Aachen (D), Maastricht (NL) Bilzen (Be)

Travelled: 146km
Visited: Aachen D, Maastricht NL
Stay: Bilzen Belgium- free parking, € services (incl electricty)GPS N50.869850 E5.522150

A nice easy Sunday drive on the freeway this morning into Aachen. It was originally founded by the Romans who established baths here after discovering hot springs but it was Charlemagne that really put it on the map.. so to speak. He built his principle residence here in 768 and then the town became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire when he was crowned emperor in 800. Due to his legendary status and that he was entombed here, the German kings were crowned in the palace chapel for nearly 600 years from 956 to 1531. Today the Charlemagne Prize is awarded every year to outstanding Europeans since 1950.

We visited the Town Hall for just €3 each and learnt some of the local history. It was once part of the Charlemagne Palace. 

We went through the 'Red Room', the 'White Hall' where there is a portrait of a British noble John Montagu also known as the Earl of Sandwich due to him having requested such a meal during negotiations back in the 1700's!

The next room was the Master Craftsmen's Court where the clothmakers had to have their products inspected and approved for export.

We then went up the stairs to the magnificent Coronation Hall where the banquets would be held.

We were then wowed by the beautiful mosaic interior of the cathedral where the kings would have been crowned.  

We walked down to where the hot spring was found and hot, smelly water still comes out of the pipes!

Along with several museums, another interesting fact about the town is that it was here that the first ever news agency was established in 1800.
Having enjoyed our stroll and ambiance of the old quarter, we made our way back to Bluey (free parking on Sunday).
Next destination was Maastricht, one of the oldest cities in Holland. The main differences we noticed were that most of the buildings are made of brick (and not rendered) and scooters are allowed on the bike lanes. We managed to park quite close to the centre for €5/2hrs and walked into the old quarter...there were lots of people and we soon found out why...the ironman competition was on! 

So we walked around a bit, had a bite to eat and decided to go to our spot for tonight 15mins away in Belgium.

3 countries in one day!