Visit this beautiful Romanesque cathedral and learn about the Reformation while enjoying panoramic views of the city.
Reputedly built on the final resting place of Zurich’s patron saints, Felix and Regula, the impressive Grossmuenster (Great Church) is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks and a visit here is a must on any cultural or historical itinerary.Said to have been founded by the indefatigable Charlemagne, the Grossmuenster is of enormous architectural and historical significance, not just in Switzerland but throughout the whole of Europe.Construction of the Romanesque cathedral began in 1100 and was completed just over a century later. Standing stark against the skyline, the distinctive three-story twin towers gaze across the cityscape as their neo-gothic tips stretch towards the heavens.As the noted birthplace of the Swiss-German Reformation in the first half of the 16th century, the religious importance of this sacred site cannot be overstated. It was from within these very walls that the famous Protestant reformer, Huldrych Zwingli, called for religious freedom and the denunciation of the Catholic Church.Architecturally this religious shift finds expression in the austerity of the interior, which was stripped of all the iconography and church treasures of the previous establishment. The religious altars, paintings and statues were done away with save a few faded frescoes in the side chapel and decorative capitals on the pillars that flank the aisle. As you make your way up through the nave, take a moment to drink in the silence as the light filters through Sigmar Polke’s beautifully designed stained-glass windows.Climb the stairs to the top of the Karlsturm tower and enjoy wonderful panoramic views of the city, the mountains and the lake before venturing down into the 12th-century Romanesque crypt where an ornate statue pays homage to a golden-crowned and haughty Charlemagne.If you wish to learn more about this extraordinary cathedral, guided tours are available on the second Sunday of every month. However, if it’s a really unique and spiritual experience you’re after, book in for a night time tour. The serenity of a silent candle-lit interior is hard to beat as is the night-time view from the top of the towers.
