Fraumünster Church

The Fraumünster Church is one of Zurich’s most iconic and meaningful landmarks. Its architecture is elegant and understated, but the real highlight is the stunning stained glass by Marc Chagall, which fills the interior with color and light. The atmosphere inside is calm and reflective, offering a peaceful break from the busy city. Rich in history and beautifully preserved, the Fraumünster is a must-visit church when exploring Zurich’s old town

Definitely best to check the opening times before your visit, we turned up before midday and it was closed. Admittedly for a good reason as someone was getting married there. We went for a coffee and came back once open. The church is visible from multiple parts of the city. When we went in we were able to use our Zurich card to get in for free. A beautiful church, you are provided a map upon entry and can take a tour including the crypt.

The church along the lake is very beautiful and a pleasant place. I visited this place during my layover in Zurich and it was early morning so I was not able to enter it. The surroundings have few cafes and beautiful architecture of the residential properties.

The Fraumünster is a former abbey church founded in the 9th century by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard as a convent for aristocratic women. The abbey held great influence during the Middle Ages—its abbess had the right to appoint the mayor of Zürich until the 14th century. Architecturally, it combines Romanesque and Gothic elements, with a slender blue-green spire that dominates the city skyline. The stained-glass windows by Augusto Giacometti (1945) and Marc Chagall (1970) depict biblical scenes in vivid color.

A nice cathederal that is worth a pop-in if you are nearby. It has beautiful stained glass windows and is peaceful. There is a crypt area that displays artifacts. You require a ticket to enter. It was cheap to purchase. You get an audio guide or a leaflet that comes in a variety of languages. Children and students fetch free entry. There was a small gift shop which sold some nice bits. All areas are wheelchair accessible apart from the crypt and choir area. There is a disability toilet near the main entrance. There is a hearing loop system, and guide dogs are welcome. It is free to enter for services. You are asked to refrain from taking photographs during service.

Beautiful architecture. Parish won't let me in for a prayer. Don't know why, just said that it's not opened to the public.

The Fraumünster has a more slender, graceful presence compared to the sheer bulk of the Grossmünster across the river. While its elegant spire is a key part of the city skyline, the real treasure of the Fraumünster isn't visible from the outside. Its main claim to fame is the stunning set of five stained-glass windows created by Marc Chagall in his 80s, plus another by Augusto Giacometti. Knowing that, you look at the church's stone exterior in a new light. It becomes a beautiful, historic vessel for a breathtaking collection of modern art. The building itself feels quieter and more reserved than its neighbors. It doesn't have the largest clock or imposing twin towers; its identity is more subtle and is found within its walls. The atmosphere around it in the Münsterhof square feels fittingly a bit more subdued and gallery-like. It’s a place that makes you curious about what’s inside, inviting you to step in and see the vibrant colors that are hidden from the sunlit plaza. It’s a great reminder that sometimes the most impressive feature of a place is one you can't see from the street.

The audio tour takes about an hour but I'd heard enough in 30 mins. I must say that it was the idea of a crypt that drew me in. I was curious to see the crypt. The word just evokes mystery for me :-) The church is pretty bare per the beliefs of the people who commissioned it. I found it interesting to learn that it was originally adorned with all kinds of decorations but they were methodically and cleanly removed so it didn't appear that the church has been vandalizes. The stained glass that remains is pretty beautiful. Didn't really get all the symbolism of some of them - almost seemed abstract. The crypt itself was a letdown. No mystery there. Just the basement of the building with some exposed foundation. The inscriptions by the displays did a poor job of conveying what was being spotlighted. If they had pictures with arrows pointing to what they were referring to it would have been helpful. One of the signs said that the water line shows how high the water was - what water line? The quality of the audio guide was really good. At one point as the narrator begins his monologue you hear a lady chanting something. I could have sworn someone was singing behind me. I turned around to look for her and it took me a couple of minutes to realize the voice was in the recording. Must you go in for €5 - which includes the audio guide. Unless you are studying Zurich historical articture or something like that - not really. It's peaceful in there for sure - so if you are seeking that then go for it. Or if it is raining heavily and don't have rain gear and you don't mind dropping 5 - that's another reason.

Another instance of stark, gorgeous architecture; this time made more impressive with the inclusion of the famous Chagall stained glass windows that serve as the claim to fame here. The area surrounding the munster is also quite lovely and it is conveniently located in the heart of the classic/old town area with lots of other sights to take in. Certainly a must-visit when in Zurich!

It will cost adults 5 CHF. Children up to 16 years are free. It is the audio-guide in my opinion that makes the experience worth while. The audio-guide gives you information about the church, a select organ piece (Bach) from the 6959 pipe organ, a sample sermon, etc... The guide is 1 hour and 15 minutes long. You have an option of choosing the brochure instead of the guide. Note that bathroom facilities are not open to the public and interior photos are not permitted. The exterior of the church is Romanesque while the interior is Swiss Reformation architecture. So the interior is rather austere in compliance with Reformation ideology. For many it is the five Marc Chagall stained glass windows installed in 1970 (prophets, Jacob, christ, zion and law) that draw peoples attention. Chagall is depicted in the yellow window. The colors are super vibrant and best seen in the morning light. To a lesser extent the Augusto Ciacometti (1940) stained glass window and Paul Bodmer fresco painting of Zurich saints in the cloister are attractions. There is a crypt which dates to 835 A.D..with a small museum at that lower level. Guided tours conducted by accredited tour guides are available.

