Visit Berlin Cathedral: a Truly Memorable Historical Landmark

A Walk Through History

The neo-Renaissance Berlin Cathedral has been through several phases of architectural renovation and religious reform since the Middle Ages. Its beginnings can be traced back to a humble parish church built beside the Spree in 1465. The church was reformed in 1539 to follow the Lutheran branch of Martin Luther. Then, when Frederick the Great ordered a new Baroque structure to be erected between 1747 and 1750, the coffins were carefully transferred from the crypt and the old, dilapidated structure was torn down.
The remodelled neoclassicist cathedral was designed and built by architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel between 1820-1822. Following further revisions, under the orders of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the present cathedral was completed in 1905. Subsequently destroyed by Allied forces during World War II, reconstruction work commenced in 1975 and the result is the cathedral that stands today.

The Berlin Cathedral Today

This impressive monument is situated on Museum Island in Berlin's central Mitte district. It remains an active and operational cathedral, and visitors can sit in the pews while services take place. Look out for details such as the exquisitely-carved raised pulpit, the baptismal and matrimonial chapels, the imperial staircase, the gold altar and the organ with its over 7000 pipes. The Hohenzollern crypt below the cathedral contains nearly 100 coffins dating back to the early 1600s. Admission to the cathedral as well as its museum carries a modest fee.
Climbing up to the dome on the cathedral's roof is well worth it, with an outdoor walkway providing panoramic views of Museum Island, the synagogue, Gendarmenmarkt and the Reichstag. Photographers will love the different perspective offered from up here. Note however that the last part of the climb gets very narrow; some even refer to it as the cat-walk.

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Author: David Rickerson-Seidel

Guest Relations Manager at NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse

My name is David Rickerson-Seidel and I have been part of the NH Hotel Group since September 2015 when the first NH Collection Hotel opened in Germany. After 16 years of hotel experience, I was offered a great chance to meet people from all over the world and each time I was able to learn from them – this is one of the reason why I love my position as a Guest Relation Manager. My daily task is to fulfil our guest’s needs before they actually asking for it. With my passion for my job it is always a great pleasure to see our guests happy and smiling before they leave the hotel and I know that we have done the job right. I always say that the only thing that a guest can’t buy and book in advance is our smiling receptionist with a warm welcoming, the friendly breakfast host who would like to know if you slept well, and our elusive room maid, who is preparing the room so that it feels like home – our employees make the difference – this is why you are not checking into your room at a terminal. Whatever you need – we are always there for you.