Visitor rules at Cologne Cathedral

Dress

Treat it as a working church, not a shopping arcade. Shoulders and the upper body stay covered. Skirts and trousers should cover at least the mid-thigh. Tank tops and very short shorts get turned away at the door. Head coverings worn for health or religion are fine. Slogans that attack a religion or race are not.

If you are coming from a summer walk along the Rhine, carry a light shirt or wrap. There is no cloakroom that solves a dress-code refusal.

Bags and what stays outside

Only small bags and daypacks up to 40 × 35 × 15 cm (height × width × depth) may go into the interior, the Treasury or the tower. Roller cases, cabin trolleys and hiking packs are refused. The cathedral does not store them for you. Leave big luggage at the Hauptbahnhof lockers, a two-minute walk away.

• Wheelchairs, walkers and marked mobility aids are allowed. Bikes and other wheeled toys are not.
• No folding chairs, balloons, confetti or party streamers.
• No weapons or anything that could be used as one, including irritant spray.
• Assistance dogs may enter. Other animals stay outside.

Phones, food and noise

Set the phone to silent. Calls and video chats inside the church are not allowed. Eat and drink on the plaza, not in the nave. No smoking, including e-cigarettes. People who are clearly drunk are turned away. City scavenger hunts are not run inside the building.

Keep voices down and stay out of roped-off areas. Adults stay with children. Staff in the dark uniforms (Domschweizer) are floor stewards, not tour guides. Follow their instructions.

Photography

During tourist visiting hours you may take still photos and simple video for private use, without flash and without extra kit. Do not photograph other visitors as if they were props. Staged “photo shoots” are banned. Tripods need written permission. Drones are banned inside and around the building.

Publishing pictures for ads or campaigns needs a prior permit. For camera settings and viewpoints see our photography guide.

The Treasury usually forbids photography altogether. Ask at the door if a sign is unclear.

Guided groups

Only licensed cathedral guides may lead groups inside. If someone offers you a cheap “skip the line” walk-through on the plaza, treat it with care. Price context: private tour prices.