Aachen Cathedral - UNESCO World Heritage

More than 1200 years ago Charlemagne selected Aachen as the center of his vast empire. Between 790 and 800 he had his residence built on the ruins of a Roman thermal spa, with the Palatine chapel at its center. Today, Aachen Cathedral is considered one of the best preserved monuments of the Carolingian age and is a magnet for visitors attracting more than 1.2 million people every year.

The Palatine Chapel in the form of an octagon is the center of the cathedral. For over 200 years, Aachen Cathedral's construction was unsurpassed in height and vault width. The building looks almost oriental. No wonder, it is based on the model of Byzantine palace churches. The eye-catcher is the vaulted ceiling with its magnificent neo-Byzantine mosaic.

Raised, on the gallery of the Palatine Chapel, stands this simple throne. For 600 years - until 1531 - the coronations of German kings took place here. From today's perspective, the throne is a perfect example of "upcycling". Charlemagne had it made from used marble slabs. The throne can be admired at close range during the UNESCO festival week in September.

Over the centuries, Aachen Cathedral has grown into a fascinating cathedral that combines different eras into a harmonious whole. Here the choir hall with its Gothic ribbed vault. It was built between 1355 and 1414. Since then, sacred relics and the remains of Charlemagne have been kept in the choir hall. 1,000 square meters of windows make it a kind of glass shrine.

Believers already made pilgrimages to Aachen during Charlemagne's reign. The shrine of St. Mary contains important relics of Christianity, including Mary's dress and Christ's loincloth. The Aachen Shrine Tour dates back to 1349. Every seven years, faithful believers turn the cathedral into a place of pilgrimage. Only then are the relics shown publicly. The next pilgrimage will take place in 2021.

Charlemagne's remains lie in the preciously decorated Charlemagne shrine in the choir hall. In 2014, researchers examined the bones and confirmed: Here lies Charlemagne! The ruler was a tall, slender man who towered over most men of his time. The shrine weighs 150 kilograms and is decorated with 1001 precious individual parts.

It is always worth looking up as Charlemagne knew how to impress. He engaged the best builders of his time. From today's perspective, one might say these men built for eternity. They created spaces of fairy-tale beauty. Only after 1,200 years (!) were major renovations due at the cathedral.

Aachen Cathedral was completely overhauled for 30 years - from 1986 to 2016. 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 2010. This was in response to UNESCO's demand to safeguard the city center in its entirety as a historical heritage. Violations of this rule could result in a place on the "red list" of endangered UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

On 8 September 1978, UNESCO declared the centre of the old imperial city of Aachen a World Heritage Site. 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 1988. 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.