Around six million people visit Germany’s Kölner Dom or Cologne Cathedral every year. Admission has so far been free – but from July this will change.
People who want to enter the renowned gothic masterpiece will have to pay €12 from July 1st, ending free access to the popular tourist attraction.
That’s according to a new pricing plan from Cologne Cathedral’s governing body announced this week. However, several exemptions remain in place. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s behind the decision?
Officials say the charge is needed to cover rising maintenance, security and operating costs to the cathedral – a World Heritage Site that took over 600 years to build.
The debate over charing entry first emerged earlier this year.
“We have been closely following the public debate over the past few weeks,” said Cathedral Provost Guido Assmann during a press conference on Tuesday.
“In addition to critical voices, we have also received a great deal of supportive feedback that makes it clear: many people realise that preserving and maintaining the cathedral requires reliable and sustainable funding.”
The cathedral chapter stated that it had made a loss for six consecutive years since 2019.
“We have reached a point where Cologne Cathedral’s reserves will be exhausted in the foreseeable future,” said treasurer Clemens van de Ven.
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The pricing plan
The cathedral, which is located in the centre of Cologne, will be free for everyone to enter on certain days each year, including Epiphany (January 6th) Labour Day (May 1st) and German Unity Day (October 3rd).
It also remain free of charge for those attending services, worshippers and members of the Central Cathedral Building Association.
You may be wondering how the distinction between tourists who come solely to visit and people who come to pray will be made.
The Cathedral Chapter said two separate entrances will be provided: one via the north entrance near the main station where people can enter to pray. And another at the main west entrance where a ticket will be required to view the entire cathedral.
Officials said they will not check up on whether people at the north entrance do intend to pray.
Children aged 13 and under are exempt from the new ticket prices. This also applies to the tower climb and the treasury, for which they previously had to pay.
The aim is to continue enabling daycare centres, primary schools and lower grades of secondary schools to visit, and to inspire children at an early age to view the cathedral as a place of faith and culture.
The new charge does not apply to people with severe disabilities and those accompanying them.
Concessions apply to school pupils over 13 and their accompanying adults, students, apprentices and people receiving social welfare assistance in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Here’s a look at the full pricing plan below, with a breakdown on how much it will cost to access the tower (Turm), treasury (Schatzkammer) and the interior (Domminenraum) from July.
A view of the new pricing plan for Cologne Cathedral. Photo courtesy of Cologne Cathedral
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Officials also hope the introduction of a fee will “noticeably calm day-to-day life in the cathedral”.
“The admission fee can help to make the cathedral more of a place of worship and a sacred space once again,” said Assmann.
“I am confident that in a few years’ time we will see that both the long-term preservation of the cathedral and its spiritual character have benefited from this step.”
The introduction of an admission charge sparked heated discussions when it was announced in early March
Supporters point out that similar landmarks, such as Milan Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral in London, charge an entry fee. An adult ticket for St Paul’s Cathedral in London costs £27 (€31), and for Westminster Abbey as much as £31 (€35).
A standard ticket for the Sagrada Familia in the Spanish city of Barcelona costs €26.
Tickets for the cathedral will be available online or at a ticket office located at Roncalliplatz 2.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
