Standing on Stephansplatz as the Pummerin Sounds
You are standing on Stephansplatz in the Innere Stadt, and the building in front of you is not merely a church but Vienna's mother church and its most recognisable symbol. St. Stephen's Cathedral — the Stephansdom, or "Steffl" to the Viennese — is a Roman Catholic cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. Its present Romanesque and Gothic form was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV in the 14th century, and it stands on the site of two earlier churches, the first consecrated in 1147. Over the centuries it has borne witness to Habsburg and Austrian history, and its multi-coloured tile roof has made it one of the city's most identifiable silhouettes. Come for the scale, the stone, and the sense of a building that has been repaired, rebuilt and restored almost continuously since the Middle Ages.
Reading the Cathedral from the Outside In
Start in the square and look up. The south tower, affectionately called "Steffl", is the cathedral's highest point and dominates the skyline; at its tip sits the double-eagle imperial emblem with the Habsburg-Lorraine coat of arms and an apostolic cross. The north tower was meant to mirror it, but construction was halted in 1511 and the stump was later given its Renaissance cap, nicknamed the "water tower top" by the Viennese.
At the main entrance you will pass through the Giant's Door, or Riesentor, above which a tympanum shows Christ Pantocrator flanked by two winged angels. To either side stand the Roman Towers, the Heidentürme, built from the rubble of older Roman structures; together with the Giant's Door they are the oldest parts of the church. Then take in the roof: ornately patterned and richly coloured, its glazed tiles form the Imperial double-headed eagle and the Vienna city coat of arms.
- Climb the south tower for the panoramic view from the tower room.
- Look for the Pummerin, the best-known bell, which hangs in the north tower.
- Explore the interior: valuable altars and side chapels, and the cathedral treasure of gold- and jewel-decorated relics, monstrances, liturgical texts and vestments.
- Visit the tombs, including Emperor Friedrich III's marble sarcophagus and the private chapel of Prince Eugene of Savoy.
- Join a guided tour down into the catacombs and the Vergilius Chapel, where Duke Rudolf IV and many other Habsburgs, Viennese cardinals and archbishops are buried.
Making the Most of Your Visit
Give the cathedral real time rather than a photo stop. See the exterior first, then the interior, then choose one climb and one underground tour so you are not rushing between them. The tower climb is the highlight not to miss: the south tower's tower room rewards the effort with a panorama over the Innere Stadt. If you would rather stay at ground level, the catacombs and Vergilius Chapel, reached on a guided tour, give you the cathedral's history at close range.
On the evening of 23 April each year, the anniversary of the church's second consecration is commemorated with a rare ringing of the Pummerin for three minutes — worth planning around if your dates allow. The cathedral also carries a particular weight in Austrian memory: damaged by fire in April 1945 when the roof collapsed, it was rebuilt and fully reopened in 1952, and became a symbol of the country's postwar reconstruction. For music lovers, note that Mozart was married here and Vivaldi's funeral was held here.
Stepping Out from the Cathedral
You are already in the Innere Stadt, where most of Vienna's best-known sights cluster, including the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Naturhistorisches Museum and the Albertina. The Ringstraße, the circular road around the district with its eclectic Ringstraßenstil architecture of the 1860s to 1890s, is within easy reach, as is the MAK — Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art, the first museum building on the Ringstraße.
If you want a wider view of the city, Good Vienna Tours runs daily two-hour walking tours in English meeting in front of the Albertina. Stephansplatz is also one of the subway stations hosting the free U-Bahn-Stars music events. For a longer excursion, Schönbrunn Palace, part of the UNESCO World Heritage list, lies out in the Outer West.
Stand on Stephansplatz at the hour when the square is busiest, look up at the tiled roof and the tower above it, and you will understand why this building became Vienna's emblem. Plan your day around the cathedral, leave room for the tower and the catacombs, and let the rest of the Innere Stadt unfold from its doors.