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10 Churches You Must See In Vienna
There is hardly any other city that offers such a variety of historically and architecturally diverse churches as Vienna. One of the most famous buildings is St. Stephen's Cathedral in the city center, one of Vienna's best-known sights. In this blog entry, we will show you the ten most beautiful churches you must see during your stay in Vienna.
Karlskirche at Karlsplatz
The last large work of the baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach is located in the 4th district: Karlskirche, or St. Charles’ Church. This impressive sacred building is characterized by the mighty green dome. At the beginning of the 1990s, Karlsplatz was mainly known for its drug scene. Today, Karlsplatz is a beautiful square with a park which invites you to relax and is very popular with locals and tourists alike.
Karlskirche at Karlsplatz © VIENNA SIGHTSEEING TOURS
Important facts about Karlskirche:
Constructed in: 1737
Architectural style: Baroque
Height: 72m
Admission: Contribution to preservation efforts, includes panorama lift to the dome:
Adults 6 €, groups of 6 people 6 € / person, school and university students 4 €,
children up to 10 years free of charge
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.00 am – 12.30 pm and 1.00 – 06.00 pm
Sundays and holidays: 12.00 am – 7.00 pm'
HOP ON HOP OFF Station number 1 Vienna State Opera
Kirche am Steinhof
Another historic jewel is located at Steinhof in the 14th district. “Kirche am Steinhof”, also referred to as "Otto Wagner Church”, was built in 1904 on behest of Emperor Francis Joseph for the patients of the neighboring psychiatric hospital “Am Steinhof”. The church was very controversial among the population due to the unusual
architecture of Otto Wagner. A visit to this church is definitely worthwhile.
Kirche am Steinhof (c) Österreich Werbung/Diejun
Important facts about Kirche am Steinhof:
Constructed in: 1904–1907
Architectural style: Art Nouveau
Admission: Guided tour 12€, visit 5€, art nouveau tour 16€
Opening hours: Sightseeing Sat, 04.00 – 05.00 pm, Sightseeing Sun, 12.00 noon – 04.00 pm,
Guided tour Sat 03.00 pm; Guided tour Sun, 04.00 pm; Holy mass Sun, 09.30 am;
Holy mass holidays 09.30 am
St. Rupert’s Church
St. Rupert’s Church in the first district is the oldest church in the city. It was founded in the year 740. Its name was first documented in the 12th century. The building has been expanded and renovated multiple times in its history, but its walls date back to the 12th century. St. Rupert’s Church is especially worth a visit because of its rustic appearance in the fashionable city center.
Ruprechtskirche at Schwedenplatz © VIENNA SIGHTSEEING TOURS
Important facts about St. Rupert’s Church:
Constructed in: 12th century
Architectural style: Romanesque
Admission: free
Opening hours:
Mon: 10 am – 12 noon and 3 – 5 pm
Tue: 10 am – 12 noon
Wed: 10 am – 12.00 am and 3 – 5pm
Thu: 10 am – 5 pm
Fri: 10 am – 5 pm
Sat: 11.30 am – 3.30 pm
Late night openings every Friday from 9 pm to midnight
Holy mass on Saturdays at 5 pm (in July and August at 6 pm)
HOP ON HOP OFF Station number 12, Schwedenplatz
St. Francis of Assisi Church
The church at Mexikoplatz is a protected monument. Due to its unusual appearance, this church is reminiscent of a beautiful castle. The church was built between 1898 and 1910 in the Rhenish-Romanesque style. A visit to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi can be combined with a trip to the Danube.
Important facts about St. Francis of Assisi Church:
Constructed in: 1898 - 1910
Architectural style: Rhenish-Romanesque
Admission: free
Opening hours:
Mon, Tue, Wed: 7.30 am – 5 pm
Thu, Fri: 8 am – 7 pm
Sat: 7.30 am – 08.30 pm
Sun: 8 am – 07.30 pm
HOP ON HOP OFF Station number 20 Reichsbrücke/Pier 8
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
This list would not be complete without the impressive St. Stephen's Cathedral. The
landmark of Vienna in the first district is not only home to the mighty church bell
“Pummerin”, it also has several catacombs where some of the Habsburgs are buried. This
church is very popular with tourists. The admission fee applies only if you want to visit
the whole church, including side wings, catacombs and cathedral treasures – admission
to the church itself is free.
