Churches and Cathedrals In Vienna
Stunning architectural masterpieces and varied religious sanctuaries reflecting Vienna’s rich cultural and spiritual legacy define the city. From great cathedrals to little chapels, the architectural marvels reveal fascinating tales of deep devotion, centuries of history, and great artistic expression.
The center of the city features the amazing St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a real architectural marvel that wonderfully reflects Vienna’s famous skyline. A constant reminder of the Gothic beauty of the city, the soaring spire and finely patterned roof tiles, known as Steffl, are
You will find the great Karlskirche when you tour the Innere Stadt. Dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo, this Baroque masterwork enthralls with its harmonic mix of architectural grace and strong religious symbolism.
Particularly the Votivkirche, Vienna’s religious architecture is quite remarkable. Beautiful stained glass windows and minute embellishments adorn this neo-Gothic wonder. Against the Viennese skyline, this remarkable votive cathedral is a potent emblem of the city’s endurance and deep-rooted belief, so commanding attention.
The lavish Peterskirche lets guests experience Viennese Rococo, therefore enabling them to really sink in its majesty. This place’s exquisite paintings and complex decorations make for rather amazing design. It offers a quiet haven for religious commitment and introspection.
Located in the quiet suburb of Grinzing, the Grinzing Parish Church This is a straightforward but interesting construction with wonderful elements that reflect the attitude of regional religious architecture.
Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements are brilliantly combined in the Schottenkirche in Vienna. Designed by Irish monks, this medieval gem exhibits a mesmerizing tapestry of history and an enchanted ambiance that envelops guests in ages of spirituality.
One remarkable example of Baroque architecture in Vienna is the Jesuitenkirche, sometimes known as Jesuit Church. Its dome is really amazing, and its inside are exquisitely adorned with delicate frescoes. The church displays the majesty and richness of Viennese ecclesiastical design.
Apart from these outstanding buildings, Vienna boasts some less well-known ecclesiastical treasures such the Maria Treu Church. Situated in the middle of the city, the church stands out with its refined front and meticulous embellishments.
Discovering Vienna’s churches and cathedrals is an interesting trip transcending mere aesthetic delight. It lets you really engage with the rich cultural legacy of the city and sets you on a spiritual and historical trip. From majestic cathedrals to little parish churches, Vienna’s architectural brilliance, artistic talent, and unflinching faith are revealed via the buildings there. They call guests to enter a world where artistic grandeur and spirituality coexist.
Dominican Church of St. Maria Rotunda
Formally known as the Church of St. Maria Rotunda, the Dominican Church is a magnificent example of early Baroque architecture right in Vienna’s old heart. Originally built by the Dominican Order in 1237, the building had several additions and repairs over next decades. The first siege of Vienna by the Turkish army in 1529 suffered a terrible blow that led to the later building of a new rectangular edifice in 1631.
Rising to the prestigious rank of basilica minor in 1927, the church was titled Rosary Basilica ad S. Mariam Rotundam. Made in the Roman-Lombardic style, the brilliant façade features stata of St. Catherine of Siena and Agnes of Montepulciano honoring the Virgin Mary and imposing columns.
Within, the frescoes Matthias Rauchmiller and Carpoforo Tencalla create a harmonic fusion of rich plaster decorations and traditional architectural ideas. Finished in 1820, the dome fresco features medallions honoring famous people including the Virgin Mary herself, the four Doctors of the Church, and Dominican Order popes.
St. Francis of Assisi Church
Officially the Imperial Jubilee Church, and sometimes referred to as the Mexico Church, the Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. Francis of Assisi is located in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt area. Built in 1910 to mark Emperor Franz Josef I’s golden jubilee, it is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi and under Vienna City Vicariate’s authority.
Originally known as Erzherzog-Karl-Platz until its renaming in 1956, designated a parish church in Mexico Square in 1928. From the Vorgartenstrasse station on the U1 underground line, the church is easily reachable; for those crossing the bridge, the Donauinsel station provides an other access point.
Designed by Victor Luntz, a design competition winner, the church is a superb Rhenish-Romanesque specimen. Comprising three massive towers each reaching 73 meters in height and spanning 76 meters, its intimidating form The structure stands out especially for its bright red roofing tiles. Two paintings by Italian artist Ettore Gualdini and an oil piece by Viennese painter Lotte Berger decorate the inside.
Vienna Karlskirche
Famous Vienna monument The Karlskirche is evidence of the architectural splendor of the Baroque era. Built in the early 18th century, this Roman Catholic building is a cultural and historical relic rather than only a place of prayer. Designed by eminent Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the architectural vocabulary of the church deftly captures the junction of Roman and Byzantine tastes.
