The best churches in Vienna to visit – a Gothic Cathedral, Baroque galore – and a Brutalist beauty…
The churches in Vienna are one of the best reasons to visit the Austrian capital. They range from one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Europe to some of the best Baroque churches north of the Alps. And they span over 1,200 years of Viennese history, all the way from 800 AD to late in the 20th century.
Most of these Viennese churches can be found in the Innere Stadt, the historic core of the city, and most of them are within walking distance of each other. Allowing for opening times, it’s possible to see many, if not all, of them in a single day.
Many of these churches are also used as venues for classical music concerts. This is a wonderful way to appreciate and enjoy the churches, which make amazing settings to see and hear music performed. Try to see at least one classical concert in a church in Vienna if you can.
Where To Stay In Vienna
As most of these Vienna churches are within walking distance of each other – and many of the other main Vienna sights are in the same area – it makes sense to base yourself in or close to the Innere Stadt. Here’s my selection of the best hotels in Vienna city centre within easy reach of these churches.
***** – Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof – luxury 5-star in the heart of historic Vienna, very close to several churches mentioned in this article;
**** – Hotel Domizil – 4-star right next door to St Stephen’s Cathedral;
**** – Artist Boutique Hotel – lovely hotel in Josefstadt district, very close to the Innere Stadt
*** – Hotel Kärntner Hof – superb Art Nouveau-decorated 3-star near the Stephansdom
*** – Benediktushaus im Schottenstift – quiet guesthouse in monastery attached to Schottenkirche
Stephansdom – St Stephen’s Cathedral
The Stephansdom – St Stephen’s Cathedral – is the largest and most important church in Vienna, the city’s Roman Catholic Cathedral and mother church. Along with the likes of St Vitus Cathedral in Prague, it’s one of the great Gothic churches of Central Europe, and a must-see, even if you only have one day in Vienna.
The Stephansdom may also be the oldest church foundation in Vienna, with some excavated remnants believed to be older than the Ruprechtskirche, traditionally the oldest church in the city.
The present church was begun in the 12th century, and of this, the two Romanesque towers on the west front – probably from the 13th century – remain. The rest of the Cathedral was built in various stages of the Gothic style, and was only completed in the late 16th century.
One of the most striking elements of the Dom is its amazing tiled roof – shown in the lead image of the article. The south choir side is decorated with a mosaic of the coat of arms of the Habsburg dynasty, while the north side of the roof is adorned with the coats of arms of the city of Vienna and of Austria.
Inside, the Stephansdom is just as impressive. You can walk into the west end of the nave for an overall impression, but I strongly recommend the self-guided audio tour, available in multiple languages. Your ticket enables you to see some of the Cathedral’s great treasures, including the tomb of Emperor Friedrich III.
Additional tickets are available for the Catacombs below the church, where many of the Habsburg family are interred, and the South Tower. The latter takes you to a room high up the tower, and you get some great views over the city through several windows around the room.
Getting there: Stephansplatz (U1 and U3)
See Also: 40 Famous Landmarks in Austria
Karlskirche
The Karlskirche is one of the loveliest Vienna churches, a fine Baroque church on the edge of the Innere Stadt. It was begun under the auspices of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in 1713, in thanksgiving for Vienna’s deliverance from a severe outbreak of the plague the preceding year. It’s dedicated to St Charles Borromeo of Milan, who was renowned for helping the poor of his city through both famine and plague.
The exterior is the most ornate of the Viennese Baroque churches. The portico at the front is similar to that of a Greek temple, while the columns either side are inspired by the intricately sculpted Column of Trajan in Rome.
The Karlskirche’s interior lives up to the promise of its exterior, full of Baroque pomp, the dome and chapels decorated by frescoes by the likes of Johann Michael Rottmayr, Gaetano Fanti and Daniel Gran, whose work we shall encounter in another Vienna church shortly.
Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi was buried in the cemetery that was formerly next to the church, but this has largely been built over, and his burial site is no longer known.
Getting there: Karlsplatz (U1, U2 or U4)
Annakirche – St Anne’s Church
This small Baroque church off busy Kärntnerstrasse has a simple, plain façade, but be prepared – inside is one of the most ornate Baroque churches in Vienna. It’s named after St Anne, mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, and a right hand believed to be hers is held in the church.
A Gothic church replaced an earlier chapel on the site around 1518, and this in turn was remodelled in the Baroque style in the 18th century. The interior is rich in decoration, especially marble and gold, and there are some superb frescoes by Daniel Gran.
