Overview
- The Domkapitel began charging for entry to the cathedral’s main interior on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, with a regular ticket priced at €12 and a reduced ticket at €6.
- Worshippers, people praying and members of the Zentral‑Dombau‑Verein may enter free through the Nordeingang and children under 14, people with severe disabilities, and certain days remain exempt.
- The new system limits tourist access with set visiting hours, a daily cap of 18,000 tickets and online and on‑site sales, and early figures show roughly 4,000 online reservations before launch and some start‑up scanning problems at entry points.
- The Domkapitel says rising conservation and operating costs drove the change: the cathedral faces about €16 million in annual expenses and multi‑decade restoration programmes that the administration says have run deficits since 2019.
- Reactions are mixed — many foreign visitors accept the charge, some locals and critics object given church tax and public funding, and the Domverwaltung will review revenue and visitor effects and report a first formal balance in January.