Tourists will be charged an admission fee to Cologne’s most famous landmark — DW
The famous Cologne Cathedral in Germany has officially announced that it will begin charging an admission fee for foreign tourists and visitors starting July 1.
The cost of a ticket to visit one of the country’s most famous historical landmarks will be 12 euros.
This majestic Gothic cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, first publicly announced its plans to change its funding rules in March.
As a result, Cologne Cathedral will become one of the few German architectural landmarks to charge an admission fee.
The officially announced amount is slightly higher than the €10 threshold previously proposed by architect Barbara Schock-Werner, who heads the Central Association for Cathedral Construction (ZDV).
During a special press conference, church representatives explained in detail that the admission fee is necessary to cover the costs of ongoing maintenance, security, and the day-to-day operation of this unique structure.
According to preliminary estimates by experts, the regular costs for the full maintenance of the building are currently estimated at 16 million euros per year. This amounts to approximately 44,000 euros per day, which is a significant financial burden.
“The cathedral costs money; the cathedral needs a lot of money. Of course, an admission fee of 12 euros is therefore more than welcome,” commented cathedral administrator Clemens van de Ven on this decision.
The leadership of the religious community emphasizes that this financial measure will help preserve the architectural heritage for future generations.
Cathedral Dean Guido Assmann, for his part, noted that the church “closely followed the public debate of recent weeks” regarding the introduction of entrance fees.
In his view, society as a whole has responded appropriately to the upcoming changes in tourism regulations.
This was reported by DW.
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