Bejewelled

The pulpit and stained glass windows of the Aachen cathedral.

Churches have always fascinated me, Catholic ones especially, because of their flamboyant architecture, art, and history. The Aachen cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is quite a gem. Construction was began in 792 A.D. by the Emperor Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus), who was buried in one of the cathedral vaults when he died in 814. Thirty German kings and twelve queens were crowned here.

Here it is from the outside.