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According to legend, Charlemagne discovered the graves of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula and had a church build as a choristers' cloister on the spot. Construction work on the present building began around 1100.
In the first half of the 16th century the Grossmünster was the starting point of the Swiss-German Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. The theological college then annexed to the cloister became the germinal cell of what is now the University of Zürich.
Worth visiting:
Romanesque crypt, Romanesque capitals in the church and cloister.
Choir window by Augusto Giacometti (1932),
bronze doors by Otto Münch (1935 and 1950),
Reformation Museum in the cloister (open Mon-Fri 9am-18pm, closed at weekends).
Opening hours of the Grossmünster
15 March - 31 October 9.00am-6pm (Mon-Sat)
1 November - 14 March 10am-5pm (Mon-Sat)
Sundays after the church service
Opening hours of the tower
15 March - 31 October 9.15am-5 pm (Mon-Sat), Sundays 12.30am-5.30pm
1 November - 14 March 10am-4.30pm (Mon-Sat), Sundays 12.30am-4.30pm
Tours
1. Public tours of the Grossmünster, at 11.30a.m. on the first Sunday of the month, there is a one-hour public tour of the Grossmünster church, including visit of the cloister, starting at the main entrance. Language: german. The tour costs CHF 5.00 per person.
2. Spiritual night-time tours of the Grossmünster, at 10p.m.
On the last Friday of the month, there is a one-hour public tour of the Grossmünster church, during which visitors, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, will have a chance not only to discover the unique atmosphere of the church interior, but also to enjoy panoramic views of Zürich at night from the church tower.
The tour starts at the main entrance and is free of charge.
Language: english.
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