The church also possesses a superb early 16th-century wooden carving of St Anne, Mary and Jesus. It’s believed to be the work of master sculptor Veit Stoss of Nuremberg.
Getting there: Nearest U-Bahn is Stephansplatz (U1) and the nearest bus 2A stops at Albertinaplatz.
St Peter’s Church (Peterskirche)
The Peterskirche is the first domed Baroque church in Vienna. It was built in the early 18th century on the site of a much earlier church, which had burned down in 1661. It was originally intended to be built as a gesture of gratitude for the survival of an outbreak of the plague in 1679-80, but it was only begun in 1701. The Wiener Pestsäule (Plague Column) can be found just around the corner on Graben.
This church set the tone for Viennese Baroque. The original design was by Italian Gabriele Montani, with most subsequent work carried out by Austrian Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Bohemian Kilian Ignaz Dietzenhofer.
Its interior is magnificently ornate, with gilded ornaments, frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr and an altarpiece by Martino Altamonte.
Getting there: The church is on Petersplatz, just off the main Graben shopping street. Nearest U-Bahn stops are Stephansplatz (U1, U3) AND Herrengasse (U3).
Kirche Am Hof
The exterior of the Kirche am Hof – the Church on the Court – suggests more sumptuous Viennese Baroque, but you’re soon left doing a double-take when you walk inside.
Formally called the Church of the Nine Choirs of Angels, the body of the church dates back to the 14th century. Its light, airy interior, with its characteristic pointed Gothic arches, is a wonderful surprise.
Kirche am Hof is named after the Court of the Dukes of Austria, which once stood on the site.
The façade, by Italian architect Carlo Carlone, was added in the 17th century because a balcony was required overlooking the square.
Nowadays the church serves the Croatian congregation in Vienna.
Getting there: U3 to Herrengasse, then a 2-minute walk.
Votivkirche
Vienna’s Votive Church looks like one of the great Gothic cathedrals of northern France, but was only built in the 1860s and 1870s. It was built – at the instigation of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian – in thanksgiving for Emperor Franz Josef I’s survival of an assassination attempt in 1853.
Franz Josef was stabbed by a Hungarian nationalist, Janos Libenyi, and seriously wounded, but he was quickly helped and his life wasn’t in danger.
At one time a national cathedral was mooted but plans were eventually scaled back due to lack of funds. That said, the church does a more than passable impression of a Cathedral – so much so that I heard visitors mistake if for the nearby Stephansdom.
The white external stonework is especially impressive, and there’s a wonderful sense of space inside the church. If you visit on a sunny day the light floods in through the upper windows – a magnificent sight.
Getting there: U2 to Schottentor, or trams 1, 37,38,41, 43 or 44 to Schottentor U-Bahn
Minoritenkirche
This soaring Gothic church was originally run by Franciscan friars, sometimes known as the Friars Minor. It was built between 1275 and 1350, and with the exception of the loss of its spire, has remained largely the same structurally for almost 700 years.
Since 1782, it has served as the church for Vienna’s Italian congregation, and is also known as the Italian National Church of St Mary of the Snow. In 2021 the church was donated to the Society of St Pius X.
When I visited, the church wasn’t open during the daytime. My tip is to visit for one of the daily services – there are two in the morning between 7.15 and 8.30 am, and two in the evening between 5.30 and 6.30 pm.
Getting there: A 3-minute walk from Herrengasse (U3 line)
St Michael’s Church – Michaelerkirche
Once the church of the Imperial Court, and located behind the Hofburg Palace, the Michaelerkirche is another Vienna Baroque church with a much older history.
The church belongs to the early Gothic period – believed to be between 1220 and 1240. The arches and stone vaults date from between this time and the end of the 14th century. Many of the artworks, including the stucco angels around the high altarpiece are from the Baroque period and later. Sometimes the combination of Gothic and Baroque can be a little jarring, but I think it works wonderfully here.
Mozart’s unfinished Requiem was played on the organ in 1791, shortly after the composer’s early death.
Getting there: U3 to Herrengasse, then a minute’s walk – or bus 1A to Michaelerplatz, which takes you even closer.
Schottenkirche
The ‘Scottish Church’ is one of the oldest churches in Vienna, completed in the year 1200 by Irish monks. The word ‘Schotten’ was a general term that included both Irish and Scots.
The Irish missionaries founded the abbey (Schottenstift) and church at the invitation of the first Duke of Austria, Heinrich II Jasomirgott, who is buried in the crypt.
