Discover Vienna: St. Stephen’s Cathedral

St. Stephen’s Cathedral is 107.2 meters long and 34.2 meters wide. It has four towers. The tallest of these is the south tower at 136.44 meters. The tower room, from which there is a gigantic view across Vienna, is reached via 343 steps. A total of 13 bells hang here. However, the best-known bell of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Pummerin, is located in the 68.3 meter-tall north tower. It is the second-biggest free-swinging chimed church bell in Europe.

On the roof of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, colorful roof tiles were laid to create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna. The interior of St. Stephen’s Cathedral was changed again and again over the centuries, right through to the Baroque period.

A visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a must for every visitor to Vienna.

In addition to valuable altars and side chapels, the impressive cathedral treasure can also be seen, including relics decorated with gold and precious stones, monstrances, liturgical texts and books as well as vestments. Numerous important people were also given their final resting place in St. Stephen’s Cathedral: Emperor Friedrich III. was buried in an impressive marble sarcophagus. The tomb’s cover slab alone weighs eight tonnes.

Prince Eugene of Savoy has his final resting place in a private chapel. And famous names buried in the catacombs of St. Stephen’s Cathedral include the Habsburg Duke Rudolph IV the founder, who laid the foundation stone for the Gothic reconstruction of the cathedral in 1359. In addition, the graves of Vienna’s cardinals and archbishops can be found in the catacombs.

Guided tours of the cathedral and the catacombs are offered on a regular basis, including for children.

The best way to get to St.Stephen’s Cathedral is via the Vienna U-Bahn, you take the red line U1 and get down at Stephanplatz. The cathedral is located in the heart of square.