This review combines our recent experience at this church and the surrounding Mexikoplatz. Gayle…read moreand I walked all around both, and experienced a residential neighborhood vibe. We were unable to enter the church, but did find evidence of a mass schedule (at the side door) and a daycare operation. The main entrances were either a campground for homeless folks or were securely fenced off. Yet apparently, this church is home to the Vienna English Speaking Catholic Community. The St. Francis of Assisi Church is located along the Danube and sports a signature brick Basilica profile. We also used this landmark to to find our way back to our cruise ship. The surrounding Mexikoplatz (Mexico Square), formerly known as Erzherzog-Karl-Platz (Archduke-Karl-Square), commemorates the fact that Mexico was the only country outside the Soviet Union to protest against the Anschluss of Austria to Nazi Germany. The Church and Plaza are also located on the southwestern end of the Reichsbrücke (Empire Bridge). Gayle and I also noted that we were located in the Vienna's Second District, Leopoldstadt, which was also the name of a famous play of that name by Tom Stoppard. Not surprisingly, there was clearly a disconnect between the setting of this play and what we experienced in this District.

This church looks older than it really is. It was built to celebrate the anniversary of some…read moreruler's coronation, and was built to just look old. It's a nice lookin' church, situated right along the Danube, overlooking the banks. Behind this church is MexicoPlatz, which is named in honor of the fact that Mexico refused to go along with Germany's plans in WWII, and they dedicated this plaza after Mexico! It's honestly the least-Mexican "Mexican" plaza I've ever been in, but it's nice! They have a big stone plaque commemorating the plaza in Austrian and Spanish. There's a playground with outdoor ping pong tables, park benches, trash cans and places to hang out and throw a frisbee around! There's plenty of trees, and it's a nice spot to hang. It felt well lit and safe at night. The neighborhood isn't really Mexican. I couldn't find a taqueria anywhere around here, but there's plenty of Kabab places nearby. Overall, it's a nice place to come out and celebrate Mexican heritage. When going through, be sure to shout out a loud "Grito" to let everyone know- Viva Mexico!

St. Peter's was modeled after its namesake in the Vatican and was ornately decorated inside à la…read moreBaroque style. The church was open for visitors anytime outside any scheduled services. One good reason to visit Perskirche was to attend their free daily concerts scheduled at 3pm. Normally it would be an organ concert but this month they had visiting groups from around the world (a Florida group sang during our visit). The concert lasted around 45 minutes and the both the singers and acoustics were impressive. It doesn't matter where you sit to appreciate the performance. However, the pews were quite uncomfortable for the entire duration. The seatback ended about midway up my back and had an edge that dug into it making it hard to sit up straight. I'd recommend sitting in the overflow chairs that were placed in the aisles since they were of a modern design!

While Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) and Karlskirche (St. Charles Church) are the better…read moreknown cathedrals in Wien, Peterskirche is not one to sleep on! On my first afternoon of exploring Vienna we were walking around with the intent of seeking out some of the more popular squares in the historic city center, and getting a feel for the surroundings. Purely by coincidence as we walked around Graben and Kohlmarkt shopping streets we saw Peterkirche and figured why take a look, so in we went. Since it wasn't originally on our itinerary we were pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a fee to enter. From some previous trips, two things I've learned is that many of these historic cathedrals 1) may not look that ornate on the exterior, but the interiors are much more impressive, 2) are very much still working functional churches, with routine daily/weekly activities, and sometimes even during some services certain churches will allow visitors to enter as long as they maintain a respectful (quiet) atmosphere. Both were the case here, 1) the inside and especially the altarpiece and statues positioned around it were very elaborate, even more so than a lot of other churches I've visited before, and 2) around 5pm since it seemed like they were about to start an early evening activity. Some history here: - the original building is from the second half of the 4th century, speculated to be (or the church website claims it is), the oldest church in Vienna. - built on the site of the Roman encampment Vindobona. - in the original design built between the 8th and 11th C, the nave and two aisles were designed in the Romanesque style then later adapted to Gothic. - the rebuilding of this church in a Baroque style was commissioned by Emperor Leopold I when Vienna was hit with the plague between 1679-1680. - the work was kicked off under Gabriele Montani then later the renowned Austrian architect Lukas von Hildebrandt, and the church was finally completed in 1733 and consecrated to the Holy Trinity and Saint Peter. - most recent restoration work occurred in 2001-2004. The Classic Ensemble Vienna gives concerts regularly at the St. Peter's Church, and tickets are available online and in-person. By public transit take subway lines U1 and U3 to Stephansplatz or bus lines 1A or 2A to Graben/Petersplatz. Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 - 19:00 Saturday - Sunday: 9:00 - 19:00 More info at: https://www.peterskirche.at https://www.visitingvienna.com/sights/peterskirche/ https://www.musicofvienna.com/peterskirche.htm

