For Families
How did they build such an imposing building as Naumburg Cathedral almost a thousand years ago? Who was the Naumburg Master and why are his statues of the cathedral’s donors so famous? And why are there two monkeys in the East Choir playing chess? Naumburg Cathedral holds countless mysterious and astonishing stories for children, all embedded in the fascinating world of the late middle ages. In our KinderDomBauhütte (children’s construction workshop), you too can become a cathedral master builder and get to grips creatively with our UNESCO World Heritage Site. We offer a range of exciting activities and events for you all year round. Family groups can even book out the entire children’s construction workshop for your exclusive use and so you can all get creative together. Welcome to Uta’s world!
NEW from 2024:
The KinderDomBauhütte offers an open workshop from April and guided tours for children from May.
The open workshop is aimed at all admission-paying visitors to the cathedral and will start every fortnight on Saturdays from 6 April 2024.
In addition to the public tours, guided tours for children will be offered every Thursday at 10 am and 2 pm from May during the Saxony-Anhalt school holidays.
All information can be found here.
Botany in stone
The West Choir Screen in Naumburg Cathedral is covered in the most beautiful ornamental foliage from the middle ages. Almost as if they were alive, oaks, vines and hops all thrive on the columns. The Naumburg Master’s inspiration – the plants of the Saale-Unstrut region – can still be found in the Cathedral Garden. In among the greenery, you can compare the fine work of the medieval sculptors with their living inspiration and then have a go at the very precise art of sculpture yourselves. Following the traditions of construction workshops, slip into medieval dress and work with chisels, rasps and files to create a foliate relief out of aerated concrete based on your own sketches.
Duration: 150 min
Cost: €8 per child | €13 per adult
Minimum number of participants: 10
Heavenly light
The stained-glass windows of Naumburg Cathedral demonstrate the high level of craftmanship of the medieval glassmakers who fashioned items of such resplendence from this most sensitive material. Become a glass artists and experiment with the interplay between light, colour and shape to create your own pendent. In the glass workshop you get the chance to cut, break and grind glass to create your own slice of heavenly light as a memento of your session.
Duration: 150 min
Cost: €8 per child | €15 per adult
Minimum number of participants: 10
Marked by time
While discovering the Naumburg Cathedral Chapter Library, we’ll show you the more than 30,000 valuable medieval scripts, bound in beautifully-ornate leather covers. You’ll be given a rare insight into the extensive range of artefacts and the craft of leatherwork. End your session by making a personal bookmark from genuine sleek leather. We have a number of stitching irons in different shapes and sizes which can be combined in a multitude of ways to create your own individual piece of art.
Duration: 150 min
Cost: €7 per child | €15 per adult
Minimum number of participants: 10
Let there be light. Creative candlemaking
Candlelight creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. But what significance did light hold in the middle ages? Why are candles still lit in church today? We think about these questions while exploring the cathedral. Afterwards, we make individual candles using a range of construction techniques.
Duration: 150 min
Cost: €7 per child | €15 per adult
Minimum number of participants: 10
Individual cathedral exploration
Children and families can also go and explore the cathedral on their own. At the visitor centre we have put together an informative and fun guide to help you discover the cathedral’s many interesting stories and details. In the children’s audio guide, Simius the monkey sculpture takes you through the whole cathedral and explains the history of the building and its most important works of art. The passion relief on the West Choir Screen comes to life in an audio drama. Anyone wishing to delve even deeper into the cathedral’s secrets can take part in a trail which crisscrosses through the cathedral and garden and includes many tricky questions and amusing anecdotes. The audio guide and the cathedral trail are in German only.
The audio guide is included in the admission price.
Cathedral rally costs: €1 per exploration booklet
Discover something new all year round
Spring, summer, autumn and winter, whether its open doors day, children’s day or one of the cathedral’s large events – the KinderDomBauhütte is always in on the action and is open to children and families to create their own adventures. Please note that all fixed events at the KinderDomBauhütte are held in German only.
Look out for family events in our events calendar to make sure you don’t miss any of the fun.
Several times throughout the year, we also put on family days. On these days, we open the KinderDomBauhütte for you and your families and offer a wide range of activities.
