--- title: "How many steps — cathedrals and churches" description: "19 cathedrals and churches ranked by step count, with what each figure reaches and whether the public may climb it at all." url: https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/cathedral/ site: "At One Place" --- # Steps to the top: cathedrals and churches 19 cathedrals and churches, most steps first. The access column is the one worth reading before booking anything. | Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ulm Minster | 768 | the highest viewing platform at 143 m, in the world's tallest church steeple | Open to climb | | St Peter's Basilica dome | 551 | the lantern at the top of Michelangelo's dome, at 136 m | Open to climb | | Cologne Cathedral south tower | 533 | the viewing platform at 97 m, below the spire | Open to climb | | St Paul's Cathedral | 528 | the Golden Gallery at 85 m, the highest point open to visitors | Open to climb | | Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral | 463 | the lantern at the top of the dome, at 91 m | Open to climb | | Notre-Dame de Paris towers | 422 | the top of the north and south towers, at 69 m | Restricted — events or permit only | | Giotto's Campanile | 414 | the open terrace at the top of the bell tower, at 85 m | Open to climb | | Sagrada Família towers | 400 | the descent from the Nativity or Passion façade towers — the ascent is by lift | Restricted — events or permit only | | Torre del Mangia | 400 | the bell chamber at 87 m, above the Palazzo Pubblico | Open to climb | | Belfry of Bruges | 366 | the top of the medieval bell tower, at 83 m | Open to climb | | Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) | 334 | the belfry, where the Great Bell hangs | Restricted — events or permit only | | Washington National Cathedral central tower | 333 | the top of the Gloria in Excelsis tower, the highest point in the city | Restricted — events or permit only | | Strasbourg Cathedral | 332 | the platform at 66 m, at the base of the spire | Open to climb | | Sacré-Cœur dome | 300 | the dome gallery at 83 m above the basilica floor, 200 m above sea level | Open to climb | | York Minster central tower | 275 | the top of the central tower, at 70 m | Open to climb | | Saint Isaac's Cathedral colonnade | 262 | the colonnade walkway around the dome, at 43 m | Open to climb | | Leaning Tower of Pisa | 251 | the bell chamber at the top, at 56 m | Open to climb | | Milan Cathedral rooftop | 251 | the roof terraces, at 70 m among the spires | Open to climb | | La Giralda, Seville Cathedral | 17 | the bell chamber at 70 m — the rest of the ascent is 35 ramps, not stairs | Open to climb | > Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches. - [How many steps up Ulm Minster?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/ulm-minster/) — 768 steps - [How many steps up St Peter's Basilica dome?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/st-peters-basilica/) — 551 steps - [How many steps up Cologne Cathedral south tower?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/cologne-cathedral/) — 533 steps - [How many steps up St Paul's Cathedral?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/st-pauls-cathedral/) — 528 steps - [How many steps up Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/florence-duomo/) — 463 steps - [How many steps up Notre-Dame de Paris towers?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/notre-dame-de-paris/) — 422 steps - [How many steps up Giotto's Campanile?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/giotto-campanile/) — 414 steps - [How many steps up Sagrada Família towers?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/sagrada-familia/) — 400 steps - [How many steps up Torre del Mangia?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/torre-del-mangia/) — 400 steps - [How many steps up Belfry of Bruges?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/bruges-belfry/) — 366 steps - [How many steps up Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/elizabeth-tower/) — 334 steps - [How many steps up Washington National Cathedral central tower?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/washington-national-cathedral/) — 333 steps - [How many steps up Strasbourg Cathedral?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/strasbourg-cathedral/) — 332 steps - [How many steps up Sacré-Cœur dome?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/sacre-coeur/) — 300 steps - [How many steps up York Minster central tower?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/york-minster/) — 275 steps - [How many steps up Saint Isaac's Cathedral colonnade?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/saint-isaacs-cathedral/) — 262 steps - [How many steps up Leaning Tower of Pisa?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/leaning-tower-of-pisa/) — 251 steps - [How many steps up Milan Cathedral rooftop?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/milan-duomo/) — 251 steps - [How many steps up La Giralda, Seville Cathedral?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/giralda-seville/) — 17 steps ## Related pages - [Towers](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/tower/) - [Monuments](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/monument/) - [Temples](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/temple/) - [Stadiums](https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/stadium/)