Paderborn: where Charlemagne met the Pope

Site of a historic meeting between Charlemagne and Pope Leo III in 799, Paderborn originates from over two hundred springs that feed Germany's shortest river.

The center, where Charlemagne met the Pope in 799, is visited comfortably on foot.

The Paderborn Cathedral, a Gothic structure, houses the crypt where tradition holds that Charlemagne and Pope Leo III met in the year 799.

Just a short walk away, the Pader springs, over two hundred water outlets that feed Germany's shortest river, emerge directly in the heart of the historic center.

Continuing on, visitors explore the Diocesan Museum, which preserves the Madonna of Imad, a sculptural masterpiece from the eleventh century and one of the most celebrated works of German Romanesque art.

As evening falls, Paderborn's university district comes alive with local establishments frequented by the city's vibrant student population.

The Pader River, fed by over two hundred springs that emerge in the center of Paderborn, officially remains Germany's shortest river, flowing just four kilometers before merging with another watercourse.

The meeting between Charlemagne and Pope Leo III in Paderborn in 799 laid the foundation for the coronation of the Frankish emperor in Rome the following year, a founding event of the Holy Roman Empire.