Frankfurt Cathedral, officially the Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus, is the red sandstone Gothic church with the 95-metre tower just east of the Römerberg in Frankfurt's old town. Despite its name it has never been the seat of a bishop. Its fame comes from politics: from 1356 the kings of the Holy Roman Empire were elected here, and from 1562 to 1792 ten emperors were crowned in it.
Frankfurt Cathedral at a glance
- Where: Domplatz, between the Römerberg and the river Main, in the old town.
- Built: choir consecrated in 1239, Gothic nave begun in 1260, west tower begun in 1415 and finished with its spire only after a fire in 1867.
- By: the tower follows the plans of the master builder Madern Gerthener; the 19th-century restoration was led by Franz Joseph Denzinger.
- What it is today: a Catholic parish church dedicated to St Bartholomew, with a cathedral museum in the medieval cloister and a tower you can climb in season.
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes for the church; add about an hour if you climb the tower and visit the museum.
From election church to symbol of the city
The present church is the fifth building on the site: a Merovingian chapel stood here around 680, followed by Carolingian churches, including the Salvator Basilica of 852. The Gothic church grew from the 13th century onwards. In 1356 the Golden Bull of Emperor Charles IV made Frankfurt the place where the prince-electors chose the King of the Romans, and in 1425 a small election chapel, the Wahlkapelle, was added beside the choir for their meetings. From 1562 the coronations moved here from Aachen as well; the last one, of Francis II, took place in 1792.
In 1867 a fire gutted the church and its unfinished tower. The rebuilding, completed in the 1870s, finally gave the tower the spire Madern Gerthener had designed some 450 years earlier. In 1944 Allied bombing burned out the interior again; the walls survived and the church was restored in the 1950s. Because of its imperial history the people of Frankfurt call it simply the Dom, and many people still call it a cathedral although it never had a bishop.
What to look for
- The west tower: 95 metres of red sandstone, with a viewing gallery reached by 324 steps. From the top you see both the old town and the skyscrapers of the banking district.
- The election chapel (Wahlkapelle) on the south side of the choir, where the prince-electors met to choose the king.
- The relic of St Bartholomew: the cathedral keeps part of the apostle's skull, which is why the church is dedicated to him.
- The tomb slab of Günther von Schwarzburg, who was elected king in 1349 and died the same year in Frankfurt.
- The 15th-century Maria-Schlaf altar, showing the death of the Virgin, one of the finest Gothic altarpieces in the church.
The Dommuseum
The cathedral museum in the medieval cloister keeps the church treasury, with liturgical vessels and vestments, and finds from the grave of a Merovingian girl buried here in the 7th century, long before the Gothic church existed. The jewellery and clothing from her tomb are among the oldest objects connected with the site and show that people of high status were buried here more than 1,300 years ago.
Tips for your visit
- Climb the tower on a clear day: the view over the Main and the skyline is the best reason to come up. The climb is only possible in the warmer months.
- The cathedral is a working church. Visit outside service times and keep your voice down inside.
- Walk the old coronation route (Krönungsweg) from the cathedral through the rebuilt New Old Town to the Römerberg, the way the newly crowned emperors went to their banquet.
Nearby
- Römerberg: the old town square with the Römer, Frankfurt's town hall, where coronation banquets were held in the Kaisersaal.
- New Old Town (Neue Altstadt): the lanes between the cathedral and the Römer, rebuilt with reconstructed half-timbered houses and opened in 2018.
- Schirn Kunsthalle: the exhibition hall between the cathedral and the Römerberg, known for large temporary art shows.
- Iron Footbridge (Eiserner Steg): the 19th-century pedestrian bridge over the Main, a few minutes' walk away, with a classic view of the skyline.
See Frankfurt with World City Trail
Our Frankfurt scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 24 minutes of walking. It includes the Römerberg, a couple of minutes from the cathedral along the old coronation route.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Frankfurt.
Play the Frankfurt scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Frankfurt →
Play the outdoor escape game in Frankfurt →
Facts checked in October 2026.