Augsburg Cathedral, officially the Hoher Dom Mariä Heimsuchung, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Augsburg and one of the most significant medieval church buildings in southern Germany. It’s located in the heart of Augsburg’s old town in Bavaria. This guide covers opening hours, guided tours, transport, parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips for 2026.
Last updated: May 2026. All information has been verified against the official Bistum Augsburg website. Entry to the cathedral is free of charge. A new stained glass window by artist Dr. Celia Mendoza, installed in 2025 to mark the Ulrich anniversary, is now on display in the south nave – an addition not mentioned in older guides. Public guided tours of the cathedral run on Saturdays and Sundays from Easter Sunday (5 April) to 27 September 2026.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Daily, 7am–6pm |
| Entry | Free |
| Public guided tours | Saturdays and Sundays, Easter to 27 September 2026 |
| Tour meeting point | Welcome desk (Willkommenstheke) at main entrance, left side |
| Address | Hoher Weg, 86152 Augsburg |
| Parish office | Kornhausgasse 8, 86152 Augsburg; tel: 0821 3166-8511 |
| Nearest public transport | Tram 2 to Stadtwerke/Dom or Mozarthaus |
| Typical visit length | 1–1.5 hours |
Augsburg Cathedral opening hours
Augsburg Cathedral is open every day from 7am to 6pm. There are no seasonal variations to these hours. Visiting is not permitted during services; check the current service schedule before visiting. Key services include Sunday mass and weekday morning masses.
Public guided tours run Saturdays and Sundays from Easter Sunday (5 April 2026) to Sunday 27 September 2026. Outside this period, group tours can be pre-arranged by contacting the parish office directly.
Augsburg Cathedral ticket prices and guided tours
Entry to Augsburg Cathedral is entirely free. There are no admission charges for any part of the cathedral.
Public guided tours run on Saturdays and Sundays between Easter and late September. Tours last approximately one hour and depart from the Willkommenstheke (welcome desk) inside the main entrance on the left. A voluntary donation is requested in place of a fixed fee.
Group tours for 15 to 60 people can be arranged year-round through the parish office ([email protected]; tel: 0821 3166-8511). The fee for groups is €1 per person; community and parish groups are admitted free of charge. Bookings are only confirmed once a written confirmation has been received; changes or cancellations are possible due to unexpected events in the cathedral.
An online 360° virtual tour covering 20 stations in and around the cathedral, with 50 art-historical information points, is available free at domtour.bistum-augsburg.de. This can be used on a smartphone or tablet during an in-person visit.
The Diocesan Museum St Afra (Diözesanmuseum St Afra), immediately adjacent to the cathedral at Kornhausgasse 3–5, is a paid attraction with its own admission fees (adults €4, reduced €3, family ticket €8). It houses medieval ecclesiastical art and objects from the diocese. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday and public holidays 12pm–6pm; closed Mondays.
Augsburg Cathedral is not included in any city pass scheme.
Opening hours and tour information were checked on the official Bistum Augsburg website and last updated in May 2026.
How to get to Augsburg Cathedral
By train, Augsburg is approximately 30 to 45 minutes from Munich Hauptbahnhof on regular services to Augsburg Hauptbahnhof. From the station, the cathedral is approximately a 20-minute walk through the city centre. By public transport, take tram line 4 from the main station to Königsplatz, then change to tram line 2 and alight at either Stadtwerke/Dom or Mozarthaus; both stops are within a short walk of the cathedral.
By car from Munich, take the A8 motorway towards Stuttgart, exit at Augsburg Ost, and follow Mühlhauser Strasse and Hans-Böckler-Strasse. After crossing the River Lech, turn left at the traffic lights into Georg-Haindl-Strasse, then right into Stephingerberg. Taking the left at the end of that road into Frauentorstrasse leads directly to the cathedral. Coach drop-off is available opposite the Bishop’s House (Bischofshaus) on Hoher Weg, directly across from the cathedral.
Parking near Augsburg Cathedral
There is no car park at Augsburg Cathedral. The surrounding streets are in the historic city centre where parking is restricted. The city of Augsburg operates several multi-storey car parks within walking distance. The nearest are generally signposted from the city ring road. Public transport is the most practical option for most visitors arriving from outside Augsburg.
How long to spend at Augsburg Cathedral
Most visitors allow one to one and a half hours at Augsburg Cathedral, which is sufficient to walk the full length of the nave, visit the east choir, the crypt, and the major artworks and windows. Those taking an organised guided tour should allow 90 minutes to two hours in total. The Diocesan Museum St Afra next door adds approximately another hour if visited separately.
Accessibility at Augsburg Cathedral
Augsburg Cathedral’s main interior is accessible at ground level from the principal entrance. The cloister is also reachable without barriers from inside the cathedral. The adjacent Diocesan Museum St Afra is partly barrier-free (approximately 60% of the museum is accessible to wheelchair users); the museum’s barrier-free entrance is on Frauentorstrasse via a wide stone-paved ramp. Visitors with specific accessibility requirements are encouraged to contact the parish office in advance on 0821 3166-8511.
Inside Augsburg Cathedral – what to see
The Romanesque prophets’ windows in the south nave are the cathedral’s most internationally significant possession. Dating from around 1065, these five figures – the prophets Daniel, Hosea, David, Moses, and Jonah – are the oldest figurative stained glass windows in the world still in their original architectural setting. No other site in the world retains glass of this age in its original location.
The bronze door currently displayed inside the cathedral is a masterpiece of 11th-century metalwork. One of only twelve significant Romanesque bronze portals in Europe, its two unequal leaves are decorated with 35 cast reliefs. It was created for the Ottonian cathedral consecrated in 1065 and was moved indoors in the modern era to protect it from further corrosion. It is the second-oldest figured bronze portal in the German-speaking world after the Bernward Door in Hildesheim.
