Aachen and Charlemagne

We picked up our rental car and headed to Aachen, a destination added to our itinerary after talking to a Barnes and Noble salesperson who identified himself as a Charlemagne nerd. Charlemagne did put Aachen on the map when he built the Church of St. Mary.It was added to over the years but the central core - an octagon with a cupola - was built around 800. When he died 14 years later, the church served as his final resting ground. It is also an important pilgrimage site, for it significant relics.

 

There is a university here and we were lucky enough to see a march of students celebrating their graduation - look for the cases of beer they carried as they walked through the town.