Cologne Cathedral Becomes First Catholic Church in Germany to Charge Admission

Exceptions and Free Admission Days

According to the cathedral chapter, admission tickets are available either online or at the central cashier desk in the Curia building on Roncalliplatz. The cashier arrangement is intended to make access as easy as possible for visitors.

As justification for introducing the fee, the cathedral chapter points to the sharply increased maintenance costs. The upkeep and restoration of the World Heritage site amounts to approximately 44,000 euros per day, it says. The cathedral master builder also cites figures between 50,000 and 100,000 euros for the restoration of individual sculptures.

Background: Costs of the World Heritage Site

Even in international comparison, admission fees at well-known churches are not uncommon. The regular price at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, for example, is 26 euros, while Milan Cathedral charges 11.50 euros. By contrast, Paris's Notre-Dame remains freely accessible.

To still make the cathedral accessible to everyone, the cathedral chapter is planning certain days each year with free admission for all, including German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). This is intended to preserve the special social significance of the cathedral.

International Comparison

Worship attendees will also not have to leave the church in the future if they wish to attend a service. Liturgical use is therefore expressly exempt from the admission regulation.

The introduction of admission fees at Cologne Cathedral is considered to have a signalling effect for other major churches in Germany. Observers expect the debate over financing models for the preservation of sacred buildings to gather momentum.

In the long term, the cathedral chapter wants to use the additional revenue to secure the preservation of the building and finance further restorations. Cologne Cathedral is one of the most visited buildings in Germany and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

The response to the new regulation was already controversial in advance. Supporters see the admission fee as a necessary step to fund heritage preservation, while critics fear the commercialisation of church space.