The Berlin Cathedral is a must-visit for all

The Berlin Cathedral is an imposing building located on Museum Island which lies just inside West Berlin. It is a grandiose protestant church which is technically a parish church, as opposed to a cathedral. The Dom was designed to rival St Peter’s Church in Rome or St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Like many buildings in Berlin, the Cathedral was subject to significant damage during the war and the dome was bombed. It was rebuilt in the 1970s but this is one reason why the ceiling is so well maintained – it is new!

Now, my father is convinced I’ve been to the Berlin Cathedral before but I don’t believe him for a number of reasons: I usually object on principle to paying to go into a place of worship so I would have definitely remembered being asked to part with around €7 for it; it’s spectacular; it’s a horrendous climb for the view which if I wasn’t too lazy to do before would certainly have remembered.

So on my February 2025 visit I decided to go against all my principles around paying to go into a place of worship and took the best part of an hour to explore the Dom.

Visiting the Berlin Cathedral (or Berliner Dom): logistics

Closest U-Bahn: Museumsinsel or Alexanderplatz

Cost: €7.50 for concessions or €10 for adults. They take cash or card and you buy at the door. You can book in advance online here.

Opening times:

Monday to Friday: 10 am to 6 pm
Saturdays: 10 am to 5 pm
Sundays: 12 pm to 5 pm

Extra tips: there is a luggage room at the Dom which is very useful.

Why you should take the time to visit the Berlin Cathedral

The gold-leafed alter

One of the things I love about churches in Central Europe is how wonderfully over the top they are, and the Berliner Dom is no exception. As you walk in through the main door your eyes are immediately drawn to the shine of the alter at the end of the aisle and the highly polished marble pillars. The engravings around the top of the walls draw your eyes.

You will see many people just sitting on the pews just taking in the surroundings as there is so much to see.

When you look up from the middle of the church you are faced with the most ornate dome ceiling, which you can easily lose yourself in for a few minutes.

The ‘Sauer’ organ

Organs are not something I know much about, but I always feel I should learn more. They’re curious instruments and the grandeur of them never ceases to amaze me. The one in the Berliner Dom was opened in 1905 and at the time was considered one of the biggest in Germany.

The view of Berlin

At the top of the Dom is a spectacular view of the city including the tv dome at Alexander Platz. It’s a panorama and you can walk the whole way around the top of the Dom. The catch is, as it’s an old building there is no lift and it’s about 300 steps. It is also not a well-maintained staircase. You might see images of the grand staircase online. I’m sorry to tell you this is not what you will be climbing for the view.

In addition to the above, there are some wonderfully sculpted tombs made of black and gold materials. This is nothing on the 94 tombs in the crypt but this was closed for maintenance so I am still none the wiser as to if this is worth it, but it’s meant to be spectacular.

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