St. Hedwig’s Cathedral

St. Hedwig's Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Saint Hedwig's Cathedral stands on Bebelplatz in the centre of Berlin, on the Unter den Linden boulevard, near the State Opera and the Humboldt University, and it is the Catholic cathedral of Berlin. Entry is free. The cathedral was closed for several years for a major and controversial renovation of its interior, and it reopened in late 2024 with a completely redesigned modern interior, so older descriptions no longer apply.

Walking tours of central Berlin pass Bebelplatz, where the Nazis burned books in 1933 and a memorial of empty bookshelves set into the ground now marks the spot. The cathedral can be combined with the museums of Museum Island, the Berlin Cathedral and the Gendarmenmarkt nearby. It is an active church, and visiting pauses during services. The book-burning memorial is best seen by looking down through its glass panel set into the square.

Visiting St. Hedwig's Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was built between 1747 and 1773 as the first Catholic church in Protestant Prussia after the Reformation, with the permission of Frederick the Great, who wanted to please the Catholics of newly conquered Silesia; it is dedicated to Saint Hedwig, the patron of Silesia. Its design, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, has a round plan under a large dome and a columned portico. It was destroyed by bombing in 1943 and rebuilt between 1952 and 1963, with a modern interior that included an opening in the floor leading to the crypt.

The most recent renovation removed that opening and created a bright, circular space with the altar at the centre, seats arranged around it, and a white interior under the dome, designed to express unity. The crypt holds the tomb of Bernhard Lichtenberg, the provost who prayed publicly for the Jews during the Nazi period and died on his way to Dachau. The dome is lit through a central oculus, recalling the Pantheon. The portico has a relief of the Adoration of the Magi above the entrance. The crypt also holds tombs of bishops of Berlin. The exterior was restored during the renovation, and the green copper dome was repaired. The new altar is a hemisphere of stone, representing the world.

St. Hedwig's Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with visits limited during masses. Berlin is lively all year, with peaks in summer and at Christmas, when Bebelplatz and nearby Gendarmenmarkt host markets. Winter is cold and grey. The Festival of Lights in October illuminates buildings on Unter den Linden, including the cathedral. The State Opera next door offers performances most evenings. Allow about twenty minutes for the cathedral, and look at the book-burning memorial on the square before walking to Museum Island. The Humboldt Forum, in the rebuilt Berlin Palace, is a few minutes' walk and holds museum collections of world cultures.