Aachen Cathedral - a Carolingian World Heritage Site in Europe

Updated on January 17, 2026 by Angelika Klein

The Aachen Cathedral is one of the few buildings in Europe to have retained its political and spiritual significance for more than a millennium. Built as Charlemagne's palatine chapel, it was a religious center, imperial burial place and coronation church. Anyone who enters the cathedral experiences a place where rule, faith and European history come together. This is why Aachen Cathedral has already been 1978 as the first German building into the UNESCO World Heritage List. recorded. Its significance is revealed in the interplay of architecture, religious function and political symbolism.

History and architecture of Aachen Cathedral

The core of Aachen Cathedral is the Palatinate Chapel, which are 795 under Charlemagne who made Aachen his preferred residence. After his death in 814, he was buried in the cathedral. The central building is clearly based on late antique and Byzantine models, in particular the San Vitale in Ravenna, which Karl presumably knew himself.

In the Middle Ages, Aachen developed into one of the most important political centers of the empire. Between 936 and 1531 were here 30 Roman-German kings crowned - a ritual that underlines the outstanding position of the city and its cathedral.

Today's cathedral is the result of many construction phases: Gothic extensions, Baroque furnishings and Historicist additions are built around the Carolingian Palatine Chapel, making Aachen Cathedral a unique cathedral. architectural ensemble spanning more than 1,200 years.

Selected highlights in the cathedral

1. the Octagon (Palatine Chapel)

The central space of the cathedral is designed as an octagon and is enclosed by a hexagonal ambulatory - an unusual spatial concept for the Carolingian period north of the Alps. The complex draws on late antique and Byzantine models such as San Vitale in Ravenna, but translates them into a clearly structured, monumental form. This architecture was intended to reflect Charlemagne's claim to be in the tradition of the Roman emperors and at the same time to establish a new order for the Christian West.

2. the dome with mosaic program

The current dome mosaic dates from the 19th century and replaces older versions. It shows Christ as the ruler of the world, surrounded by the apocalyptic beings and the 24 elders of Revelation. Even though it is not an original Carolingian decoration, the pictorial program consistently follows the medieval idea of divinely legitimized rule. The dome thus reinforces the sacred and political message of the central room.

3. the shrine of the Virgin Mary

Four central textile relics are kept in the golden Marian shrine from the 13th century: Mary's dress, Jesus' swaddling clothes, the beheading cloth of John the Baptist and the loincloth of Christ. These relics made Aachen one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Europe in the Middle Ages. To this day, they shape the religious significance of the cathedral and its role as a shrine.

4. the Charles Shrine

The Charlemagne Shrine, built between 1215 and 1230, contains the mortal remains of Charlemagne. Its design combines Romanesque forms with early Gothic elements. Pictorial programs and figures show Charlemagne as a Christian ruler and exemplary king. The shrine clearly shows how closely political remembrance and religious veneration were linked in the Middle Ages.

5 The Charlemagne throne

The simple marble throne on the west gallery is one of the most important symbols of power in the Middle Ages. It was probably made from ancient spolia and served as the coronation throne of the Roman-German kings for centuries. Its deliberate sobriety contrasts with the historical significance of the site. Power was not staged here, but understood as an order bestowed by God.

6 The Gothic extensions

From the 14th century, the cathedral was extended with Gothic chapels, most notably the Choir hall. It stands in deliberate contrast to the Carolingian core building and was built for the growing streams of pilgrims. These interventions did not fundamentally change the building, but complemented it functionally and spatially. As a result, the cathedral visibly retains traces of different construction phases and uses. The choir hall is also known as the „Glass House of Aachen“ due to the more than 1,000 square meters of glass in the windows, which are up to 25 meters high. Among other things, it houses the shrine of Charlemagne and is only accessible as part of a guided tour.

7 The Westwerk

The core of the westwork of Aachen Cathedral dates back to Carolingian times and was part of the original Palatine Chapel complex. It was once preceded by an atrium, which formed the transition from the secular royal hall to the sacred space of the cathedral. The way into the church led via a spatially and symbolically staggered entrance that combined secular power with religious aspirations.

8 The Wolf's Door and the Aachen Cathedral Building Saga

The so-called Wolf's Door is one of the oldest preserved bronze doors north of the Alps and marks one of the original entrances to the Palatine Chapel. It is associated with the Aachen cathedral building saga, which is still part of the city's cultural memory today. According to tradition, the people of Aachen made a pact with the devil when building the cathedral, who was to receive the first soul to enter the cathedral as a reward. To deceive him, they sent a wolf ahead. The legend cannot be proven historically, but refers to the city's pride in its extraordinary building.

9. the cathedral treasure

The Aachen Cathedral Treasure is one of the most important church treasures in Europe. It includes liturgical objects, reliquaries and textiles from over a thousand years and documents the continuous use of the cathedral as a spiritual center. A central object is the Gilded bust of Charlemagne (around 1350), which contains a skull relic. Its idealized depiction has decisively shaped the image of Charles as a ruler for centuries. The most famous exhibits also include the Lothar cross (10th century), which was carried before coronations in the cathedral, and the Proserpina sarcophagus, where Charlemagne was originally buried.

Conclusion: World cultural heritage between power and faith

A visit to Aachen Cathedral becomes much more profound if you know what you are looking at. Many central elements of the cathedral are not self-evident: The Karlsthron on the west gallery is not accessible without a guided tour, and you can only see the Charles shrine in the church from a distance. A guided tour brings you very close to these central elements of the cathedral. It also opens up perspectives that you can hardly see on your own and places what you see in its historical context.

This allows you to consciously perceive what others only glimpse. You are moving through a space that has been used, changed and interpreted over the centuries.

Aachen Cathedral is the first in a series of articles about UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany. In the following articles, I will introduce you to other places that are particularly worth a second look. This series is for travelers who don't just want to tick off sights along the way, but also want to understand the background.