St. Stephen’s Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Stephansdom, stands at the exact centre of Vienna and has been the city's main landmark for centuries. The present building is largely Gothic, and its south tower, completed in 1433 and known locally as the Steffl, rises to about 136 metres. During the Ottoman sieges of 1529 and 1683 it served as a lookout over the surrounding plain. The north tower was never finished: work stopped in 1511 and it was capped with a Renaissance top in 1578, leaving it at roughly half the height of its twin.

From the square, look up at the steep roof, covered in about 230,000 glazed tiles laid in zigzag patterns, with a double-headed eagle picked out on one side. Inside, the long nave is darker and more atmospheric than many visitors expect. Highlights include the carved stone pulpit, the Wiener Neustadt altarpiece and the tomb of Emperor Frederick III. Beneath the church, guided tours lead into the catacombs, where the remains of more than 11,000 people are kept along with burial chambers of the Habsburgs and Vienna's bishops.

The two towers offer different experiences. The south tower is climbed on foot up a long spiral staircase to a lookout room with views over the old town, while a lift in the north tower takes you up to the Pummerin, the cathedral's great bell. Cast in 1951 to replace a bell lost in the fire of 1945, it weighs more than 20 tonnes and is the largest bell in Austria. Guided tours, tower access and the catacombs each have their own tickets and times, so check the cathedral's visitor page on the day.

The church is open for prayer from early morning until 22:00, but sightseeing in the main body of the cathedral is limited to set hours, generally late morning and afternoon on weekdays and Saturday, and afternoons on Sundays and holidays. Services take priority and hours can change for liturgical reasons. The cathedral asks visitors not to wear sleeveless tops or short skirts, men to remove hats, and not to bring food, ice cream or dogs.

Stephansplatz has its own U1 and U3 underground station, so the cathedral is easy to reach from anywhere in the city. Kärntner Straße and the Graben, two of the main pedestrian streets, lead off the square, and the Hofburg, the Albertina and the State Opera are all within ten minutes' walk. Allow 30 minutes for a look inside and up to two hours if you add a tower and the catacombs.