Aachen Cathedral, Germany

In Germany, the city of Aachen is famous because of the Imperial Cathedral, which is also known to most travelers as the Aachen Cathedral. It’s a priceless monument of architecture in the Byzantine style. The story of the cathedral construction is incredibly interesting. The temple was founded in the late 8th century on the order of Charlemagne. The best specialists from Byzantium and Rome were invited to construct the building.

As early as 805, the cathedral was consecrated. In 814, Charlemagne was buried in the specially built palace chapel that is the oldest part of the Aachen Cathedral. The Chapel, built in the form of an octagonal dome, is 31 meters height. During more than a thousand years, the Aachen Cathedral has undergone a lot of renovations. It was constantly rebuilt. In the medieval period, its architectural appearance was complemented by a series of Gothic elements.

A lot of amazing legends relate to the cathedral. According to one of them, the money for the construction was donated by the Devil himself. In exchange, he wanted to take the soul of the first creature who will come to the finished cathedral. Local residents managed to outwit the devil. When the cathedral was completed, they let a wolf come first. A number of outstanding historical events are associated with the place. Here, 35 kings and 14 queens of the German Empire were enthroned. Today, the Aachen Cathedral is as majestic as hundreds of years ago. Once inside, it’s impossible to look away from artistic colorful stained-glass windows, marble walls and ceilings, incredible painting, and other items of decor. Next - Giants Causeway Coast