All three are the names of one town in Germany, French call this town Aix-La-Chapelle (pronounced like EX-la-sha-PELL). We finally get out from ETF and went to see something new. Traveling around is a pleasure - comfortable trains and schedules. We went from Leuven to Liege and than took another train from Liege to Aachen. It took us approximately two hours to get from Leuven to Aachen. The weather wasn't the best and it was getting worse, we saw snow on the fields. The landscape is not so flat than in our part of Belgium, we were so glad to see hills and rocks :)
As we arrived to Aachen rail station and got off the train I felt like I am back to 1987-90 when I traveled with my family from USSR to Germany. Announcements on the train station left no doubt that we are in a different country!
Saturday and Sunday we walked and walked :) Soooo many things to look at! Unique historical buildings. One of them is the Aachen Cathedral. Construction of this palatine chapel, with its octagonal basilica and cupola, began c. 786–800 under the Emperor Charlemagne. This building is significant for a couple of reasons. First, it is where many German coronations have been held. Second, it is where Charlemagne (Karl the Great) was crowned and where his remains...well, remain, I guess. Charlemagne's throne is made of marble, not all gilded and bejeweled. They say it is so because Charlemagne wanted an empire based on Christianity, he wanted a throne made from marble from Jerusalem. The throne faces Jerusalem and is on the second floor of the church.
Aachen has an even longer history as a spa than as an imperial city. Roman legionnaires established a military bath here in the 1st century A.D. By the end of the 17th century, Aachen was known as the "Spa of Kings" because royalty from all over Europe came here to take the cure. In 1742 Frederick the Great visited, and in 1818 the "Congress of Monarchs" brought Czar Alexander from Russia.
It is very difficult to describe Aachen with words. Few things that are different - not so many bicycles as in Leuven, Aachen is famous for its Printen (gingerbread) that is really delicious :). The city is full of different attractive statues. And....we noticed that high percentage of population of Aachen is Russian. At Starbacks a russian guy served us coffee, in the streets you hear russian language...it felt like home :)
We also indulged in hot springs and felt like kings :) This was a very good break for us to rest and get back to life :)
Enjoy Aachen pictures.
As we arrived to Aachen rail station and got off the train I felt like I am back to 1987-90 when I traveled with my family from USSR to Germany. Announcements on the train station left no doubt that we are in a different country!
Saturday and Sunday we walked and walked :) Soooo many things to look at! Unique historical buildings. One of them is the Aachen Cathedral. Construction of this palatine chapel, with its octagonal basilica and cupola, began c. 786–800 under the Emperor Charlemagne. This building is significant for a couple of reasons. First, it is where many German coronations have been held. Second, it is where Charlemagne (Karl the Great) was crowned and where his remains...well, remain, I guess. Charlemagne's throne is made of marble, not all gilded and bejeweled. They say it is so because Charlemagne wanted an empire based on Christianity, he wanted a throne made from marble from Jerusalem. The throne faces Jerusalem and is on the second floor of the church.
Aachen has an even longer history as a spa than as an imperial city. Roman legionnaires established a military bath here in the 1st century A.D. By the end of the 17th century, Aachen was known as the "Spa of Kings" because royalty from all over Europe came here to take the cure. In 1742 Frederick the Great visited, and in 1818 the "Congress of Monarchs" brought Czar Alexander from Russia.It is very difficult to describe Aachen with words. Few things that are different - not so many bicycles as in Leuven, Aachen is famous for its Printen (gingerbread) that is really delicious :). The city is full of different attractive statues. And....we noticed that high percentage of population of Aachen is Russian. At Starbacks a russian guy served us coffee, in the streets you hear russian language...it felt like home :)
We also indulged in hot springs and felt like kings :) This was a very good break for us to rest and get back to life :)
Enjoy Aachen pictures.
