Plans by Cologne Cathedral to introduce an entry fee for tourists have sparked criticism, with opponents arguing that the charge would restrict access to the wealthy and be socially unjust. The cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Germany's most visited church, attracts around six million visitors annually.
Officials announced that from July, visitors will be charged between €12 and €15 (£10-£13) to enter the nave, though worshippers will be exempt. The move is intended to address a financial shortfall, as maintenance costs of €16 million per year exceed income of just under €14 million in 2024, a deficit that has persisted since 2019.
Barbara Schock-Werner, former head of conservation at the cathedral and now chair of the ZDV association supporting its upkeep, described any fee above €10 as irresponsible. She told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger: “If only the well-off can afford to go into a church, I think that’s socially unjust.” She added that it was “very, very regrettable” that Germany’s most famous church would charge an entrance fee, emphasising the need for non-commercial spaces.
Cathedral dean Guido Assmann noted that tourists account for 99% of visitors. The fee will not apply to those attending services, lighting candles, or praying. The cathedral’s management cited inflation, high staffing costs for 170 employees, and depleted cash reserves—partly due to pandemic closures of its tower and treasure chamber—as reasons for the charge.
Artist Gerhard Richter, whose pixelated stained-glass windows are a major attraction, expressed support for the fee, noting that other great cathedrals, such as Milan’s, already charge. In Germany, most churches remain free, though Berlin Cathedral charges €15, while Barcelona’s Sagrada Família costs €26 and Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathedral €29.
