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Aachen Cathedral

Churches & cathedrals ·Aachen ·Closed
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#1Churches & cathedrals in Aachen#6Churches & cathedrals in GermanyMost reviewed in Aachen
  • Visit: 45 min
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About

Aachen Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral at Domhof 1 in Aachen, Germany, centred on Charlemagne’s Carolingian palace chapel.

More photos 11

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Aachen Cathedral — Cathedral exterior with its domes and towers above the trees Robert Hösle · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Aachen Cathedral — Cathedral exterior with its domes and towers above the treesAachen Cathedral — Gothic east end with tall windows, buttresses and stone carvingsAachen Cathedral — Cathedral tower viewed along the narrow street leading to its entranceAachen Cathedral — Stone cathedral exterior with its domed roof and sculpted facadeAachen Cathedral — Painted octagonal ceiling inside the cathedral's Palatine ChapelAachen Cathedral — Colorful ceiling mosaic depicting the heavenly city and surrounding figuresAachen Cathedral — Tall stained glass windows glowing inside the cathedralAachen Cathedral — Charlemagne's historic throne in the cathedral interiorAachen Cathedral — Crowned Madonna and Child statue displayed among candles and flowersAachen Cathedral — Stone saints standing in ornate Gothic niches above the entranceAachen Cathedral — Sculpted figures grouped against the cathedral's patterned windows

Why go

  • Charlemagne’s relics, transferred to his shrine for Frederick II’s coronation in 1215.
  • The Gothic choir’s windows, covering more than 1,000 square metres.
  • Germany’s first UNESCO World Heritage cultural site, recognised in 1978.
  • The Cathedral Treasury’s medieval church treasures, including the Cross of Lothair and Bust of Charlemagne.

Opening hours

Today11:00 – 19:00Show all
Monday11:00 – 18:00
Tuesday11:00 – 18:00
Wednesday11:00 – 18:00
Thursday11:00 – 18:00
Friday11:00 – 19:00
Saturday11:00 – 19:00
Sunday13:00 – 17:45

Don't miss

  • Bronze bearAn Ottonian bronze animal sculpture, also interpreted as a she-wolf.ForehallProbably 10th century
  • Barbarossa ChandelierDonated by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Beatrice, it carries 48 candles lit for church solemnities.Cathedral interior
  • Pala d’OroThe high altar’s gold front has seventeen relief panels, with Christ, Mary and Michael at the centre and scenes from Jesus’s life.High altarProbably around 1020, made in Fulda
  • AmbonHenry II’s oak pulpit has gemstones, four copper reliefs and six sixth-century ivory panels; it remains in liturgical use on church solemnities.East passageInstalled 1002–1014
  • WolfstürThe cathedral’s bronze entrance door was cast in Aachen.Main entranceAround 800

Know before you go

  • The Gothic choir hall and Charlemagne’s throne are accessible only on guided tours.

Interesting facts4

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  1. The chapel dome was the highest and widest north of the Alps for more than two centuries.

    Aachen Cathedral - Wikipedia
  2. 129 openings

    The entrance hall’s 91-centimetre bronze pine cone has 129 openings.

    Cathédrale d'Aix-la-Chapelle - Wikipedia
  3. 1659

    The cathedral’s eight bells were cast by Franz Von Trier and his son Jakob in 1659, three years after the city fire.

    Aachen Cathedral - Wikipedia (part 2)

  4. The palace chapel was intended to represent the Heavenly Jerusalem, uniting earthly and heavenly realms.

    Charlemagne - Aachener Dom

Shorts

History

Charlemagne’s chapel formed the centre of a palace complex intended as a seat of Carolingian power. He established a community of clerics who gathered daily for services. Today, a solemn high mass on the last Sunday of January marks the anniversary of his death.

  1. 881–983A Viking raid damaged the chapel in 881; it was restored in 983.
  2. 936–1531From Otto I’s coronation, the church served as the coronation site of Roman-German kings.
  3. 1002Emperor Otto III was buried in the Octagon.
  4. 1165After Charlemagne’s canonization, the chapel became a pilgrimage destination.
  5. 1794–1815French revolutionary troops removed columns to Paris in 1794; some returned in 1815, while others remain in the Louvre.
Show all
  1. 1884A neo-Gothic west tower was built.
  2. 1930The Diocese of Aachen was revived, and the church became a cathedral again.
  3. World War IIBombing, artillery and ground fighting damaged the cathedral. Its basic structure survived, but the choir glazing, Gothic Revival altar, much of the cloister and Holiness Chapel were destroyed.
  4. 1986–2011A major restoration programme renewed the exterior by 2006 and the interior and basement by 2011.

Sources: Aachen Cathedral - Wikipedia · Aachen Cathedral - Wikipedia (part 2) · Aachen Cathedral - Wikipedia (part 3) · Aachen - Wikivoyage (see) · Aachener Dom - UNESCO Welterbe · A place of history - Aachener Dom · Charlemagne - Aachener Dom · Aachener Dom - Wikipedia · Cathédrale d'Aix-la-Chapelle - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
Domhof 1, -, Aachen

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

What are Aachen Cathedral’s opening hours?

Monday to Thursday, 11:00–18:00; Friday and Saturday, 11:00–19:00; Sunday, 13:00–17:45.

How long is a guided tour of Aachen Cathedral?

The daily English guided tour lasts 45 minutes.

Where was Charlemagne originally buried?

He was buried in the palace chapel, but the exact original burial spot is unknown.

What is the distinction between coronation and enthronement at Aachen Cathedral?

Coronation took place at the high altar, followed by enthronement on Charlemagne’s throne.

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