis from Cologne to Paris via Brussels you have plenty of options continuing your travels, even to London. NL - Nov -. I know how some kind of a fatique can emerge ticking off yet another one. But do please forget about these kind of prejudice when visiting Aachen. This one is truly worthy of its worldheritage qualification.

You will probably be impressed by its coulourful mosaics, not a sight very common with gothic cathedrals, and its overall appearance. But it gets way better than that.

What I think makes it more interesting is the stroy behind the building, its hidden symbolism. Emperor Charlemagne saw himself as the successor of Roman ancestors. He built a new empire and wanted his chapel to reflect that. The octagon has eight sides. For christians the eight stands for rebirth, a new beginning. The resurraction of Jesus was on the first day of a new week, aka the eigth day. But not only his resurraction was a new start, so was his birth.

His mother Mary is therefore connected to the number eight as well. Since the ancients the octagon is seen as a form between the square earth and the circle heaven The octagon stood in between these basic forms just like the emperor stood between God and its people.

In the book Revelations the prophet speaks about a heavenly Jerusalem built from the number twelve, the number of perfection and angels. The measuring of the number twelve can be found everywhere in the cathedral, for example the octagon measures feet, 12 x I like these kind of details.

About building with a meaning, about perfection in size etc. Fascinating stuff but I already said that. Read more from Echwel here. Australia - Jan -. I love that it is tiny but still has so much to see inside. There are different parts to the cathedral and so much detail in each of them. I love that it is easily accessible from a few different countries, meaning that you will naturally path through Aachen and be able to see it if you are travelling between countries in this part of Europe.

I love the history and the reason for it being constructed, plus its use for the many centuries afterwards. And I love that this was the first site named in Germany. It's so fitting because you can learn so much about German history from this one small building - so much can be traced back to here somehow. Slovenia - Apr -. It is considered the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. It dates back to the Palatine Chapel built by Emperor Charlemagne in the late eighth century.

From this original core, the church grew and grew over the centuries to form the current set, which is a conglomerate of many different architectural styles. I love the Aachener Dom. The marble has such a warm feeling to it. This is justified because of the historical and architectural significance.

Charlemagne wanted to create a Christian empire north of the Alps in succession of the Roman Empire. He built his palace in Aachen, at the place where today the City Hall is. His Palatine Chapel, the famous octagon, is the core of the Aachen Cathedral. It is considered the oldest and for a long time the largest vaulted building north of the Alps.

But the Carolingian structure is not visible from the outside, it is covered by a striking Baroque dome that reminds of a lemon squeezer and surrounded by a ring of Gothic chapels. The Gothic choir hall, the Baroque dome and the tower of the westwork dominate the unusual outer appearance of the cathedral.

However, I liked that mixture of architectural styles, certainly there is no cathedral with a similar shape. The interior of the octagon is stunning: the massive columns, the high arches of the upper gallery, the huge copper chandelier. And also the mosaics of the dome and in the aisle harmonize with the whole ensemble, though they are relatively new.

They were made in the late 19th Century based on medieval motifs. But also parts of the Carolingian artwork have been preserved: the ancient marble columns in the arches of the upper gallery some of them are in the Louvre , the bronze gratings, and the bronze entrance doors which are decorated with lion heads.

Admission to the cathedral is free only one Euro donation for taking pictures , but I recommend to take a guided tour. You can walk in the choir hall and have a closer look at the Shrine of Charlemagne. I was impressed by the architecture of the choir hall, it consists almost entirely of glass windows. And you can visit the gallery with the throne of Charlemagne. The throne is simple and plain, decorations are entirely absent photo.

It is made of marble slabs which came from Jerusalem and have been dated to the year Charlemagne, however, was not crowned on the throne, but after him Aachen was the coronation place of German monarchs for about years. The Aachen Cathedral and the nearby Cologne cathedral are the most important religious buildings in Germany, but they are different in almost every respect: the size, the historical significance, the architectural style, and the appearance of the surrounding square.

Aachen is a charming city, the university with some interesting modern architecture is close to the old town and ensures a good night life. There is also a interesting museum of modern art Ludwig Forum in a former factory building designed in the Bauhaus style.

I visited this WHS in September The octagonal basilica and cupola with the intricate mosaics are the highlight of the "Charlemagne cathedral". A visit to the thermal baths can be a great way to unwind after a day of sightseeing. USA - Aug -. A couple of details not mentioned in previous reviews.

