East along Am Abdinghof to the north of the Dom are the remnants of the Carolingian Kaiserpfalz, Charlemagne’s palace where that historic meeting with Pope Leo took place. It was destroyed by fire and replaced in the 11th century by the Ottonian-Salian Kaiserpfalz, which has been reconstructed as faithfully as possible atop the original foundations. The only original palace building is the twee Bartholomäuskapelle next door. Consecrated in 1017, it’s considered the oldest hall church north of the Alps and enjoys otherworldly acoustics.
