Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) is the city’s largest church and one of the most important Protestant churches in Germany. It stands on Museum Island, facing the Lustgarten, at the eastern end of the boulevard Unter den Linden. Strictly speaking it is not a cathedral, since no bishop has his seat here; its official name is the Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church.

The present building, designed by Julius Raschdorff in an exuberant Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque style, was built between 1894 and 1905 as the main church of the Prussian court. A bomb set the dome on fire in 1944, and restoration under the East German government began only in 1975; the church reopened in 1993. The new dome was made simpler and lower than the original, so the building is now about 98 metres high instead of 114.

Inside you can see the richly decorated sermon church with its mosaics and the great Sauer organ of 1905, the Imperial Staircase, the baptism and wedding chapel and a museum about the building’s history. The Hohenzollern Crypt below holds the coffins of around 90 members of the Prussian royal family; after years of renovation it reopened in March 2026, together with step-free access to most of the cathedral.

The highlight for many visitors is the dome walkway: 270 steps lead up to a gallery 50 metres above the ground, with views over Museum Island, the Spree and the TV Tower.

The cathedral is open from 9:00 to 18:00 (Sundays from 12:00), with last admission at 17:00, and may close for services and concerts. In 2026 a ticket costs €15 (reduced €12), including the dome walkway, crypt and audio guide; up to four children under 18 enter free with an adult. Services are free to attend.