The west crypt (Westkrypta), beneath the west choir, is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul and is one of the oldest surviving parts of the building, dating from the Ottonian period (late 10th century). It can be visited during opening hours.
The east choir (Ostchor) is the Gothic section of the cathedral, built during the 13th and 14th centuries, with frescoes and altarpieces. The vault of the high choir contains a figure of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child.
Later additions worth noting include: a monument to Bishop Wolfhard von Roth (a significant bronze funerary monument, 1302); a wood sculpture of the Virgin with a hand-organ playing angel (c.1490); the bronze portal by Max Faller (2001) at the main entrance; the Ecce Homo figure by Georg Petel (c.1630); and the Henselmann bronze group of the Crucifixion with Apostles (1962 and 1985) in the chancel. The newest addition is a stained glass Ulrich window by Dr. Celia Mendoza (2025) in the south nave.
The cloister (Domkreuzgang) runs along the north side of the cathedral and contains further epitaphs and funerary monuments.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visit the prophets’ windows in morning light | The Romanesque stained glass in the south nave is best viewed when morning sunlight passes through it from the south-east. Arriving between 9am and 11am on a clear day gives the most vivid impression of the 11th-century glass. |
| Check for service times before visiting | Services are not listed in a single fixed timetable accessible online in English. Check the current schedule at bistum-augsburg.de or call the parish office; the Sunday morning services are the most likely to restrict visitor access. |
| Use the free 360° virtual tour on your smartphone | The tour provides detailed art-historical commentary at 20 stations throughout the building. Downloading it before you arrive saves mobile data and allows use without a signal inside the building. |
| Allow time for the Diocesan Museum next door | The Diözesanmuseum St Afra at Kornhausgasse 3–5 houses the cathedral’s historic treasures, vestments, and artworks. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am; admission €4 for adults. Budget an additional hour. |
| Public guided tours run weekends only in season | The free public tours run on Saturdays and Sundays only, from Easter to late September. Weekday visitors are welcome to explore independently using the 360° tour or by downloading the printed guide available inside the cathedral. |
Frequently asked questions about Augsburg Cathedral
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Augsburg Cathedral free to enter? | Yes. Entry to the cathedral and all its interior areas is entirely free. Donations are welcomed. The adjacent Diocesan Museum St Afra is a separate attraction with its own admission fee. |
| Does Augsburg Cathedral have the world’s oldest stained glass? | Yes. The five Romanesque prophets’ windows in the south nave, dating from around 1065, are the oldest figurative stained glass windows in the world still in their original architectural position. |
| Is Augsburg Cathedral open on Sundays? | Yes. The cathedral opens at 7am every day, including Sundays. Sunday morning services typically restrict access to sightseers; check the service schedule before visiting. |
| How far is Augsburg Cathedral from the train station? | Approximately 20 minutes on foot, or around 10 minutes by tram (line 4 to Königsplatz, then tram 2 to Stadtwerke/Dom or Mozarthaus). |
| Is Augsburg Cathedral wheelchair accessible? | The main interior and cloister are accessible without steps. Visitors with specific requirements should contact the parish office on 0821 3166-8511 before visiting. |
Things to do near Augsburg Cathedral
Fuggerei – The world’s oldest social housing complex, still in use since 1516, approximately 10 minutes’ walk from the cathedral. A museum within the complex explains the history of the Fugger banking family who funded it. Paid entry.
Augsburg Rathaus and Perlachturm – The Renaissance town hall (1615–1624) on Rathausplatz and the adjacent medieval tower, approximately 10 minutes’ walk. The Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) inside the Rathaus is open to visitors.
Basilika St Ulrich und Afra – A late-Gothic basilica approximately 10 minutes’ walk south of the cathedral, built over the graves of Augsburg’s patron saints. The adjacent Protestant church of St Ulrich stands immediately next door in a unique arrangement of the two denominations sharing a single complex.
Schaezler Palais – A Rococo palace housing the municipal art gallery and the Deutsche Barockgalerie, approximately 10 minutes’ walk from the cathedral on Maximilianstrasse. Paid entry.
Maximilianstrasse – Augsburg’s main historical boulevard, lined with fountains, patrician houses, and Renaissance buildings. The three monumental fountains (Mercury, Augustus, and Hercules) make a worthwhile short walk.
What to visit tomorrow – more cathedrals within two hours
Frauenkirche Munich (Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau) – Munich’s twin-towered Gothic cathedral, approximately 45 minutes by train. The south tower is open to visitors for panoramic views over the city.
Ulm Minster (Ulmer Münster) – The church with the world’s tallest tower (161.5m), approximately 40 minutes by train from Augsburg. The tower is climbable for panoramic views across Swabia and, on clear days, the Alps.
Regensburg Cathedral (Dom St Peter) – Bavaria’s only pure Gothic cathedral, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes by train, in the UNESCO-listed medieval old town of Regensburg.
Ottobeuren Abbey Basilica – One of the finest Baroque abbey churches in Germany, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes south of Augsburg by car or regional train. The interior is among the most richly decorated of any German church; entry to the church is free.
Passau Cathedral (Dom St Stephan) – The Baroque cathedral at the confluence of three rivers, approximately 2 hours by train. Contains the world’s largest cathedral organ, with daily midday concerts from May to October.
More Bavaria travel
Other Bavaria travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- How to get into Neuschwanstein Castle when the tickets have sold out.
- Bavarian castle guides: Trausnitz Castle and Burghausen Castle.
- Plan your visit to Bamberg Cathedral in Bavaria.
- Why it’s worth visiting the Museum Brandhorst in Munich.
- Complete guide to the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich.
