The Churches in Vienna You’ve Got to See for Yourself
You’ll struggle to find any other city in the world that has such a vast variety of architecturally diverse churches as Vienna. Not just places of worship, Vienna’s churches are monuments to history, art, architecture and music. While many of them throughout the city allow visitors to explore inside, one of the best ways to fully appreciate these magnificent structures is to attend a classical concert performed there.
The churches’ stellar architecture and interior designs make them the perfect setting for classical concerts. Just make sure you’re not too distracted by your surroundings that you forget to enjoy the music!
The best churches in Vienna
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
The most important Gothic church in Vienna, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is more than 700 years old and stands out for its truly unique look. At 197m long and 34m wide, the religious structure is a considerable size and features four towers. One of the most famous aspects of St. Stephen’s Cathedral as “Pummerin” — the second largest free-swinging bell in Europe. Other noteworthy highlights include the dazzling roof which highlights 230,000 glazed tiles used to make various designs, including a double-headed eagle wearing a single crown.
The inside of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is even more captivating. Here you’ll find altars, side chapels and catacombs which contain the graves of Viennese archbishops and cardinals.
See it for yourself
Attend a Vivaldi concert in St. Stephen’s Cathedral and witness the majesty of this astounding structure while listening to one of the most famous pieces of classical music in the world, the Four Seasons.
St. Anna’s Church
Also known as St. Anne’s Church, St. Anna’s Church has existed since 1320 and has witnessed many terrible events. In 1747, a fire destroyed much of the interior and just a few months later, lightning struck the tower, burning down the roof framing. Thankfully, the frescoes were left in tact. The 1976 Friuli earthquake also significantly damaged St. Anna’s Church.
Despite a string of bad luck, the church is still wonderfully beautiful. Inside there are three ceiling frescoes, a high altar painting and frescoes in the Franz Xaver chapel created by Daniel Gran. there’s also a wooden statue which represents St. Anne with the Virgin Mary and Christ which dates back to 1510, attributed to Veit Stoss.
See it for yourself
Get tickets for a classical concert in St. Anna’s Church and experience the unique acoustics created by the historical building and the stirring performance of a spectacular string quartet.
St. Charles Church
One of the most instantly recognisable churches in Vienna, St. Charles Church is a curious mix of ancient Roman and Greek elements combined with Byzantine, Baroque and Renaissance styles. Commissioned by Emperor Karl VI to fulfil the Habsburg Imperial Court’s religious vow, the church was built in the 18th century to a design largely influenced by Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and Trajan's Column in Rome.
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was the architect commissioned to design St. Charles Church and it’s widely considered to be his greatest work. Inside the church you’ll find a main altar which a scene portraying the ascension of St. Borromeo. Above, there’s a circle of angels and sun rays, echoing a similar design in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The dome’s fresco was painted by Johann Michael Rottmayr of Salzburg and Gaetano Fanti of Bologna. It shows an intercession of St. Borromeo, supported by the Virgin Mary, who is seen pleading to the Holy Trinity to end Vienna’s terrible plague.
See it for yourself
Treat yourself to a classical Mozart concert at St. Charles Church and revel in the mystique of Mozart’s final opus performed by 40 incredibly talented musicians in one of Vienna’s most impressive buildings.
St. Peter’s Church
Hidden in a small plaza in the inner city close to the Graben and the Plague Column, St. Peter’s Church is technicallythe oldest church in Vienna. The original structure dated back to the late antiquity times (the second half of the 4th century), although none of the original pieces remain. The new structure took around 21 years to build and became the first dome building constructed in a Baroque style in Vienna.
While St. Peter’s Church is remarkably beautiful on the outside, with its turquoise domes and white-cream exterior, the inside is even more outstanding. The most lavishly decorated Baroque church in the city, this structure features a marvellous fresco in the dome created by J. M. Rottmayr which depicts the coronation of the Virgin.
See it for yourself
Sign up for an evening of Mozart’s piano sonatas at St. Peter’s Church and appreciate the outstanding acoustics generated by the building while a dedicated musical group put on an intimate performance.
Maltese Church
The Maltese Church is the nickname given to the small Church of St. John the Baptist. A Roman Catholic Gothic church of the Knights Hospitaller in Vienna, the structure dates back to the mid-15th century, although the original church which stood in its place dates all the way back to the 13th century at least. At the beginning of the 19th century, the church was rebuilt to align with the contemporary Baroque taste and beautiful stained glass windows were added.
Highlights include a high altarpiece, which was painted by Johann Georg Schmidt in 1730. There’s also a balcony-type Empire marble pulpit constructed between 1806 and 1808, decorated with gilt rosettes, a dove and the Maltese cross.
See it for yourself
Snap up tickets for the Sound of Trumpet concert at the Maltese Church and admire the impressive architecture of this beautiful church while listening to famous pieces from the likes of Mozart, Bach and Handel.
