Charlemagne & the medieval Kings of Germany

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We stopped off in Aachen on our drive from the Netherlands to Alsace, on the suggestion of Beatrice. It was definitely worth the stop. We had intended to drive direct from Deurne to close by Colmar, but once we realised how worthwhile the stop over in Aaachen was we decided not to rush so much.

The history of the place goes back a long way, the Romans knew about the hot springs in the area and had them chaneled into baths. Back in 768, Charlemagne (Charles the Great) came to visit, and he spent a lot of time in the city and was responsible for a lot of the building activity in the city.

Aachen was also the place where most of the medieval Kings of Germany were crowned. Much later in history, the Reuters news agency was founded in Aachen. The agency originally used pigeons to transfer the news.

The audio tour of the Rathaus (town hall) was one of the best audio tours I have experienced. It was free for a start, then as you entered each room the audio guide automatically started the commentary relevant to your location. A very smart use of technology which enhanced the visit.

We spent the night in Frankenthal. We had a good meal there, together with a a few beers, then a very nice local Riesling. and left in the morning for Alsace.

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Photos

inside the Rathaus
Charlemagne

inside the Rathaus
the hall in which kings were crowned in medieval times

inside the Rathaus
the hall in which kings were crowned in medieval tim