Aachen cathedral

I've wanted for a long time to see this amazing building, the Palatine Chapel which was at the centre of Charlemagne's empire, and where he had his throne. The mosaics are 19th century attempts to recreate what might have been in place at the time, but the chandelier is the real thing, given to Charlemagne by Pope Barbarossa; and the 3-tiered architecture with the dome on top is also the real thing, an extraordinary example of what could be achieved in the early 9th century.