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St. Stephen's Cathedral

National Symbol of Austria

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the symbol of Austria, located in the heart of Vienna. It has a Romanesque facade and a 136-meter-high Gothic tower. The church's collection includes the tomb of Frederick III and Triptychs of The Wiener Neustädter Altar.

Located in the heart of the city, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) is not only a landmark of Vienna, but also a symbol of Austria and the Habsburg dynasty.

The architecture of St. Stephen’s Cathedral consists of a variety of stylistic elements, including the 12th-century Romanesque facade and the 136-meter-high Gothic tower on the south side. There is another tower on the north side, which was originally planned to have the same appearance as the south tower, but was stalled by the war and eventually a Renaissance-style dome was added, half the height of the south tower.

The church roof is paved with 2.3 million colorful mosaics, with green, yellow, black and blue tiles in a wavy texture, as well as the Double-Headed Eagle of the Habsburg Dynasty and eagles symbolizing Vienna.

Colored Roof Tiles

Manywhere Trivia:
The Habsburgs were the most prominent family in Europe, they ruled most of Europe. Members of the family served as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, and as kings of Spain, Portugal, England, and Naples.

Eighteen columns divide the 107-meter-long Church Hall into a nave and aisles on both sides, with more than ten altars below the 28-meter-high dome. The Baroque-style main altar at the end of the hall has four statues of saints, and the Altarpiece depicts the death and martyrdom of St. Stephen, the church’s guardian saint, being attacked by stones.

The tome of Frederick III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Triptychs of The Wiener Neustädter Altar are among the many religious artifacts housed in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Frederick III's Sarcophagus was built in 1467, taking nearly half a century to complete. It is made of red marble material, decorated with 240 figures and topped with a coronation statue of Frederick III.

The Triptychs of the Wiener Neustädter Altar was crafted in 1447, originally belonged to the Abbey of the New Town of Vienna, and came to St. Stephen’s Cathedral at the end of the 19th century. The triptych has two layers of openable panels: on the surface and the first layer of the cabinet, it depicts the disciples of Jesus and the saints, while the inner sculptures tell stories of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, such as Coronation of the Virgin and Nativity of Jesus.

Beneath the third column on the left side of the cathedral, there is a Stone Pulpit. The four Great Doctors of the Church on the pulpit have different postures, and a large number of animals are carved on the handrails, making the pulpit a symbolic Gothic sculpture.

Manywhere Tips:
The Habsburg family members got their iconic “Habsburg Jaw” from inbreeding.

In the catacombs of St. Stephen’s Cathedral lie the remains or entrails of 72 members of the Habsburg dynasty, along with the bishops, clergy and tens of thousands of Viennese citizens who died of infectious diseases.

The Stephansplatz in front of the church is the busiest place in Vienna, connected to the famous Graben Street, where you can find everything you need.