The huge chandelier was given to the church by Barbarossa who apparently was a fan of Charlemagne. And there is a large painting in the church's treasury depicting, among others, King Wenceslas, another significant figure.

I've been to this cathedral so many times and yet i'm still fascinated by it. This cathedral is small compared to the duomo of milan and kolner dom. My friend told me the folk story about this cathedral, it is said that the architect made a deal with the devil and the devil wanted the first soul who entered the cathedral, but the aachener were smart, they let a goat walk inside the church and the devil only got a soul of a goat instead of human. The devil went mad and he banged the door but his thumb got stuck on one of the knob.

If you touch the inside of the lion's shaped knob in the main entrance you could feel a cold iron inside it. They said it was the devil's thumb. Interesting story no? Aachen is a beautiful small town that is located close to belgium and Maastricht. You can go to Maastricht through Vaalser and there is a hotel named Kastel Bloemendal that is worth to pay a visit. Don't forget to try the hot chocolate they serve in the small chocolate shop called the chocolate company on the way to elisenbrunen from the church, for me the best time to visit Aachen is always at Christmas time.

The Netherlands - Feb -. The cathedral didn't look very impressive from the outside and I wondered why it was a WHS, until I stepped inside. The dome is incredible and the golden detailed painting on the roofs were beautiful. The very high stained glass windows are very nice too. If you are in the neighbourhood it's definitely worth taking a peek at.

USA - Nov -. Of the ten German cathedrals I saw in the last two weeks I would have to rank Aachen as third or perhaps fourth on the list. While not as imposing as Koln or Ulm, or as moving as Speyer or Trier, it was, in its own way, breathtaking. Even with what people have said here I was still surprised to see how small the cathedral actually was.

The restoration work on the outside seems to be coming to an end from what I gather, there was only scaffolding on the rear, and the majority of the cathedral seems to be in a reasonably good state. The interior of the cathedral was particularly gloomy but I liked this it added more atmosphere to the surroundings. The octagonal chamber was the highlight for me, an architectural oddity and decorated with fantastic tile work, this stands as one of the finest chapels I have been into. I guess this is what the great Byzantine works feel like though I have yet to visit any of note myself.

The fine stained glass windows in the gothic addition helped illuminate the large gold coffin of Charlemagne. I really liked the architecture of the cathedral it is a real hodgepodge of styles as it was stared in and seemingly added too consistently for the next 1, years, the best place to view this is from the Rathaus square view in the picture. Unfortunately a massive hangover damn those Belgian trappists!

The city of Aachen was quite small and had only a few other things of note, so I think a few hours to see the Cathedral is about enough. It is about 1 hour from Cologne and is very close to the Dutch and Belgian borders so very well connected. Well worth the trip! I would like to go back at some stage when I am in a better, non post-alcohol state! Germany - Jul -. Well, I'm studying in the town of Aachen and so I'm used to see the beautiful cathedral hidden behind large papers as they are rebuilding it.

Of course this cathedral can't be compared to the one in Cologne, but it's definately worth a visit, also maybe in combination with the treasure chambery and of course a guided tour through the cathedral especially if the cathedral is still hidden. You definately shall try the "Aachener Printen", some kind of gingerbread with chocolate. USA - Jul -. I really liked the Aachen cathedral. Architecturally, it was fascinating. You could say it's Europe in miniature: situated squarely in the centre of a tri-border region, it has encapsulated the continent's roots, values and ideals in a variety of ways since the days of Charlemagne.

Aachen Cathedral is both a local landmark and a monument to Europe's illustrious past. Built in around AD, it was the first cathedral in northern Europe. Across a period spanning centuries, it served as the church of coronation for nearly every German king. Its treasury houses one of the most significant collections of church treasures north of the Alps. So it's no wonder both the cathedral and its treasury are among the highlights on the sightseeing route that winds through Aachen and takes in a series of spectacular buildings.

Each stop along the way focuses on a different topic: history, science, Europe, religion, power, business and media. The lack of an equestrian-themed stop is somewhat of an oversight, though, as the annual Concours Hippique International Officiel CHIO in Aachen is one of the world's leading equestrian tournaments. Visitors to the city are blown away by its relaxed atmosphere, best experienced on a stroll through the historical streets.