Wish I Were There Wednesday ~ June 19, 2019

Aachen, Germany

It’s already Wednesday so grab a cuppa whatever and let’s enjoy a quick trip to Aachen, Germany which is where I wish I were today. Aachen (also known as Bad Aachen or “Aachen Spa”), is a spa and border city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The westernmost city in Germany, Aachen is located near the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands, approximately 61 km (38 miles) southwest of Cologne. Developed from a Roman settlement, it became the preferred imperial residence of Charlemagne (“Charles the Great” and who is often referred to as the “Father of Western Europe,”). Over 30 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned king of the Germans in Aachen from 936 to 1531 at the cathedral.

While I did not visit this beautiful cathedral due to time constraints, it is one of the most visited sites in the city. Built on Charlemagne’s orders, construction began in 796 AD and was completed in 798 AD. It was the largest cathedral north of the Alps. Charlemagne’s remains were interred in the cathedral and can still be seen there. The cathedral has been extended several times over the ages, combining multiple building styles and is  designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aachen is one of Germany’s most innovative cities with industries of science, engineering and information technology being prominent.

Aachen, Germany
© Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

Hope you enjoyed a quick trip to this fascinating city. Hard to believe we’re halfway through the week already. Where has the time gone?

Live, love, bark! 🐾

82 thoughts on “Wish I Were There Wednesday ~ June 19, 2019

  1. How very interesting.. I have only very recently finished watching a documentary on the life of Charlemange the establishment of his Capital at Aachen and the Holy Roman Empire. The Doco. also toured his great church and his tomb. It was very interesting, and it was great to read your post – the post of someone who has been there.

    1. Thanks. Some of the German Kings lead fascinating lives; history was always a favorite subject of mine but to be there, where they actually walked and ruled…now that was something!

  2. Thanks so much for sharing this and taking me to Aachen, Monika. The family I lived with in Heidelberg had family in Aachen, although I never went there. The Cathedral is incredible…beyond description.
    Best wishes,

    1. Aachen is a charming city full of fascinating sites. Plus it’s right outside a fabulous chocolate factory just across the Belgium border. 😋

      1. I can’t believe I didn’t make it there, but they didn’t mention the chocolate factory. I would’ve been there in a flash. BTW have you ever tried Tim Tams? They’ve been adding to their range and their most recent ones are designed to be dunked in a hot drink. You bite off each end and drink through it like a straw and gobble it up quickly before it falls in your mug.The new ones have a strip of caramel which melts and it’s very very good.

        1. I found some Tim Tam’s at a World Market but admit it was just so-so. If I’m going to consume needless calories, they must be extraordinary. Like Belgium, German or Swiss chocolates. 🥰 Sorry you missed Aachen, it’s quite the old city with wonderful sights to check out.

    1. Thanks. The whole city center was amazing. Happy Friday. Hope you’re feeling better.

        1. Plus, I have a dear friend who is an incredibly seasoned traveler and seems to know all the best places.

            1. I am convinced she has every German travel book ever published. And a fair number of the rest of Europe. She is extremely well traveled.

    1. European architecture is simply remarkable and to think they are incredibly old makes them even more amazing.

    1. Being around that long, no doubt a few candles have caused some problems over the millenia.

    1. Oooh, so jealous. I loved Aachen. Besides, it’s easy to pick up some great Belgium chocolates. 😋

    1. It’s very charming and you always feel welcome. Besides, it’s quite close to an amazing chocolate making factory just across the border in Belgium. Yum, yum.

  3. I will never venture beyond North America again for many reasons so internet travel is something I really enjoy. Thanks for an informative mini trip.

    1. Digital traveling is a good way to see places you’ve never been to; plus the ‘airfare’ is pretty cheap with no bloody TSA lines.

    1. Definitely one of mine as well (and not because it’s the country of my birth. I truly love it from Hamburg in the North to the Bavarian forests in the south.

    1. Beer and the tasty soft pretzels…can’t go wrong there so I think you’d enjoy it.

  4. Hubby and I were planning on visiting Germany many moons ago and now travel isn’t it the cards. Oh well, I’m sure we would have loved every minute.

    Have a fabulous day. Big hug. ♥

    1. Such a remarkable country to visit. Never say never on travel. You just never know. 😊

  5. The architecture in Europe is unlike any other place in the world. Ornate, classical, majestic . . it really does run the gamut.

    Happy Wednesday!

    1. When you consider some of it dates back to the Middle Ages, it’s completely mind-blowing.

  6. I always wanted to visit Aachen…and Trier…but foolishly never made the time, though on reflection the travelling would have been too much for Leo, even then…

      1. I wonder what a Holy Roman Emperors’ slide would look like…..
        Otto the Great pushing Charles the Bald off the ladder because he was just Roman and not Holy…Barbarossa disputing precedence with Stupor Mundi….Maria Theresa crying because her husband was on the slide and she was not and Francis II slung out of the playground for letting Napoleon abolish his title…
        Satisfait maintenant, mon pote?

        1. See, I knew you couldn’t resist, my poor grammar notwithstanding 😈 All along my favorite was the guy who claimed on the internet to have traced the lineage of the Burger King (“Home of the Whopper!”) back to a Holy Roman Emperor of…Hamburg, of course. You have to admit those HRE boys had a sense of humor at least with their names: Charles the Bald, Henry the Fowler, Max the Maltese. Oh, wait a minute…

            1. 1066 And All That. Test Paper IV, question 15.
              Estimate the medical prowess of the period with reference to
              a…Pride’s Purge
              b…the Diet of Worms
              c…the Topic of Capricorns

              1. I’m sure you aced your GCSEs. Now, which do you consider was the stronger swimmer,
                (a) The Spanish Armadillo, (b) The Great Seal?
                Never mind, Monika will get mad if keep hijacking her post and we do NOT want to get Monika mad.

                1. Not at all. This has been great fun with loads of snickers and snorts. I only get mad when squirrels break into my kitchen {again} by chewing through the screen 😬 (for the 4th time). Maybe it’s time to consider a pellet gun-I’m running out of screening materials.

          1. As a Scot, I can never resist a malt…or the Malt.
            I would take a bet that his lordship’s ancestors had their paws well under the table at the courts of HREs…not dogs to miss the main chance….

    1. I loved both cities. Trier, the oldest city in Germany is totally amazing. Aachen is a gateway to some incredible Belgium chocolate factories. 😍 Nom, nom.

    1. Glad you tagged along! We 💖 visitors and there’s never a pesky TSA line when traveling with me. 😇

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