There are a few remnants of the original Romanesque church, but most of what you see today is a Baroque church completed in 1648. Like the Annakirche, it’s beautifully decorated with marble and gold, with several monuments and memorials and some lovely ceiling frescoes.
The church is on one of the loveliest squares in Vienna, Freyung. It hosts markets throughout the year, including one of the best Vienna Christmas Markets in late November and December.
Getting there: U2 to Schottentor or bus 1A to Teinfaltstrasse.
Ruprechtskirche
St Rupert’s Church is believed to be the oldest church in Vienna. Some of its architecture – including its tower and eastern apse – certainly support this, and some of this may have been built as long ago as 800 AD, when Charlemagne was Holy Roman Emperor. It may not be the oldest foundation in Vienna, but it’s safe to say that it’s the oldest church still standing in the city.
The Ruprechtskirche is also in one of the oldest parts of the Innere Stadt of Vienna. St Rupert of Salzburg (the city’s name means ‘salt fortress’) was patron saint of Vienna’s salt traders, and it’s believed that the church was built around the time connections between the cities were strong. The church served as the office for salt trade in medieval times, and the goods were often inspected there before deals were approved.
The church has been added to and altered many times over the centuries, with Gothic, Baroque and modern additions. The latter includes several contemporary stained glass windows.
The Ruprechtskirche is also close to Morzinplatz, where there is a memorial to the victims of the Gestapo (Nazi secret police) during their occupation of Austria.
Kapuzinergruft (Capuchin Crypt)
The Imperial Crypt of the Capuchin Church is to the Austrian Empire what Westminster Abbey is to British royalty and the Basilica of St Denis is to the kings and queens of France. It’s the final resting place of 145 members of the Habsburg dynasty, from Emperor Matthias and Empress Anna of Tyrol, who died in the early 18th century, to the final Emperor, Charles I, who died 300 years later, after the Monarchy was abolished.
The Crypt is divided into ten sections, each covering a branch of the Habsburg family tree. It contains the vast majority of major Habsburg figures, including 18th-century Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Franz Josef I, who ruled from 1848 to 1916.
The tombs are maintained by the resident Capuchin monks.
Getting there: The nearest U-Bahn station is Stephansplatz, otherwise bus 2A stops at Albertinaplatz and Plankengasse, both of which are very close to the Church and Crypt.
Piarist Church
The Piaristenkirche, also known as the Church of Maria Treu, is a parish church in the Josefstadt district just to the west of the Innere Stadt.
Unusually for Baroque churches in Vienna, it has twin towers on its eastern façade. It’s richly decorated inside, with the domes painted by Franz Anton Maulbertsch.
And like many churches in Vienna, it also has a rich musical history. Joseph Haydn played there numerous times, including a premiere of one of his works in 1796. And Anton Bruckner took his music composition examination on the organ in the church in 1861.
Getting there: U2 to Rathaus, then a few minutes’ walk
Wotruba Kirche
Vienna is widely known for its Baroque churches, but is also home to this remarkable Brutalist church from the mid-1970s.
Designed by sculptor Fritz Wotruba, it’s made up of over 150 massive blocks of concrete. From the outside it reminds me a little of some of the rock formations in the sandstone rock cities in the north of the Czech Republic. The sparse interior is flooded with light from the clear windows.
The church was built on the site of a Nazi barracks, but Wotruba didn’t live to see it completed – his colleague Fritz Mayr saw the project through.
Getting there: Bus 60A from Wien-Atzgersdorf station.
Churches In Vienna – Final Words
I hope you have found this Vienna churches guide helpful. Churches are such a great way to find out more about a city’s history. And these churches span the last 1200 years, from the 9th-century Ruprechtskirche to the 1970s Wotrubakirche.
I have written many more guides to churches in cities in Europe. If this article has piqued your interest, take a look at some of these guides:
Churches in Prague – from St Vitus Cathedral to the Tyn Church and many more
Churches in Budapest – former mosques, Baroque, Art Nouveau and a thousand-year-old relic
Churches In Venice – from St Mark’s to a humble hidden chapel, and Byzantine to Baroque
Churches in Florence – some of the most distinctive churches in Europe, marble-fronted masterpieces with astounding works of art within
Famous Churches in Paris – Notre Dame, St Denis, Sainte-Chapelle and many more
25 Most Beautiful Churches in London – St Paul’s Westminster Abbey, Wren’s City churches and more
Churches in Berlin – rare glimpses of old Berlin and the iconic Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Churches in Dresden – Baroque wonders in the ‘Florence on the Elbe’
Churches in Nuremberg – the Gothic masterpieces of the Imperial City
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.