St Stephen’s Cathedral is located in the city centre and is one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Vienna. This is also one of the most important Gothic buildings in Vienna. St Stephen’s Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral which is the seat of the Archdiocese of Vienna, therefore it is the most important building for Catholics in Vienna. The Cathedral is dedicated to St Stephen. It is located in the main pedestrian zone, in the historical part of the city, at St Stephen’s Square.
The Cathedral is located on the place where there used to be a church from 1147, which sadly got burnt in a fire. Today, you can see some remains of the church, such as the western part of the façade, which serves as a reminder of the old building that used to exist in the same place. The building of the contemporary church started in 1304, in Gothic style. The Cathedral has three towers, and the southern, the biggest tower was finished in 1433- it is 136m high. The Cathedral’s roof was finished only in 1474. In 1945, when Vienna was bombed, the Cathedral was significantly ruined, whereas the final reconstruction and restoration was done in 1952.
In the Middle Ages, there was a cemetery at the place of the cathedral, therefore, there are some catacombs inside the cathedral, as the remains of the cemetery from the Middle Ages. The interior of the cathedral was built in the Baroque style, whereas the grandiose altar in the cathedral dates back to XVII century, and was created by Tobias Pock.
The bell in the northern tower was cast from cannonballs, which Turks had used to destroy the cathedral. The roof of the cathedral was embellished with a colourful mosaic, with even 230 thousand tiles of different colours, whereas the interior of the cathedral is impressive, lavish and breath-taking. It is due to the tall Gothic vaults that the acoustics of the cathedral is good, in which concerts can be held, as well. The main entrance to the cathedral is decorated with the reliefs of animals and saints, and its name is “The Giant’s Door”. According to certain historical stories, a mammoth’s bone was found on the place where the foundation of the northern tower was laid.
The main altar was built of black marble and is embellished with Biblical scenes. On the cathedral’s walls, there are pictures which are real works of art, and as such are a gift to this special place. The stained glass by which the interior is recognizable dates back to XV century. Numerous significant monarchs, emperors and bishops were buried in the cathedral.
Interesting facts:
Ticket price for the cathedral
Working hours of the cathedral
