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St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stepansdom) is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. Steffl like the locals refer to it stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first consecrated in 1147. It is located on Stephan square (Stephansplatz) and has Gothic exterior with very distinguished brightly colored tiled roof.

The church was expanded during the years and is built of limestone. The cathedral measures 136 meters (445 ft) high and 107 m (350 ft) long. The highest south tower (136 m) took 65 years to build - from 1368 to 1433. The two Roman towers at the main entrance are 65 m tall. The roof is extraordinary with its colorful mosaic and is covered by 230,000 glazed tiles.

The interior has Baroque details and has 18 altars and several chapels - St. Katherine's Chapel, St. Barbara's Chapel, The Chapel of the Cross, St. Eligius's and St. Bartholomew's Chapel. The Chapel of the Cross is where Mozart’s funeral was held on 6 December 1791.

One of the highlights is a 16th century carved stone pulpit with portraits of the four doctors of the Christian church (St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Ambrose, St. Gregory the Great and St. Jerome).

Inside the church is also the Byzantine style icon Maria Pócs. It depicts the Virgin and the child Jesus and is believed to have miraculous powers.

The catacombs, the tombs and the crypt are also interesting and they hold the bodies of many noble and common people.

Where is Stepansdom: 1, Stephansplatz

How to get to Stepansdom: U-Bahn: U1, U3/ Stephansplatz

Opening Hours: Guided tours are available Mon-Sat
at 10:30 AM and 3PM ; Sunday at 3 PM




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