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Saint Peter's Church鈥擹urich鈥檚 oldest temple鈥攊s also, quite possibly, the city鈥檚 most punctual landmark. Built in the 9th century, this beauty has seen more centuries than your local pub鈥檚 clock has seen beers. And speaking of clocks, St. Peter鈥檚 claims the biggest clock face in all of Europe. At a whopping 8.6 meters in diameter, its minute hand alone is longer than most compact cars. No excuse for being late around here...

The church got some facelifts over the years鈥攆irst in the 13th century and again in the 1700s鈥攂ecause, indeed, medieval landmarks deserve a little renovation every now and then. Until 1911, a firewatcher lived in the steeple, popping his head out the window four times an hour to scan for smoke. If flames were spotted, he鈥檇 wave a flag in the direction of the danger鈥攕imple, low-tech, and surprisingly effective. Thus, unlike many of its European cousins, Zurich avoided catastrophic fires. It turns out that medieval flag signals are not just for parades...

Inside the church, you鈥檒l find a Baroque nave paired with a Romanesque choir鈥攍ike architectural speed dating through the centuries. Look closely at the faded murals, and you might spot a saint lurking in the shadows. Above the pulpit, the name of God appears in Hebrew, a nod to the Reformation鈥檚 love for the Bible鈥檚 original languages. Think of it as ancient theological street cred...

Now here鈥檚 the kicker: Saint Peter鈥檚 Church has shared custody. The City of Zurich owns the tower, while the Swiss Reformed Church parish holds the rights to the bells, the belfry, and the staircase. It is, indeed, church co-parenting at its finest...

Tip for the savvy traveler: Admire it up close, but for peak Instagram potential, cross the river鈥攖he church is even prettier from a distance.

The Church of Our Lady鈥攐r Fraum眉nster if you're feeling Swiss about it鈥攊s easily one of Zurich鈥檚 most eye-catching landmarks, thanks to that graceful blue spire that insists on being in every skyline photo. Founded way back in 853 by Emperor Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard (talk about a royal housewarming gift), this wasn鈥檛 an average cloistered convent. No, the abbess here wasn鈥檛 just praying and gardening鈥攕he was running the show. In medieval Zurich, she held market rights, minted coins, and had a firm grip on city affairs. Basically, before Zurich was ruled by bankers in suits, it was partly governed by nuns with serious executive power.

By 874, they鈥檇 added a basilica complete with a crypt that now houses Zurich鈥檚 patron saints, Felix and Regula鈥攂ecause a great city can certainly benefit from a couple of martyred siblings watching over it. But the good times for the abbey came to an end in 1524 during the Reformation. The last abbess handed the keys over to the city, and most of the religious art was either taken down or..., well, aggressively removed.

Today, people come not just for the medieval intrigue, but for the stunning mashup of Gothic architecture and Baroque flair. And then鈥攂oom鈥攖he stained glass. In the 1970s, none other than Marc Chagall himself stepped in and created five towering windows for the choir. Each one tells a biblical story in bold, glowing color. The 鈥淧rophet鈥� window is all reds and oranges and righteous fire. Across from it are 鈥淛acob,鈥� 鈥淐hrist,鈥� and 鈥淶ion鈥� in cooler, gentler hues, and the 鈥淟aw鈥� window fit to impress even Moses himself.

Also remarkable is the vibrant window near the entrance by Augusto Giacometti, adding another layer of artistic prestige to the church鈥檚 interior. So now it doubles as an accidental art museum.

If you're visiting, do grab the audio guide鈥攊t鈥檚 included with the ticket and actually quite good. You鈥檒l get the full story, minus the Latin. Entry fees vary, and remember: while photos of the interior are generally allowed, pictures of the Chagall windows are strictly prohibited. Your phone will be tempted, but resist. Oh, and be sure to bring some Swiss francs, too鈥攖hey still like their cash here.

So, whether you鈥檙e into saints, stained glass, or just need a break from the Station Street, the Church of Our Lady is a peaceful detour into Zurich鈥檚 soul鈥攚ith a splash of color and a whole lot of history.

Inside the Water Church, Zurich鈥檚 history flows just as steadily as the Limmat River beneath it. First mentioned in 1250, but with roots going all the way back to the 1100s, this church wasn鈥檛 just built near the water鈥攊t was built on it. Originally perched on a little island in the river, it looked like it was doing the medieval version of island life before it was cool. By 1486, it got a full makeover鈥攖hink of it as a 15th-century home renovation, but with more stained glass and fewer Instagram reels.

