Grossmünster, which means “Great Minister”, is one of the four major churches in Zurich city, the other three are Fraumünster, Predigerkirche and St. Peterskirche. Grossmünster is a Protestant church and located in the Old Town of Zurich and on the bank of the Limmat River. Its prominent twin towers are considered the main landmark of the city.
A Brief History
This church is deeply steeped in history. The legend says that the horse of the emperor Charles The Great (Charlemagne) fell over the tombs of the city’s Patron Saints, Felix and Regula. This is when Charlemagne discovered the tombs and constructed a monastery church on that site. In fact, recent archaeological findings show that there used to be a Roman burial ground at the site. Construction of the present structure, however, commenced in 1100 and finished in 1220.
Throughout the medieval period, Grossmünster and Fraumünster (located on the opposite bank of river Limmat) rivalled with each other over supremacy and authority on holding the relics of the patron saints. In fact, the Fraumünster church was founded by Louis the German, who was the Grand Son of Charles The Great… so, this goes to show that Grossmünster has had the seniority over the two.
Eventually, though, both churches agreed to jointly hold the authority and initiated a grand public procession on September 11 every year, which is continuously held to date and the day is observed as a public holiday in Zurich.
In 1520, Huldrych Zwingli started the Swiss-German reformation from this church. The reformation process was later continued by Heinrich Bullinger. As a result of the reformation, many changes took place… the church’s plain interior is one such change. The reformers also removed the original organ and religious figurines from the church.
Other reformations within the church included replacement of the Mass, rejection of the need for celibacy, eating meat on fasting days, lectionary replaced with a 7-year New Testament cycle, prohibition on church music, etc. It is such significant reformations that make the church so historically important.
The monastery building that was annexed to the church during those days has now become the theological unit of the University of Zurich.
Architecture
The church follows Romanesque Architecture which was prevalent during the medieval period in Europe and was characterized by semi-circular arches. Originally the two towers were constructed in the late 1400s and were made of wood. They were burnt down by fire in 1763 and later the present neo-Gothic style towers were constructed in 1767.
The Romanesque triple-aisled crypt beneath the church dates back to the 11th and 13th centuries and is the largest in the whole of Switzerland. There is a wonderful Gothic statue of Charlemagne in the crypt.
Although the interior is simple and plain, take a close look at the amazing stained glass windows that were created by Sigmar Polke. However, many of those stained glasses have been replaced by modern stain-glass windows by the Swiss artist Augusto Giacometti in 1932. The beautifully crafted Bronze doors were created by Otto Münch in 1935 and 1950. The south portal shows the scenes of the reformations while the north portal shows scenes from the Bible.
There are many Gothic paintings on the walls that depict the legends of patron saints of the city Felix and Regula (most of the paintings have faded out over time though).
Note that if you want to climb up the towers to the top and get a marvellous view of the city, you need to negotiate a fairly steep spiral stairway made of wooden steps (187 stairs). The stairs are quite old and the last part of the climb is an 8-rung ladder through a hatch. So the elderly persons should be careful, but the effort is really worth it. The view of the sunset from the tower is awesome.
There is also a Reformation Museum in the church Cloister.
Although the original organ (made in 1230) was removed by the reformers, later a Metzler-Organ was installed in the church that was made in 1960. This beautiful organ plays an important part in the church choirs as well as in the concerts that take place in the church periodically.
Admission & Tours
Admission to Grossmünster Church is free, however, there is a fee for climbing the tower (Swiss Franc 5.0 per person). If you are in a group of 10 or more, the fee for climbing the tower is Franc 3.0 per person. Photography is not allowed inside the church. The church also offers guided group tours.
Viator offers a number of Zurich city tours including bus tours, walking tours, private tours, etc that include the Grossmünster Church. You can check and book through this Viator page.
Open Hours
March to October:
Monday to Saturday 10.00am – 6.00pm
Open on Sundays after the service
November to February:
Monday to Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm
Open on Sundays after the service
How to Reach
Address: Grossmünster, Grossmünsterplatz, 8001 Zürich. The distance from the Zurich Main Station (Central) to Grossmünster Church is about 890 meters and takes about 10 minutes to walk. Alternatively, you can take a Tram (line #4) from Zurich Central (i.e. Zurich HB) and get off at Zurich, Helmhaus… there is a tram every 10 minutes and it’s a 5-minute ride. From there, it’s a 2-minute walk to the church.
Nearby Attractions & Eateries
Niederdorf: Grossmunster is located in the near vicinity of the well-known shopping area Niederdorf which is full of boutique stores and cafes. You can walk down to the heart of Niederdorf in 8 minutes (700m) from Grossmunster.
Wasserkirche or Water Church: This church is located very close to Grossmunster (only 57m) and was first completed in the late 1400s. According to the legend, the city’s patron saints Felix and Regula were executed at this site where the church was built.
Ulrich Zwingli Monument: Zwingli was the first reformer in Zurich and his monument at Wasserkirche was created by Austrian sculptor Heinrich Natter. The monument was officially opened in 1885. It is only a 1-minute walk away from Grossmunster (57m).
Fountain At Helferei: Located at Zwingliplatz square, this fountain is only a 1-minute walk away (58m) from Grossmunster.
Haus zum Rueden: This Michelin star upscale restaurant is only 67m away (on Limmatquai street) from Grossmunster and serves Swiss, Mediterranean and European cuisine.
Restaurant Zunfthaus zur Waag: Another upscale restaurant 0.2km away (at Muensterhof square) serves great Swiss, international and French Cuisine.
Restaurant Orsini: A Michelin starred fine dining restaurant 0.2km away (at Waaggasse) serves Italian, Mediterranean and European cuisine.
Also Read
- Best places to visit in Zurich
- Zurich Tourism
- Switzerland Tourism
- Europe Tourism
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.