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Most major European cities have a showstopping cathedral – London’s St Paul’s, Paris’s Notre-Dame, Milan’s Duomo – but Cologne’s is by far its most-visited attraction, with around six million people flocking there each year.
Kölner Dom – which took more than 600 years to build, beginning in 1248 and wrapping up in 1880 – towers above the German city’s main railway station. The building acquired Unesco World Heritage status in 1996, and until now has been free to enter. But, thanks to inflation, rising personnel costs and a depletion of funding reserves, Cathedral officials have opted to implement a fee.
So, what do we actually know about the fee? Well, according to German news agency dpa, 99 percent of visitors to the cathedral are tourists, and they’re the ones who will be subject to the entry fee – worshippers and members of the Central Cathedral Building Association will be exempt.
We know that the plan is to implement the fee in the second half of this year, and while we actually don’t know how much it will be, it will likely fall between €12-15 (which is £10-13), according to the Guardian.
The Independent has also reported that fees to visit the treasury, climb the towers and attend concerts might also be hiked, though accessing votive candles and silent prayer in designated areas will remain free.
‘It may seem to some like an infringement on cherished traditions. But it is essential if we want to continue the care, protection, and ongoing operation of the Cathedral in the proven manner.’ said the cathedral provost. ‘We expect that the new admission fee will significantly calm the daily operations in the cathedral and help to make the cathedral more accessible again as a house of worship and a sacred space.’
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More European cathedrals with entry fees
While an entry fee to Paris’s reopened Notre Dame was proposed by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, plans were never approved. There are also still cathedrals in Italy, such as Florence Cathedral and St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, which remain free to enter – but that’s not the case everywhere.
Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia costs €26 for general admission. Berlin Cathedral will cost you €15, and London’s Westminster Abbey? That’ll set you back £31.
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