Then came the Reformation, and let鈥檚 just say the Water Church鈥檚 spiritual career hit a speed bump. Reformers, unimpressed by its "idolatrous" vibe, gave it a secular upgrade鈥攎aking it Zurich鈥檚 very first public library in 1634. So, yes, before the Kindle, there was the Water Church...

During the 1800s, the island it sat on got connected to the mainland (bye-bye, island mystique), and by 1917, the library moved out. The church, now unemployed, found a new gig鈥攇rain storage. Holy wheat, indeed...

In the 1940s, archaeologists and restorers gave the building some long-overdue tender loving care. The crypt was dusted off, the walls were reinforced, and by the time the renovations were done, the church was back in the business of being a place of worship鈥攖his time serving the Evangelical-Reformed State Church of Zurich.

But history aside, the Water Church stands on solemn ground. Legend has it that Zurich鈥檚 patron saints, Felix and Regula, were executed right here after refusing to persecute Christians. Decapitated, yes鈥攂ut apparently they stood up and walked off with their heads. As saints sometimes do...

Coming here, you'll find a serene, quiet corner of Zurich where you can catch your breath, contemplate eternity, or just admire the stunning Giacometti windows and explore the mysterious crypt below. Divine inspiration not guaranteed鈥攂ut a moment of peace is highly likely.

Now, if Zurich鈥檚 skyline had a king of the hill, it would probably be the Great Minster鈥攕tanding tall, proud, and unmistakably Romanesque. It鈥檚 one of the city鈥檚 four major churches, rubbing historic shoulders with The Church of Our Lady, Preacher's Church, and Saint Peter's Church. But this one鈥檚 got some serious theological swagger.

Legend credits none other than Emperor Charlemagne鈥攜es, that Charles the Great鈥攚ith commissioning the place. Construction kicked off around 1100, and after about 120 years of medieval bricklaying, the Great Minster was born.

But here鈥檚 where it gets spicy: in the early 1500s, this church didn鈥檛 just host sermons鈥攊t became ground zero for the Swiss-German Reformation. Huldrych Zwingli, local priest and full-time disruptor, began preaching bold new ideas in 1520. By 1523, after winning a couple of intense theological debates, Zurich officially seceded from the Pope.

Zwingli鈥檚 influence ran deep. In 1524, the interior of the Great Minster underwent a makeover鈥攚ith religious imagery, altars, and even the organ stripped away. Fasting was declared optional. Mass got rewritten. Celibacy鈥攔ethought. Church music? Well鈥� eventually it made a comeback. What鈥檚 left is a beautifully bare, historically loaded space that tells the story of faith meeting reform head-on.

And speaking of Charles the Great, you鈥檒l spot him again as a statue perched on the southern tower鈥攕word in hand, crown slipping stylishly off his head like a medieval mic drop. The man unified a good chunk of Europe and even lent his name to the word 鈥渒ing鈥� in many languages. Not bad for a guy in stone.

Okay, the church may seem a little plain inside鈥攂ut don鈥檛 let that fool you. The stained-glass windows made from sliced agate are pure magic. The Carolus Magnus statue is iconic. And the front door alone could earn its own Instagram account.

Tip:
Feeling ambitious? Climb the tower鈥攋ust 180+ steps up. No lift, no turning back. But once you鈥檙e up there, the views of Zurich are unbeatable, and best of all, you can catch your breath for as long as you like.

The Preacher鈥檚 Church, located in Zurich鈥檚 Old Town, has a long history in the city. The first mention of the church in records dates back to 1213, when it served as a preacher鈥檚 church. It was run by monks of the Dominican order who focused on spreading the word of the church. In the 1500s, reformation in Switzerland, lead by Ulrich Zwingli, resulted in the Predigerkirche becoming Protestant. During the time of the Reformation, much of the elegant ornamentation was removed from the church.

The building features Gothic forms, with one side visible from the street and the other side integrated into the city鈥檚 central library. The library is located on the site of a former monastery that was also shuttered during the Reformation. The church experienced many renovations and restorations. The main form of the church that is visible today dates back to the early 1600s. A steeple was added in 1899, the work of architect Gustav Gull.

Today, the church is primarily Protestant; however, it does employ a Catholic priest and occasionally has celebratory masses with Muslims and Buddhists. It draws immigrants from a variety of faiths. The church is open seven days a week to parishioners and visitors alike.