The dome walkway
A circular walkway at the top looking over central Berlin, the Spree and Museum Island.
Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de — CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan — CC BY-SA 2.0
Berlin Cathedral is the largest church in the city, standing on Museum Island under a big green dome you can see from far away. It was built between 1894 and 1905 under Kaiser Wilhelm II, meant to be a church worthy of an imperial capital. It was badly damaged in the Second World War and restored slowly over many years. Two things make the visit: the dome climb and the royal crypt. The stairs are long, but they bring you to a walkway right around the dome with a view over central Berlin. Below, the Hohenzollern crypt holds around ninety coffins of kings, princes and their children across several centuries.
A circular walkway at the top looking over central Berlin, the Spree and Museum Island.
Around ninety coffins of the ruling Hohenzollern family, some strikingly decorated.
A huge late-nineteenth-century organ, played at short recitals on some days of the week.
Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin
DDR MuseumThe DDR Museum is a small museum on the riverbank opposite the cathedral, explai1 minute walk4.2
LustgartenThe Lustgarten is a square of grass in the middle of Berlin's Museum Island. Ber1 minute walk4.5
Altes MuseumThe Altes Museum is the oldest on Museum Island, designed by Karl Friedrich Schi2 minutes walk4.5
Ethnological MuseumBerlin's Ethnological Museum holds one of the world's largest collections of non2 minutes walk4.1
Humboldt ForumThe Humboldt Forum is a large building in the middle of Berlin, on Museum Island3 minutes walk4.5The stairs are long and there is no lift, so it takes some fitness. There are places to stop and rest on the way, and most people manage it. Anyone with difficulty walking or with bad knees can stay at church and crypt level, which are worth the visit on their own.
An hour covers the church and crypt; an hour and a half to two with the dome climb and photographs from the top. It sits on Museum Island, so most visitors combine it with a museum or two the same day.
No — sightseeing needs a ticket. People attending a service enter without one, but that is for worship, not for walking round and taking photographs. The square and garden in front are free and open to everyone.