The Karlskirche stands out for its spiral stairs, which contain stringer columns—a Roman design element. Using Kaiserstein, a strong limestone, for the main doorway, steps, and other basic components reveals the painstaking workmanship that went into building the cathedral. A wide range of donors—including hereditary estates, Spain, the Duchy of Milan, and the Netherlands—provided the money for this enormous undertaking.
Designed by Emperor Charles VI, the Karlskirche honors his patron saint, Charles Borromeo, who was praised for his work in eradicating the epidemic. A sober reminder of the historical setting in which this architectural wonder was born is provided by the church’s sculptural program, which includes allegorical figures decorating the attic and a moving portrayal of the plague-stricken city.
Church Am Hof
Sometimes known as the Church of the Nine Choirs of Angels, the Church at the Court bears evidence to the convoluted history of Vienna’s Inner City. Originally constructed by the Carmelites between 1386 and 1403, the church was given to the Jesuits following Reformation damage.
The church had been thoroughly rebuilt in the opulent Jesuit Baroque architectural form by 1610. One important feature of the building was completed in 1625, its outside.
The church was raised to the rank of a parish church in the late eighteenth century. Johann Nepomuk Amann meticulously rebuilt the church’s chancel in the classical style during that period. An important occasion occurred in 1804 when the Hereditary Emperor of Austria decided to make the church his formal place of worship.
The Jesuit order took over church duty once the Am Hof parish was abolished in 1908. Designed by Johann Friedrich Ferstl, the organ has 24 registers dispersed between two manuals and is a magnificent piece of work. Built in 1763, it
The church serves as a tomb for many people of considerable historical significance in addition to a place of religious worship. The choir vault and Montecuccoli crypt interring General Raimund von Montecuccoli, Emperor Ferdinand II’s confessor Wilhelm Lamormaini, and the Jesuit martyr Karl de Boranga.
Steinhof Church
Tucked among Vienna’s lush hills, the architectural wonder Otto Wagner painstakingly created between 1904 and 1907 is the Church at Steinhof, sometimes known as the Church of Saint Leopold. Designed specifically for the Lower Austrian State Sanatorium and Nursing Home for the Nervously and Mentally Ill Am Steinhof, the church’s construction cleverly considered the particular requirements and hygienic practices of the institution.
While the absence of the traditional Way of the Cross resulted from worries about its possible to inspire agitation among the patients, distinct entrances for male and female patients, a reflection of the era’s social standards, were included. Though Archduke Franz Ferdinand was dedicated to the church in 1907, differences over its architecture regrettably sour the friendship between Wagner and the Archduke, therefore preventing more imperial family support.
After years of neglect, the Church—now under City of Vienna ownership—was meticulously rebuilt and reopened in 2006. Inspired by Byzantine aesthetics, its brilliant golden dome comes fresh and earns the church the endearing nickname “Lemoniberg,” or “Limoniberg.” Currently welcoming guests for services and guided tours on weekends, the cathedral invites them to marvel at its architectural genius and the chronicle of its violent past.
Lutheran City Church
Renowned emblem of Evangelical Lutheran faith in Vienna’s Inner City, the Lutheran City Church has roots in Renaissance period. Just a short distance from the Reformed City Church, this outstanding architectural masterpiece with a neoclassical exterior is clearly visible on Dorotheergasse 18.
First dedicated in 1582–1583, the Catholic monastic church of the Queen’s monastic But the Josephine reforms brought about a change in 1782. Crucially important in encouraging religious tolerance, the Tolerance Patent of 1781 helped Lutheran and Reformed churches flourish in Vienna. The church was thus reconsecrated on November 30, 1783, and changed significantly in 1876 and 1881.
The façade suffered such extensive repairs in 1876 that its original form became unidentifiable. Still, this was simply the first step of the architectural trip the cathedral took. More strict fire regulations in 1907 called for a complete overhaul. Then the terrible consequences of World War II resulted in great damage that needed more restoration in 1948 and 1989. Designed in the neoclassical style, the church’s outside was meticulously and completely rebuilt to its original magnificence as it looked in 1907.
Maria am Gestade Church
Maria am Gestade is a Gothic Roman Catholic church beside the Danube Canal in Vienna’s Innere Stadt. Among Vienna’s oldest churches, this was the customary church of the Danube boatmen. The church has a 56-meter-high open work tower, a choir with two high gothic panels, and a nave with a smaller width owing to space limitations.
