Grossmünster
The Grossmünster is a Romanesque church on the banks of the Limmat in Zurich, one of the city's four principal churches and the cradle of the Swiss-German Reformation. Legend holds that Charlemagne founded a church here after his horse knelt at the graves of Zurich's patron saints Felix and Regula; the present building rose between about 1100 and 1220, its distinctive twin towers becoming the enduring emblem of Zurich.
In the 1520s the reformer Huldrych Zwingli preached from its pulpit, launching a movement that stripped the church of its images and organ and reshaped the religious life of much of Switzerland. As a result the interior is strikingly plain and austere, a deliberate contrast to the rich Catholic churches elsewhere, though modern stained-glass windows by Augusto Giacometti and Sigmar Polke have added bursts of colour in recent times.
Visitors can climb the Karlsturm tower for sweeping views over the old town and lake, and explore the Romanesque crypt and cloister. Now a Reformed parish church, the Grossmünster remains both a working place of worship and a monument to the religious upheaval that transformed Zurich into a centre of Protestant thought.
- Location
- 47.3701, 8.5440
- Local time
- 00:33 (Europe/Zurich)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 10:00–17:00 |
Mar-Oct 10:00-17:00; Nov-Feb 10:00-16:00. May vary for services/events.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint Felix Saint
Co-patron of Zurich; Theban Legion martyr traditionally buried at the church's site.
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Saint Regula Saint
Co-patron of Zurich; martyr buried with Felix on the site the church was built over.
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Saint Exuperantius Saint
Companion martyr of Felix and Regula, venerated with them as Zurich's patrons.
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Charlemagne Saint
Legendary founder; statue in the crypt and depicted on a tower; venerated locally.
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Saint Maurice Saint
Leader of the Theban Legion from which the Zurich martyrs came.
Care & donations
Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich
Tower admission and donations support the church
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