<h1>Kölner Dom wird Eintrittsgeld von 12 Euro erheben, hat kein Geld für Reparaturen</h1>

Berlin/Cologne – From July, an entrance fee of 12 euros (291 CZK) will be required to enter the Cologne Cathedral. This was announced today at a press conference by representatives of the chapter that manages one of the most famous monuments in Germany. According to them, the Gothic cathedral needs funds for repairs, daily operations, and increased security measures. The decision to introduce an entrance fee has sparked criticism in recent months, although many people have also expressed understanding.

For believers who wish to pray or attend a service in the cathedral, entry will continue to be free. Approximately six million people visit the Cologne Cathedral each year. According to Dean Guido Assmann, 99 percent of visitors are tourists. However, the cathedral's administrators stated that no one will check at the entrance whether someone has come to admire the architecture or to pray.

So far, entry to the Gothic cathedral has been free of charge. An entrance fee was only collected for the cathedral treasury and the observation terrace. However, according to the administrators, the cathedral has been in financial loss every year since 2019 and needs a new source of income for repairs and operation. "We have reached a situation where we have exhausted the reserves of the Cologne Cathedral for the foreseeable future," the chapter stated back in March.

The Cologne Cathedral is one of the tallest in the world. Its foundation stone was laid in the mid-13th century. However, it was not completed until 1880. It became a famous pilgrimage site mainly due to the reliquary that allegedly contains the remains of the Three Kings. During World War II, the cathedral was hit several times during air raids, but it avoided significant damage. Since 1996, the cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Critics of the entrance fee are concerned that the cathedral will lose its symbolic function as a gathering place in the heart of a million-strong city. Others point out that there is an entrance fee for example to the Milan Cathedral and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The entrance fee for the latter church is 27 pounds (758 CZK) for adults. A visit to the unfinished Sagrada Familia in Barcelona costs 26 euros (631 CZK). In contrast, entry to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was expensively reconstructed after the devastating fire in 2019, is free. The Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica can also be visited for free. The Prague Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert can be visited as part of the Prague Castle tour with a basic entrance fee of 450 CZK.