St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

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St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna: Tours & Tickets

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Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral: Top 5 highlights

One of Austria's most famous sights, Vienna's magnificent St. Stephen's Cathedral attracts more than 1 million yearly visitors. Over 800 years old, St. Stephen's is a majestic ensemble of architectural styles – here are 5 of the treasures that await you there.

  • Giant's Door

    1. Giant's Door

    The ornate entrance got its name from a mastodon thighbone that hung above the door in the 15th century. Giant's Door and the flanking towers are the oldest parts of the cathedral.

  • High Altar

    2. High Altar

    St. Stephen's main part has 18 gorgeous altars. Amongst them, the 17th century High Altar is the most spectacular. Built over 7 years, it represents the stoning of St. Stephen.

  • Tomb of Emperor Frederick III

    3. Tomb of Emperor Frederick III

    This impressive raised sarcophagus carved out of thick red marble took 45 years to build. Decorated with more than 240 statues, it's a sublime specimen of medieval art.

  • Steffl

    4. Steffl

    Affectionately nicknamed "Steffl," St. Stephen's gigantic south tower is 136 meters tall. A dominant feature of Vienna's skyline, Steffl is one of the city's most iconic landmarks.

  • Catacombs

    5. Catacombs

    Due to the bubonic plague of 1735, the bones from cemeteries near St. Stephen's were moved to the catacombs below the cathedral, which now house the remains of over 11,000 people.

Planning Your Visit

  • Climb atop Steffl

    Throughout history, St. Stephen's south tower, "Steffl," served as a watch post to guard the city. Though unused since 1955, the watch room still exists and is open to visitors. It's a steep climb up 343 steps, but those up to the challenge are rewarded with the most spectacular views of the entire city.

  • Visit the catacombs

    St. Stephen's fascinating catacombs should not be missed. However, note that it's necessary to book a guided tour in order to visit the catacombs.

  • Attend mass

    St. Stephen's regularly hosts mass, open to the public. The schedule of mass times is listed on their website.

Good to know

  • When should I visit?
    Monday to Saturday, 6:00AM to 10:00PM, Sunday 7:00AM to 10:00PM. Tour hours are Monday to Saturday 9:00AM to 11:30AM, 1:00PM to 4:30PM and Sunday 1:00PM to 4:30PM.
  • Is it expensive?
    While it's free to enter, general and catacomb tours, as well as transportation options and packages will cost extra.
  • Will I need a guide?
    With over 800 years of history to cover, a guide is a great idea!
  • How to get there
    Take the U1 or U3 train to Stephansplatz and it's a short walk to the Cathedral.
  • Additional information

    • You may bring your own guide, but please make sure it's during tour hours so as not to disrupt those worshipping.

What people are saying about St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 2,199 reviews

Enjoyed our time with this tour. Getting around with a guide to fill in the history made a difference. We enjoyed being active instead of sitting on a bus. This tour is an easy ride for all fitness levels. We had a senior on the tour and there was no problem for them to ride with the pack. There were enough appropriate stops to take photos and hear about the history of important landmarks. Please if you enjoyed your tour, tip the guide. We were the only ones to tip on this tour. This may be due to cultural tipping habits of local countries.

Classic Vienna: 3-Hour Guided Bike Tour Reviewed by Judith, 11/4/2019

Helpful?

Albert, our tour guide is fun and knowledgeable with history. He will tell you about all the restaurants and good place to go in Vienna, he can give you tips with which museum u should be worth of going for as well. We had a great 2hrs tour with learning history of Austria apart weather is too cold so make sure u wear warm clothes than normal to resist cold on the street when he is explaining history.

Vienna: 2-Hour Historical Sightseeing Tour Reviewed by Anonymous, 12/31/2019

Helpful?

Herbert was an excellent guide, he was very informative, engaging and provided really good advice on museums and local attractions which we really appreciated. The images he showed us on his ipad provided additional historical information and it was a good number of people within the group

Vienna: 2-Hour Historical Sightseeing Tour Reviewed by Elizabeth, 12/11/2019

Helpful?

All in all it was a great tour. Getting to know the city by bicycle gives you an opportunity to see a lot in a rather short period of time. The trip was quite relaxing, entertaining and interesting. Good quality bikes, professional guide. Highly recommend!

Classic Vienna: 3-Hour Guided Bike Tour Reviewed by Мария, 3/24/2021

Helpful?

This is an excellent tour for those who wish an overview of the history and the significant sites of Vienna. Our guide was genial and knowledgeable and provided insight and suggestions for those seeking to explore in greater depth.

Vienna: 2-Hour Historical Sightseeing Tour Reviewed by Anonymous, 1/12/2020

Helpful?

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