Aachen Cathedral

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Aachen Cathedral (1978), The First German Site Inscribed; Charlemagne'S Palatine Chapel, His Burial Place, And The Coronation Church Of German Kings For Six Hundred Years · Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia

Aachen Cathedral was the first German entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List, inscribed in 1978 among the earliest sites anywhere. Its core is Charlemagne's palatine chapel of around 796, an octagon ringed by a two-storey ambulatory under a dome of gold mosaic, built on Byzantine and Ravenna models when nothing of the kind had been attempted north of the Alps for centuries. Charlemagne was buried here in 814 and his remains now lie in a gilded shrine behind the altar. In the upper gallery stands his plain marble throne, and some thirty German kings were crowned beside it between the tenth century and the sixteenth. Later centuries added a tall Gothic choir hall that is almost all glass, a wheel chandelier given by Frederick Barbarossa, the golden Pala d'Oro altar front and the shrine of Mary, while the Treasury next door holds the Lothair Cross and a silver bust of Charlemagne. It is small, dim and dense rather than vast, and it is a working cathedral and parish church, so what you can see depends on the day's services.

Domhof, central Aachen, at the Belgian and Dutch border in the far west, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Open daily for visitors outside services, with a long middle of the day and an earlier close in winter - confirm. Entry to the chapel is free with a donation requested; a photography permit is a small extra charge from the cathedral shop. The upper gallery with Charlemagne's throne can be seen only on a guided tour at set times in limited numbers, with fewer English departures than German ones, and it does not run during services or at some feasts. Mass and the sung offices close the building to sightseeing altogether, so Sunday mornings are largely unavailable. The Treasury keeps museum hours and is usually closed on Mondays. Confirm all of this with the cathedral information office before a short visit.

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