Hotels near Grossmunster

The twin towers of Grossmunster define the Zurich skyline and mark the spiritual birthplace of the Swiss-German Reformation. Founded, according to legend, by Charlemagne in the 9th century on the graves of the city's patron saints Felix and Regula, the current Romanesque church was built between 1100 and 1220. In 1519, Huldrych Zwingli began preaching here and launched the Reformation that reshaped Northern Europe.

Entry to the nave is free. The interior is austere by design, stripped of Catholic decoration during the Reformation, but the modern stained-glass windows by Augusto Giacometti (1932) and Sigmar Polke (2009) are extraordinary. For CHF 5 you can climb the 187 steps of the Karlsturm south tower for the single best rooftop panorama of the Old Town, the Limmat, Lake Zurich, and, on clear days, the Alps on the horizon.

Pro Tip: Climb the Karlsturm 45 minutes before sunset. The light on the terracotta rooftops is unbeatable, and by then the last coach tours have left. The staircase is narrow and one-way alternating, so allow 15 minutes for the climb plus wait at the top.