Building started about 1400 and finished by Michael Knab and Peter Prachatiz. Three porticos with reliefs and sculptures—including a Virgin of Mercy and a Coronation of the Virgin—exist inside the church. Added during the church’s rebuilding in 1820, the Gothic Revival pulpit was meant to replicate its medieval character.
The history of the church is complicated; a chapel on the grounds goes back to the ninth century. Rededated in 1812, the church thereafter came under the Redemptorist Order. transported to Laxenburg and housed in the Franzensburg were the Gothic choir windows. For Vienna’s Czech and Slovak populations, the church currently provides a venue of prayer.
St. Michael's Church
Babenberg Duke Leopold VI erected the Roman Catholic parish church known as the Michaelerkirche in Vienna’s Inner City between 1219 and 1221. Among Vienna’s oldest churches, it is renowned for its unusual Romanesque construction. The inside of the church consists in side chapels, two aisles, and a nave.
Karl Georg Merville’s Fall of the Angels and Byzantine icon Maria Candia feature on the Baroque style renovation of the interior. Along with the Michaelergruft, a huge crypt under the cathedral, and Johann David Sieber’s gilded pipe organ, the church boasts the largest Baroque organ.
The crypt holds more than 4000 mummified bodies among other things. Since 1923, the Salvatorians call the church home; it is well-known for its striking frescoes and tall polygonal Gothic bell tower.
Minoritenkirche
Built in Vienna, Austria, the Minoritenkirche—also known as the Italian National Church of Mary of the Snows—followed the architectural ideas of French Gothic design. Designed for Francis of Assisi’s adherents in 1224, the artwork was completed in 1350. In the first Austro-Turkish conflict, the church’s belltower suffered damage; it was rebuilt then destroyed once more in the next battle.
Joseph II’s ecclesiastical policy caused the Minoritenkirche to close in 1782; it was then renamed as the “Italian National Church of Mary of the Snow” ( Santa Maria Maggiore). Comprising a doorway and tympanum split into three independent portions, the building’s outside is designed in the architectural style of a French cathedral. Built in 1529, the spire was destroyed then rebuilt in 1633.
Inside the building underwent significant changes during the Habsburg era. The Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua now features a Baroque altar and a glass window from the 17th century. Murals depicting the heraldic insignia of Austrian noble lineages that either helped to build the chapel or have been buried on its grounds cover its walls.
Peterskirche
Baroque Roman Catholic parish church St. Peter’s Church, sometimes known as the Peterskirche, is located in Vienna, Austria. Believed to have been established by Emperor Charlemagne in 792, the church was constructed in 1701 under the direction of Emperor Leopold I.
The adjacent cemetery was relocated to St. Stephen’s Church while the original church was destroyed. Vienna’s first domed building, the new church was rather complete in 1722. Andrea Pozzo painted the frescoes while Matthias Steinl planned the dome room. Antonio Galli da Bibiena and Martino Altomonte drafted the high altar.
The interior of the church has become gray with time. Johann Georg Schwandtner, Superintendent of the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity, donated the entrance porch of the church; other stone sculptures were supplied by Kaisersteinbruch Master Johann Michael Strickler.
Piarist Church of Maria Treu
Roman Catholic parish church Maria Treu’s Piarist Church is situated in Vienna’s Josefstadt district. It is a lovely illustration of Baroque building. With the Piarist College on the left wing, the Löwenburg Konvikt on the right, and the Marian column in the middle, the square ensemble revolves on it.
Two towers built of columns and a softly arched center part define the front of the church. The floor arrangement inside the building is exquisitely created. It comprises six side altars and a center area shaped like a cross with a flat dome.
Franz Anton Maulbertsch has produced an amazing masterwork on the ceiling paintings. Comprising five dome frescoes painted between 1752 and 1753, they While the rim highlights events from the Old and New Testament, the primary dome of the construction shows Mary’s Assumption.
Evangelical Reformed Church in Vienna
Architecturally designed by Gottlieb Nigeli, the Reformed City Church in Vienna, Austria, was built as a haven for the Viennese Reformed parish, therefore fostering religious tolerance. It serves both as the Evangelical Church HB’s headquarters and the headquarters of the Evangelical parish HB Inner City.
The front features two-zone main frontage with neo-baroque frames, a metal gate, and towering Ionic pillars set against Built of bricks up to a height of thirty meters, the 42-meter church tower stands Whereas the front facing Stallburggesse was designed especially during the rebuilding in 1887, the front facing the courtyard is a real example of early neoclassical architecture. Two big thermal bath windows abound on both sides of the construction.