Cannot be missed most famous Cathedral when in Vienna. Centrally located. Stunning architecture…read morefrom outside to inside. Free to visit, pay to climb the stairs to skip morning exercise. Gothic architecture with high ceilings and asymmetrical towers, 137 meters South tower and shorter unfinished north tower. Enjoy the organ music, check the schedule. Touch and feel the details with the 1:100 scale miniature sculpture outside. Much to see and listen to. Magnificent during the day and stunning at night.

My friend and I visited Domkirche St. Stephan a week or so ago when we were in Vienna for vacation…read moretogether. The Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna. The cathedral has some incredible architecture - Romanesque and Gothic - as it dates back to the 12th century. It seemed to be the heart of Vienna - at least as far as tourists are concerned. We must have walked past it three or more times - it's centrally located within Innere Stadt and near a lot of other Vienna attractions. This means that Domkirche is a hot spot for tourists. It was packed - inside the cathedral, outside the cathedral, everywhere. We purchased all-inclusive tickets (25 euros each), which you have to pay for in cash. It includes a self-guided tour of the cathedral, entrance to the south and north towers, the option to join the tour of the catacombs, and more. We enjoyed the tour of the catacombs. The guide did the tour in German and English, and it was interesting and informative. Unfortunately, the cathedral in the afternoon on a Monday was just too crowded to enjoy. We took the elevator up to one of the towers (I can't remember which), because you can only access it by elevator. The wait to go up took 10 or so minutes, because the elevator only fits a few people (maybe 4?). But the wait to get down took even longer. By then, we weren't sure we had time for the other tower (which have been the better tower anyway?). It was interesting, and I did enjoy the catacombs tour and the views from the tower we had time for. But I recommend going as early as possible in the day to avoid the crowds so you can enjoy it.

Incredible ceiling. It's hard to believe that one is looking at a flat surface. A really marvellous…read moreexample of a Baroque Church. The Inlay work in the pews is also so intricate and I imagine most of the tourists never even glance at them, if they enter this humble church at all. From the outside, you wouldn't give this church a second glance. But it is one of the oldest, and it is associated with the original Vienna University next door. The modern altar looks very plain but is actually constructed of 11 chairs with a table on top to represent the last supper. The twelfth chair is cleverly placed off to one side. So simple, yet powerful. So glad I visited this hidden gem. No tickets required. They also have concerts here. Well worth a visit, and if you can attend a musical performance, even better.

I don't know how it was possible to have this beautiful church to myself one quiet Sunday. But I…read moredid indeed. The Jesuits have a "complicated" history in Vienna but this church is certainly a glorious reminder of their towering influence when the Holy Roman Empire still existed, and was ruled by Hapsburgs. Beautiful side altars, lots of gold and silver (very Jesuit) and no expense spared. It's a dream for Catholics but I have to think that even an unbeliever would marvel at the craftsmanship inside. AMDG, indeed.

The neo-Gothic building on the Ringstrasse was built as a token of gratitude for a failed attempt…read moreto assassinate Emperor Franz Joseph. Two towers are so distinct, I didn't know what it was from the distance but I started walking towards this church. Just happened to walk in during a service on Sunday, quietly recorded about 10 seconds as they sounded so beautiful. I didn't walk around as I didn't want to disturb the service, so I just quietly sat there and just felt whatever it was. I was told they have a small museum there but decided to leave it for the next time.

The most iconic church in Vienna, Votive Church (or Votivekirche), with streamlined NeoGothic…read morearchitecture, is reaching up to the sky with two ornate needle towers. Church interior just as beautiful as exterior: detailed altar, stained glass windows, and paintings. While design was inspired by French gothic architecture, it does have it's own amazing design and style. Believe it or not, the architect who designed it was only 26 years of age... What an achievement of the lifetime! Keep in mind, this is an active church, so as a tourist, be respectful. There are masses, and choir music during holidays - a beautiful and wonderful place to visit and see.

