Aachen!
What a marvelous surprise you were hiding behind your German name!
And so it happened that I went to Aachen to find the X’mas spirit, in one of the most beautiful and famous Christmas market of Germany, and, in front of the reliquaries of Charles the Great, I suddenly discovered that Aachen, called Aix Le Chapelle in French, was actually the so-called Aquisgrana, capital of the empire of the greatest emperor of all times. I couldn’t believe at my discovery in that museum! I found myself in one of the places I wanted to go when I was a young student, when old stories of adventures and kings and battles filled my imaginations with far away places to be discovered one day. Then suddenly I realized I was there, and when I went out of the building I was someone else and I was staring at that beautiful town with different eyes. So the cathedral, Charles’ building, the golden treasures of the Church explain the stories of this little town, once ready to become a second Rome.
The freezing air of December, the short day light, everything made me wonder why Charles decided to have Aachen as the capital of his extensive reign, a small town at the borders with other worlds, capital of a world that at that time must have been tiny and unknown.
The imagination made me loose myself staring at the building, and almost forgetting the aim of the day was actually vising the X’mas market. The buildings, the narrow streets, the view of the top of the Dom from any corner of the town, it’s ancient history and life just surrounds you and enchant your eyes and feeling
When you succeed to get out of Charles’ ancient and mysterious world, the town surrounds you with its warm and joyful Christmas atmosphere, enhancing all your senses in a mix of X’mas euphoria all over.
In the main square, between the Gothic cathedral and Charles’ fairy tale castle, the Christmas market suddenly wakes up all your senses, with the sweet scent of almonds and chocolate apples, the savory taste of the wursts of all sort of dimensions, and the hot and sweet flavour of the Gluehwien, that warms up your hands and your soul from the winter cold air. There is an amazing smell of “tasting good”, and the Christmas music is in every corner, the town choir sings on the stage and all around you are surrounded by all the colours of the world of the thousands old fashion wood toys everywhere, with the sweet faces of the little angels, teddy bears looking at you from every corner, wood little soldiers and Santas that transform your day and make you step in the real Christmas atmosphere of joy. This old time atmosphere makes this place special, and it’s what other places miss, as too busy in the consuming idea of Christmas.
Here in Aachen there is something that is still ancient and that enchants your heart.
Aachen, a secret pearl hidden behind the different translations of its name in other languages, you literally enchanted me!