Magdeburg Cathedral

Magdeburg Cathedral (Magdeburger Dom), dedicated to Saints Maurice and Catherine, is the landmark of Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, and the first cathedral in Germany designed in the Gothic style from the start. It is also the burial place of Otto the Great, the first Holy Roman Emperor, and his English-born wife Queen Editha. With twin towers over 100 meters tall and superb medieval sculpture, it is the city's essential sight.

A thousand years of history

In 937, the future emperor Otto I founded a monastery dedicated to St. Maurice in Magdeburg. Its church grew and in 968 became the cathedral of a new archdiocese, making Magdeburg one of the power centers of Otto's empire. After a fire in 1207, work began on a completely new building in the Gothic style then emerging in France. It was consecrated in 1363 and finished only in 1520, when the west towers were completed. Allied bombing in 1944 and 1945 damaged the cathedral, which reopened in 1955 after restoration. Today it is a Protestant church and the preaching church of the regional bishop.

What to see

• Tomb of Otto the Great: in the crossing, between the rows of the choir stalls.
• Tomb of Queen Editha: the Anglo-Saxon princess was a granddaughter of King Alfred the Great of England; archaeologists confirmed her remains in 2010.
• Wise and Foolish Virgins: a famous cycle of statues from around 1240–50 at the north portal, one of the masterpieces of German Gothic sculpture.
• Ernst Barlach's war memorial (1929): removed by the Nazis and returned in 1955.
• Sheer scale: the interior is 118 meters (387 feet) long and 32 meters high; the north tower rises about 101 meters.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, according to the cathedral parish:

• Opening hours: May to September 10 a.m.–6 p.m., April and October 10 a.m.–5 p.m., November to March 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sundays and church holidays from 11:30 a.m.
• Admission: the parish lists no entry fee for visiting the cathedral; guided tours are paid.
• Guided tours (in German): Monday to Saturday at 2 p.m. (plus 4 p.m. April to October), Sundays at 11:30 a.m.; adults €9, reduced €6.
• Tower tours: May to October, Fridays 4 p.m., Saturdays 3 p.m., Sundays noon; €9. Spaces are limited and cannot be booked in advance.

The climb has 433 steps to a platform about 80 meters up, ending in a very narrow spiral stair. Services and concerts can limit access. English tours are not listed on the parish website, so if you need one, contact the parish office in advance.

How to get to Magdeburg

Magdeburg lies on the Elbe River about 150 km (95 miles) west of Berlin. Trains from Berlin take roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, and there are direct connections from Leipzig and Hanover too, which makes the city a feasible day trip from Berlin. Regional trains are covered by the Deutschlandticket. From Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof, the cathedral is about a 15-minute walk south along the Breiter Weg. Drivers reach the city via the A2 and A14 autobahns; there are several parking garages in the center.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, particularly if you are interested in medieval Germany and the origins of the Holy Roman Empire. Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the interior, or about two hours with a tour or tower climb. Combine it with the colorful Green Citadel and the Romanesque monastery next door for a full half day in the city center.

Nearby

• Green Citadel: Friedensreich Hundertwasser's last building, a few minutes' walk north.
• Monastery of Our Lady (Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen): a Romanesque monastery now housing an art museum.
• Dommuseum Ottonianum: a museum about Otto the Great's era on Cathedral Square.
• Elbe riverside promenade: a pleasant walk just below the cathedral.