It was hot, and we were dressed in our civil-wedding best - the three of us, plus her Opa and Oma (grandma and grandpa) waiting outside Aachen's 14th-century town hall for the bride and groom to emerge.  There was a lunch to come, then a dinner, and a church wedding the next day - all spread around the Rhineland.  This would be our only day in Charlemagne's favorite city… and Opa had a glint in his eye that could only mean one thing: Cathedrals. 

But he surprised us, possibly because a knee-biter was playing with his hat, and the sun beat down strongly on his forehead.  "There's a wonderful fountain a couple of blocks away," he said, and headed off with grandchild in tow.  We all raised our eyebrows, and followed.  Down narrow  streets, past shops of all types, to a medium-sized square that rang with the sound of water on brass.  "This is the Puppenbrunnen," Opa said, lifting her to see - and touch - the movable pieces of the fountain.  All around its edge, hinged and hung, were puppet figures.  Many could be moved with a push of a toddler's finger. 

Water gurgled and flew from many angles, and the spray cooled us all.  Grandfather and granddaughter circled and played, giving me ample opportunity to take at least 4 Terabytes of photos.

We walked on to explore several other of the town's 17 public fountains, many of which are built to invite interaction.  And of course we visited the Cathedral, where Charlemagne was crowned - but that's another post entirely.  She still talks about the "puppet fountain" - thanks Opa!

Aachen is located on Germany's western border with Belgium and the Netherlands - a flight into Cologne and a rental car will get you there. A primary attraction - other than Charlemagne - is its waters and spas, which is one of the reasons fountains are so popular.  There's a great little essay on the Project for Public Spaces website about how Aachen's fountain's add to its public life.