The Franciscan Church, or Church of St. Jerome, is a Roman Catholic parish in the center of Vienna…read more Built in 1603 the outside facade is Renaissance while its interior is Baroque. Less popular than St. Peters or St. Stephens, do look up for the ancient organ and ornate sculptures including several of Virgin Mary.

Michaeler Kirche (St. Michael's Church), is located in Michaelerplatz, a block east adjacent to the…read moreHofburg Palace/Museum complex. On a weekday early evening it was pretty empty, many more tourists were walking around the square and taking pictures outside than inside. In 2021 this church celebrated their 800th year, wild! Its beginnings were as a church founded around 1220, which became a court parish church in 1784, then a parish and monastery of the Salvatorian order of Catholicism in its current form. Its building style is originally Romanesque, with various additions and removals of Gothic, Baroque, Classical elements, though after all the shifts it remains largely Romanesque and considered one of the largest and oldest Romanesque structures in Wien. Not knowing what to expect, entering I was really astounded by the number of figures sculpted in life size surrounding and directly attached to the front altar and apse...my eyes certainly got wider as I stared at all the details. I hadn't recalled the last time seeing such elaborate carved figures in an altar composition like this except maybe at the Toledo Cathedral in Spain. Of course the rest of this building isn't as gigantic as other cathedrals or basilicas, though if I had more time I would gladly come back to admire the sculpture and intricate designs in the rest of the church interior. Free to enter the church building though the crypt is by ticketed tour. Public tours ~45 min long are available in German only: every Friday at 12 pm and 2 pm every Saturday at 10 am and 12 pm Admission: € 10.00 per person / € 5.00 per child Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 7am-10pm Saturday-Sunday: 8am-10pm Easily accessible via public transit U-bahn (metro), buses and trams. For more info: https://www.michaelerkirche.at/en/

Located just outside and behind the Hofburg complex, the Michaelerkircke is a fairly simple looking…read morechurch, compared to many others around Vienna. When you step inside, it doesn't have the same wow factor of the other churches either, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a visit. This church is beautiful in it's simplicity; white is the dominant color throughout, with gold, red, and brown accents. The alter area is, of course, the fanciest part of the church, and it really is! However, check out the remains of the frescoes on the walls, the artwork, the confessionals, and the sculptures everywhere. Stunning! Check it out. Be respectful, be surprised. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed. 69/2025

I was very much looking forward to listening to live classical music while visiting Vienna, the…read moreclassical music capital of the world. One of my favorite concerti is Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and I decided to buy a ticket to Karlskirche, aka St Charles Chuch. I'm SO GRATEFUL I got a student pricing for Section I (Section II, the cheaper section, was sold out, but I got a student discount for section I). I'm also so glad I came way earlier than the entrance time, because it was rainy and windy, and the storm was so strong, the staff ended up letting us in early. It was open seating as as long you were within your section, so I sat as close to the front as I could, and chose a spot closest to the aisle. It was an EPIC concert in such a gorgeous location. Whenever I hear Vivaldi's Winter (my favorite of the four seasons), I always think of the Continental Hotel fight scene from John Wick 3 lol. We weren't allowed to record the concert. However, there was a girl sitting the row in front of me who had been recording with her phone, and the entire time, no one came over to tell her to stop recording. There was also a guy further ahead in the VIP section who was recording A LOT. So, I figured, if they can record, then I can too. But then a guy came over and told me to put away my phone. The girl in front of me was recording too, and he also told her to stop. The baroque architecture of Karlskirche is out-of-this-world. I'm not religious, but listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons here was a visual and sonic feast and a spiritual experience that I will always remember.

We saw the Vivaldi Concert which is held several evenings during the week and it was superb. The…read moreelaborate baroque environment really added to the performance. The acoustics were excellent and blankets were provided on each chair as the church is quite cool at night. Definitely recommend the concert, the musicians were top notch. If you cannot attend, visit the church during the day.

A gorgeously resplendent church in the late Baroque/Rococo style. I stumbled upon here during the…read moreFeast of the Ascension to drown myself in sorrow... a parishioner found me in one of the pews and tried to comfort me, even though we couldn't communicate very well with each other. As a mass started, I found myself overcome by the ostentatious beauty of this place. The music melded with the lofty vaults and ornate gilt, and I basked in the glory of being in the "City of Music," when I suddenly realized that the cantor, accompanied by Baroque organ in the choir loft, was singing... in English! It was "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley. Get the fuck out!!! American culture has infiltrated even the proud Viennese... I resumed by tears.