Inside the church, Vienna boasts the most amazing neoclassical holy space. Incorporating two flat pendentive domes and a roof truss, the construction boasts a two-bay pillar church form. The inner main entrance has crossed the original semicircular apse since the renovation in 1887. In line with the rigorous reading of the Second Commandment in the Reformed tradition, the church’s inside décor lacks icons and crosses.
St. Rupert's Church
Tucked down in the center of Vienna, Austria, the Ruprechtskirche, sometimes known as St. Rupert’s Church, is evidence of the city’s rich ecclesiastical past. Dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg, the patron saint of Vienna’s salt traders, this Romanesque treasure originated in 740 AD. Discovery under St. Peter’s Church has challenged its assertion as the oldest church in Vienna, although its historical importance is indisputable.
Over the ages, the Ruprechtskirche has changed quite a bit. The first walls that now exist show a hint of Romanesque influence, from the early 12th century. A terrible fire in 1276 resulted in a Gothic-style rebuild-on, further enhancing the architectural tapestry of the church. Early in the 18th century, Johann Baptist Bartolotti von Partenfeld and salt official Georg Nagl sponsored major restorations.
The inside of the church features a striking range of artistic talent. Among its gems are the first stained glass windows in Vienna as well as 22 contemporary windows created by Lydia Roppolt in 1993. Three historically important bells housed in the church tower rung by cable pull accentuate the church’s dramatic environment.
Apart from a place of prayer, the Ruprechtskirche functions as a live chronicle of Vienna’s past. Its worn-through stones and minute features invite guests to explore the rich cultural legacy of the city by whispering stories of millennia past.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas
Jaurèsgasse, Vienna, houses the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas. It is an amazing illustration of architectural genius and religious commitment. Architect Luigi Giacomelli built the church in late historicist fashion between 1893 and 1899. The turbulent history of the cathedral was marked by its being in the care of neutral Spain among the turmoil of World War I.
Supported by the Soviet military and closely linked to the Soviet Embassy, a rebuilt church reopened to the public in 1945. Its comeback in 1962 resulted in its selection as the official residence of the Bishop of the Eparchy of Vienna and Austria. It has obediently maintained this posture always.
Remarkably gorgeous, the architectural design of the church faithfully reflects the traditional Russian holy aesthetics. Rising skyward to apogee of Byzantine grandeur, the five domes of the construction symbolize Two different churches exist inside the hallowed walls of this place: the upper sanctuary honoring Saint Nicholas and the bottom shrine honoring the esteemed Saint Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
The cathedral underwent extensive refurbishment between 2003 and 2008, therefore restoring its spiritual aura. One particularly noteworthy feature of this rebirth was the employment of deftly produced authentic Byzantine-style paintings by Moscow iconographer Archimandrite Zinon.
Nowadays, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas is a well-known emblem of both artistic quality and religious faith. It provides a haven where one may explore its rich past and great dedication. Close by, the Russian Embassy is a perfect complement to this hallowed site, acting as a physical emblem of the intricate ties between these two nations.
Schottenkirche
Tucked amid Vienna’s old Innere Stadt, the Schottenkirche, sometimes known as Scots Church, is a monument to a complex past. Hiberno-Scots Benedictine monks started this parish church in the 12th century, and it is evidence of the relentless work of Irish missionaries spreading Christianity over Europe.
Triumphs and hardships abound in the history of the church. Devastated by a terrible fire in 1276, the original building was replaced by one that was much damaged by a seismic event in 1443.
Although a Turkish attack tested the church’s fortitude even more, its planned growth never came to pass. Built between 1883 and 1889 based on Heinrich Ferstel’s magnificent designs, the Schottenkirche is brilliant in high-baroque finery today, ornamented with several chapels and a great high altar. It reminds us of the lasting influence Irish missionaries left on the religious scene of Europe as well as the strength of faith against hardship.
Jesuit Church
Tucked in Vienna’s center, the Jesuit Church, sometimes known as Universitätskirche, is evidence of Baroque grandeur. Renowned for its eight altarpieces—most famously Andrea Pozzo’s “Maria Himmelfahrt,” a stunning depiction of St. Catherine of Alexandria’s mystical marriage—this Roman Catholic structure is The walnut pulpit of the church’s interior, which features the four evangelists and an allegorical figure of St. Francis Xavier, further delights.
Built between 1623 and 1631 under commission from Emperor Ferdinand II, the church’s design remains a mystery. Originally the dedicatees of this architectural wonder were the Jesuit saints Ignatius von Loyola and Franz Xaver. Later Pozzo completed the façade, which included two tall spires, and lavishly decorated the inside. Supported by stucco marble columns, the galleries above the eight side chapels reflect his inventiveness.
