July 02 - Maastricht (Day trip to Aachen, Germany)

 July 02 - Maastricht (Day trip to Aachen, Germany)

A day trip planned for today, a bus journey to Aachen, Germany.  


We were both a little bit ‘seedy’ this morning, however, not for the normal reasons!  Our AirBnB is next door to, above, and overlooking, what JEM calls a “German singing pub”, and  it’s xxxxxxx noisy!  Last night the pub didn’t stop till about 2:00, and then the ‘over-imbibers’ carried on for about another hour. To quote JEM again “It was xxxxxxx horrendous, and we’re here for another 2 nights!”  Still, looking on the positive side, it is only 2 nights. 


Aachen, just an hour away by bus, is home to one of the oldest cathedrals in Europe, and is the reason for our visit. The cathedral, built by Charles the Great (Charlemagne,here), and who ended up buried there in 814, has seen the German coronation of 31 kings and 12 queens.  This place is absolutely sensational and one of the more spectacular cathedrals we’ve seen.  The interior is very moorish in appearance, and, with the ceiling mosaics and the gilt dome, it’s just stunning. No wonder it was one of the original 12 Unesco world heritage sites. 

Apart from the cathedral, beer, bratwurst, coffee, and cakes we also paid a visit to the city’s town hall, the ‘Rathaus’.  Built in the 14th century this building has suffered from fires and damage a number of times (including more than a few  visits from the RAF!). However, it has now been restored to its former splendour, and is a really lovely building. 



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