St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

This is a beautiful church to visit with frequent holy mass you can attend. It can get very busy at times due to its central location. It is equally beautiful from the inside as it is from the outside. A nice view of it is from the restaurant Do&Co opposite the church. It’s a great idea to see the church from all its sides too!

Such a beautiful piece of architecture! It is usually packed but if you continue down the side of the front gate, you can almost walk up to the very front of the cathedral and it just simply breathtaking! They offer going up to two towers (north and south) but going up to the more expensive tower, the north tower(€5.50 to be paid at the towers entrance itself not the info point) will allow you to see the largest bell in the Stephan's Cathedral- the Pummerin, and walk outside , giving you lovely views all around. The South Tower goes up about twice the height making it the tallest church tower in Austria. However, you can't walk around in the open and will stay behind the windows in order to take pictures! When visiting Vienna, this is pretty much the number 1 spot you have to see!

Individual Tiles on the Roof We found the view of the roof to be mesmerizing. It is 364-feet long, and covered by 230,000 individually glazed tiles. The first parish church on this site was consecrated in 1147. Since then, there have been constant repairs and reconstruction with additions and renovations, so it is hard to say how long the construction lasted. We learned that these old cathedrals are fragile and require much in the way of repairs and upkeep, just to keep them functioning and safe. That’s why so many now charge admission. We did go inside and it was impressive inside as well. Someone was playing the majestic organ, which was a treat as the acoustics are great for this.

Of course it's a must visit when in Vienna. The cathedral is the heart of the city. Holy mass is celebrated regularly here (refer to website / picture). Go early if you want to have some quiet time for yourself, as the later it gets, the more tourists there will be. The cathedral audio tour and the crib tour is great. You can also go up to the towers. Check at the information counter for it.

A beautiful cathedral, free entry. Look up times beforehand for mass services, as listening to the sermons and choir is a special experience. You HAVE to go on the crypt tour (near the lift that takes you up the North tower). Tours are done every half hour or so. The sign says when the next one will be. The tour is done in German and English. The guide was really engaging and the tour very interesting. One of the highlights of my weekend in Vienna.