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Cologne Cathedral Introduces 12 Euro Tourist Fee; Visitors Largely Approve
🇩🇪 Germany /Culture & Society

Cologne Cathedral Introduces 12 Euro Tourist Fee; Visitors Largely Approve

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Cologne Cathedral now charges a 12 Euro entrance fee for tourists, effective July 1.
  • Initial visitor reactions are largely positive, with many finding the fee fair for maintaining the historic site.
  • Some confusion arose regarding entry points for prayer versus tourism, but officials expect issues to resolve.

Cologne Cathedral has introduced a 12 Euro entrance fee for tourists, a change that took effect on July 1. The first visitors to pay for entry were a mother and son from Ukraine, who were unaware the cathedral had previously been free to enter. "But it's a fair price. It's such a beautiful building," the mother, Julia, told the German Press Agency (dpa).

But it's a fair price. It's such a beautiful building.

— JuliaA tourist from Ukraine, Julia, expressed her view on the new entrance fee for Cologne Cathedral.

Many tourists share her sentiment. "The price is more than fair," said Michael from the USA. "Such buildings cost a lot of money and work. My country, the USA, is only 250 years old; we don't have beautiful churches like this," he emphasized. Julian from Malta also found the fee reasonable, noting, "It's normal in other countries that such churches need to be maintained, and you have to pay a contribution for that."

The price is more than fair. Such buildings cost a lot of money and work. My country, the USA, is only 250 years old; we don't have beautiful churches like this.

— MichaelAn American tourist, Michael, shared his opinion on the fairness of the entrance fee.

While many visitors purchased tickets online without issue, some experienced delays at the entrance around 10:00 AM due to new ticket checks. "I don't want to claim that everything is going smoothly and wonderfully," admitted Cathedral Provost Guido Assmann. He acknowledged that additional signs with clear instructions are needed but considered these normal start-up difficulties that will likely be resolved over time.

It's normal in other countries that such churches need to be maintained, and you have to pay a contribution for that.

— JulianJulian, a tourist from Malta, commented on the necessity of entrance fees for church maintenance.

Confusion arose for some locals, like a Cologne resident who intended to pray and was directed to the North Entrance on the train station side, as the main entrance is now for ticketed tourists. While prayer and candle lighting are still permitted freely through the North Entrance, access is limited to a smaller area. Assmann referred to an isolated incident of a visitor climbing over a barrier to access the rest of the church as an "isolated case," expressing confidence that most people will adhere to the rules.

I don't want to claim that everything is going smoothly and wonderfully.

— Guido AssmannCathedral Provost Guido Assmann acknowledged initial challenges with the new ticketing system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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