Aachen — The Imperial Treasure Conspiracy

Your investigation begins on Domvorplatz, this central square in Aachen, redesigned between 2010 and 2016 to accommodate 2.5 million annual visitors. This very spot hosted medieval imperial processions, on a paved surface of 4,000 m² incorporating Roman artifacts discovered in 2009. Facing you stands the Aachener Dom, the first cathedral north of the Alps, built between 793 and 835 under Charlemagne's impetus. This site, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, was the heart of the Holy Roman Empire, where 30 imperial coronations took place between 936 and 1531.

Not far from there, your journey leads you to the Mariensäule, an 11.5 m high Baroque column erected in 1702 by Johann Wilhelm Stahl. This monument honors the Virgin Mary, following the devastation of the plague in 1650-1651. Its octagonal base is adorned with allegorical statues of the cardinal virtues, a reminder of the values that once guided emperors. Restored in 1950 after the destructions of World War II, it stands proudly, marking the contrast between faith and the historical trials of the city of Aachen.

Continuing your exploration of this North Rhine-Westphalia heritage, you reach the Katschhof, a medieval square of approximately 5,000 m² adjacent to the cathedral. Its name comes from the old basket bridges (Katschen) that existed until 1794. Surrounded by historic buildings, including the Charlemagne Centre built in 1349, this square was a place of execution until the 18th century. Today, it hosts Christmas markets, a change in use that testifies to the evolution of public life in Aachen.

Your path then crosses the Granusturm, a Romanesque fortification tower 30 m high, dating from 1169. This remnant of Aachen's city walls incorporates elements of a Roman gate built around 117 under Emperor Hadrian, a superposition of eras that deeply anchors the city in history. Used as a prison until 1881, it is now accessible for guided tours, allowing you to imagine the fates that unfolded within its walls, before returning to the heart of the city and the Karlsbrunnen.

The Karlsbrunnen, a 14 m high fountain built in 1612 by Johann von Bocholtz, is dedicated to Charlemagne, with a statue from 1620. Water has been drawn here since 1354 from Aachen's thermal springs, a direct link to Roman antiquity. This fountain, decorated with mythological figures and allegories of local rivers, is a key point in your interactive tour. You then return to the Aachener Dom, where the central octagon, 14.5 m in diameter and 31.5 m high internally, houses the imperial relics of Charlemagne, canonized in 1165. The sarcophagus of the emperor, who died in 814, rests in the treasury chapel, crowned in 1882. Your journey will have allowed you to delve into the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia's history, understand the stakes of these places, and uncover the secrets of Aachen.