One of Germany’s most visited landmarks, Cologne Cathedral, will begin charging visitors an entry fee from July, as its administrators admit that financial reserves have been exhausted after years of spiralling maintenance costs.
Entry to Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will no longer be free from July 1. Visitors will be required to pay €12 for admission.
Teenagers aged 14 and over, as well as students, will be charged a reduced fee of €6. Children under 13, people with disabilities, and their carers will continue to have free access. Worshippers wishing to light a candle or pray will also be exempt from the charge, provided they enter through the north portal, which leads to a designated section of the cathedral reserved for religious activities.
Cathedral officials have said the new charge is necessary to cover rising costs linked to the upkeep, security and operation of the building. Plans to introduce a fee were first announced in March, with administrators pointing to ongoing financial difficulties. The cathedral has reportedly spent more than it has earned for six consecutive years.
According to Clemens van de Ven, the cathedral’s finance manager, daily running costs amount to approximately €44,000. For a long time, the deficit was covered using reserve funds. However, Mr van de Ven said the cathedral had “reached a point where reserves will be exhausted in the foreseeable future”.
Around six million people visit the cathedral each year. The dean, Guido Assmann, noted that 99% of them are tourists, not pilgrims.