St. Stephen's Cathedral at Stephansplatz © VIENNA SIGHTSEEING TOURS/Bernhard Luck
Important facts about St. Stephen’s Cathedral:
Constructed in: First constructed in the 12th century, second construction phase 1200-–1263, third construction phase 1304 -1340, fourth construction phase 1459-1511
Architectural style: High and Late Gothic, Romanesque
Height: 136m
Admission: Cathedral Tour – Audio guide – Catacombs – South Tower – North Tower
Cathedral Treasure: 17.90 €
Elevator to the Pummerin: Adults 5.50 €, children 6–14 years 2.00 €
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 06 am – 10 pm
Sundays and holidays 07 am – 10 pm
Guided tours: Monday to Saturday 10.30 am
HOP ON HOP OFF Station number 1 Vienna State Opera, 12 Schwedenplatz
Religious discovery tour
The Viennese cityscape is characterized by countless churches and hardly any other city offers such a comparable variety of places of worship of such historical and architectural value as Vienna. One of the city‘s most famous sights is St. Stephen's Cathedral, with a height of 107 meters, in the middle of the city center.
In the followings we will show you the less known churches, which may be unknown even to locals, as these buildings are partly hidden in the alleys of the city center. Take a leisurely stroll to discover these extraordinary masterpieces next to the famous ones.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
This gem can be found in the center of Vienna in the former "Greek Quarter“. In 1782, the building was bought by Count Joseph von Stockhammer and only later turned into a church by master builder Peter Mollner. The Patent of Toleration issued by Emperor Joseph II forbade non-Catholic churches from having decorated entrances, towers and bells. Nevertheless, this church was built with a bell tower and an entrance to the old meat market. Today, the church has a Greek school on the second floor as well as a library.
Holy trinity Greek Orthodox Church © BwagCC-BY-SA-4.0.JPG
Minorite church
Since its dedication to "Madonna della neve" (Our Lady of the Snow) by the Italian friars who founded it, this church has been considered the spiritual and physical center of the Italian congregation in Vienna. The spire on the eastern facade was used as a lookout point during the two Turkish sieges and was severely damaged subsequently restored both times. As a reminder, in 1875, two Turkish cannonballs were set into the wall to the left and side of the two small fensters above the main entrance. On the northern wall of the church is a replica of Leonardo da Vinci‘s world-famous wall fresco The Last Supper (1495-97), making the church well worth a visit.
Minoritenkirche ©Bwag - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33910382
Protestant church
The Reformed City Church was built by court architect Gottlieb Nigelli in 1783/84 on part of the former royal monastery. To this day, there are no crosses or pictures in this building, which makes it more impressive with its clear lines and simplicity. Since March 2019, same-sex weddings have been conducted here, provided that the civil marriage has already been held and at least one of the spouses is of Protestant faith.
Protestant church, ©Von Funke - CC BY-SA 3.0
St. Augustine's Church
This Roman Catholic church in the Gothic style was appointed the parish church of the imperial court in the year 1634, where coronations and imperial weddings were held. The most prominent weddings here were the proxy wedding of Archduchess Maria Ludovika and Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810 and the wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph I. with Princess Elisabeth (Sisi) of Bavaria in 1854, to name but a few.
St. Augustin´s church, ©Diana Ringo - CC BY-SA 3.0
Franciscan church
This Roman Catholic monastery church is dedicated to St. Jerome and is a protected monument. You should definitely go see the Wöckherl organ, which is the oldest playable organ in Vienna. This elegant church was heavily damaged in World War II. In the course of its reconstruction, the Statue of Mercy was also restored. Uncovering its old Gothic painting and gilding over a four-month period.
Franciscan church ©Bwag - CC BY-SA 3.0
Walk through Vienna's city center
These xtraordinary churches are perfect for a unique walk through the center of Vienna. We recommend our HOP ON HOP OFF stations No. 5 Burgtheater (RED & GREEN LINE) or the station No. 12 Schwedenplatz (RED LINE) as starting or end points.
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Did you know? With the HOP ON HOP OFF ticket of VIENNA SIGHTSEEING TOURS you can easily and comfortably discover all the sights and extraordinary monuments of the capital.
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