Berlin Cathedral

Berliner Dom – © Wolfgang Scholvien

With its magnificent dome, the Berlin Cathedral is definitely one of the capital’s crowd pullers.
Located in the northern area of the Spree Island, many of the buildings that were previously located here date all the way back to the 15th century.
In the 19th century, the ruling family of Germany, the house of Hohenzollern, was living right next door in the Berlin Castle and they thought that Schinkel’s rather modest domed cathedral no longer corresponded to the image they wanted to project of their family. King Frederick William IV thus decided that a magnificent cathedral should be built.

The cornerstone of this beautiful cathedral was laid in 1894 and the inauguration ceremony took place in 1905. During World War II, the cathedral suffered heavy damage. Only in 1975 did the GDR begin restoring it. The restoration was finally completed four years after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1993.

Tourists can see the ministry church and its impressive cupola along with the baptismal and matrimonial chapels, the imperial staircase, the Hohenzollern crypt with nearly 100 coffins dating back four centuries and the Cathedral museum. Visitors can also go up to the top of the dome to have a remarkable view of the centre of Berlin.

No visits during services and events.

Church Services:

Mon - Sat 12am Midday Prayers;
Mon - Fri 6pm Evening Prayers;
Thu 6pm Evensong;
Sat 6pm Vespers;
Sun and Holy Days 10am Lord's Supper (with english translation);
plus Church Service for children and 6pm Evening Service;
Taizé Prayers once a month on a Thursday evening

Audioguide

Explore the Berlin Cathedral and other sights of major interest in Berlin with an audioguide. Just order online and upload the audioguide to your MP3 player or iPod. ...more

Information for school classes

The Berliner Dom offers tours for school pupils of all ages. Alongside the tour of the dome itself, there are also conducted tours of the crypt, organ and museum. The 90 minute tour costs:

• € 35 guiding fee for groups up to 15 persons + € 30 admission,
• € 60 guiding fee for groups up to 30 persons + € 50 admission.

Special conditions apply to groups visiting the dome as part of a religious instruction programme.

Prior registration is required in any case.