The church was nationalized once the Jesuit order broke up. But when the Jesuits returned in 1856, it was restored to them. Departed Jesuit brothers, including the renowned rector P. Leo Wallner SJ and the philosopher Johannes Schasching, find their last resting place in the church’s crypt, a subterranean sanctuary. Periodically the public is permitted access to this holy area.
Wotrubakirche
Built between 1974 and 1976, the 150 concrete blocks of the Wotrubakirche—formally known as the Church of the Most Holy Trinity—are a striking construction. The rectorate church for the Mauer parish is this Roman Catholic refuge, which also sits on the northern edge of the Georgenberg in Vienna.
Strangely, this holy site was previously an air communications barracks and shooting range for World War Two, then turned by the Austrian Astro Club into a celestial observatory. Situated south of the church, their star garden is an alfresco planetarium with three tall masts lighting the path of the sun and the celestial dance of planetary orbits during stargazing events.
An example of brutalism, the church is a mosaic of 152 unfaced concrete blocks, the highest reaching 13.10 meters. A copy of Wotruba’s cross created for the Hofkirche in Bruchsal graces the altar wall, giving the somewhat modern structure historic weight.
Augustinian Church
Located in the center of Vienna’s old Inner City, the Gothic Roman Catholic parish church known as the Augustinian Church deftly blends with its surrounds and boasts a brilliant interior. Designed by Dietrich Landtner between 1330 and 1339, the church wasn’t dedicated until November 1, 1349.
The church has grown entwined with the nearby Hofburg Palace over time, being a natural component of its Albertina wing. Still, the inside of the church is hardly understated. Originally set with eighteen side altars, these were taken down under Emperor Joseph II’s rule in favor of a more simplified Gothic look. Still, in 2004 a new side altar honoring Emperor Karl I of Austria—who is now under canonization—was built.
Designed by the great sculptor Antonio Canova, the cathedral also features a magnificent burial monument honoring Archduchess Marie Christine of Saxe-Teschen. Furthermore gracing the sanctuary is a splendid high altar designed in the 15th-century High Gothic style by Andreas Halbig. Six black-robed Augustinian monks live in a functional monastery that stays busy catering to the spiritual needs of the parish.
Votivkirche
Architectural wonder of neo-Gothic style, the Votivkirche pays tribute to Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth right in middle Vienna. Its commitment in 1879 signaled the end of an 1856-starting building project.
The edifice’s outside, a symphony of Gothic elements, features three gabled gateways calling guests, a fascinating rose window, and a spire across the transept—thin towers piercing the sky. Linked by the transept, the nave and two aisles create the backbone of the interior design.
On the main altar are a magnificent gold retable and ciborium evocative of Italian Gothic cathedrals. Across the transept are four side chapels with sculptures of revered saints. Rising on six marble pillars, the hexagonal pulpit—a masterwork of neo-Gothic design—showcases a preaching Christ.
Built of white sandstone, the Votivkirche has a material relationship with the Stephansdom yet the two buildings are separated by over seven centuries. This common composition calls for constant maintenance to protect the integrity of both church jewels.
Although the architectural language of the Votivkirche reflects that of the Stephansdom, the great historical gap between their works reminds us of the changing creative environment throughout the years.
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Tucked in the middle of Vienna’s Stephansplatz, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a timeless monument of Gothic magnificence. Since 1365, this consecrated place has been the focal point of the bishop’s authority since 1469/1479. Often seen as Austria’s national shrine, the cathedral gets its name from Saint Stephen, the revered Christian protomartyr.
Four magnificent towers break up the form of the cathedral. Of these, the south tower is the highest—reaching an astounding 136.4 meters. By comparison, the north tower is no less important even though it is less high—68 meters. For more than half a century, the architectural wonder of its time—the south tower—was the tallest freestanding construction in Europe. These days, it has the Pummerin, a massive bell claiming third place among free-swinging church bells in Europe. The Pummerin has called the north tower home since 1957.
Beyond its architectural and liturgical importance, St. Stephen’s Cathedral has been ingrained in popular culture, showing up in movies, video games, and TV shows including “The Third Man” and “Burnout 3.” Additionally preserved on Austrian 10 cent euro coins and the packaging of the renowned Manner-Schnitten wafer delicacy is its iconic image. This later relationship resulted from a special arrangement between the Archdiocese of Vienna and the Manner company wherein the financial support of the latter for the restoration projects of the cathedral was returned with the right to use the cathedral’s picture as its brand.