Yes, yes, yes.....there's a gorgeous set of Chagall stained glass windows but the fact you can't take any pics is insane.......although you CAN purchase posters, postcards & other keepsakes of the windows. That's the racket - if you were allowed to take your own pics, there would go the money stream. I seem to remember being here about 12-15 yrs ago & was permitted to take pics but not today...... The church is smallish & aside from the Chagall, it was not ornate & did not require much time to see it all - 10 CHF wasted

The Fraumünster Church (Women's Minster), founded in 853, is an important and historic church in Zürich. It was founded by Louis II, a grandson of Charlemagne. Its' main claim to fame today are the Marc Chagall windows, which, when I visited, having been swept in on a tide of tour groups, I was not allowed to photograph. There is no charge to enter.

If you visit Zurich's old town you will spot this one right away thanks to the tall and beautiful clock tower. The church is lovely overall, but the real star are a series of stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. I remember reading about these in the guide book on my flight out to Zurich and wondering how worthwhile a visit to this site might be. I visited around noon on a bright sunny day, the experience seeing these works of art was extremely moving. Not for any religious reason, for me it was purely about the astonishing beauty of those windows. I just sat and took them in for about 15 minutes and could have stayed longer.

MARC CHAGALL stained glass windows!!! Need I say more? Beautiful, spectacular, gorgeous, awe-inspiring. DO take the time to listen to each story in the audio guide. We spent at least an hour here, and it was definitely worth the time and money. Note: NO PHOTOS of the Chagall windows allowed inside.

Okay, Rick Steves, if you insist with that kitten purring voice of yours...I'll make my way to the Fraumünster with no questions asked. The beautiful 5 stained glass windows by artist Marc Chagall with accompanying organ music was well worth the visit. Although, as I sat there looking at the 5 windows, I couldn't help but be a little perturbed that Chagall chose to go with blue for two of the five windows. Purple, Marc, purple. (this is humor perturbed dear reader, not real perturbed) The church itself is fairly standard but the intricate windows pull it to the next level with their vibrant colors and details. I was disappointed to find that there were zero educational materials displayed in the church other than the original newspaper article in German. I was hoping to learn a bit more from the actual source than an American by the name of Rick Steves. Rick Steves: 1 Fraumünster: 0 Free entry.

Went here specifically for the Marc Chagall windows and bless our free walking tour guide who actually took a detour of our Old Town tour to make a special stop here at my request as otherwise would probably have missed out on learning the history of the paintings and also the Chagall actually depicted himself in the yellow window. I would rank this with the Mucha window in Prague cathedral, and it hasn't unseated Gaudi's Sagrada Familia from my top spot. And it's as vibrant as an of his early work and not all florid (as some of Picasso's later work is) - it's lucidity is amazing especially as he did this work when well into his 80s. It's a pity you can't take photos of the Chagall windows, but just sitting and admiring them is very soul satisfying so def worth a visit if you are an art lover. I would also recommend going around to the back and taking a few minutes to check out the early 20th century paintings done in the church's garden. They are two beautiful angel sculptures and the garden is a lovely green oasis. One other thing - this church (while free) has opening hours and is sometimes closed for weddings (our tour guide mentioned Tina Turner got married here, so if you spot someone looking like her on your wanderings around Zurich, it probably is really her) so make sure you check their website for its opening times, before heading to check it out.

This is the beautiful church with the steep spires. One side of the tower has a clock. The stained glass windows inside the church were designed by Marc Chagall

The Marc Chagall windows are delightful --- but don't miss the older paintings on the wall, which make a great contrast. The windows have some of the most vibrant colors I've seen in glass, and the designs rely more on opaque paint than I'm used to --- they're a great and unique experience. The Fraumünster welcomes tourists and guests when they're not holding services, or closed, or cleaning --- check the schedule before you head over. One note --- keep your camera away, the staff will disturb the peace to stop you from making your own postcards.

The church itself both inside and out is less impressive than many fancy cathedrals that one can tour in other areas of the world, but what I found impressive here are the stained glass windows. Found in the north transept is the first impressive stained glass window which was created by Augusto Giacometti in 1940 and is 9m tall. Also, there are five inspiring windows which are more modern in style, they were installed in 1970 by Marc Chagall. The church itself is set up in such a way as if there is a separate chapel just for reflecting on the importance of those five pieces of art. I definitely enjoyed taking some time to look on these beautiful windows.

Don't pay to go in. Take photos outside but definitely don't pay to go in. It's quite a rip off. It will cost you 5 CHF (basically $5) per person AND they don't allow photos inside AND they won't let you use the bathroom. They actually tell you they don't have a toilet. We figured for $10 they should have had a gold plated toilet for us to use. AND there's really nothing to see. There are a few (very few) interesting stained glass windows. The church is exceptionally plain with almost no ornamentation (Romanesque architectuture). There is a "crypt" that is basically stones which are down one floor. No real "crypt". Save your money and look it up online.

They were scheduled to be open but we arrived to find a red rope across the doors saying '"not open for tourists today" with no explanation. We knew from reading a previous Yelp review that this was a possibility but since we were coming into the city by tram before they were scheduled to open, we did not try to call first. We had been traveling to other cities in the previous few days and this was to be our last in Zurich before returning home. There was a very disappointed tour group sitting on the steps in the heat. One of the doors was open a little and I could see the top half of the yellow "Zion" Chagall window but not close enough for any detail. It was bright morning sun ( as advised for best viewing) so missing this was a shame. We did tour the outside of the church for architecture and religious murals, but did not find them outstanding in any way. If you cannot get in to see the Chagall windows, skip this stop in Zurich.

Absolutely beautiful inside and out and from the patio area you can get great pictures of the Limmatt. The bad news is that photos of the inside are prohibited which I thought was a real drag.

Next this the Grossmunster, this one holds it's own. It's equally as beautiful with it's green steeple. The only downside is that you do have to pay to enter, and you are not allowed to take pictures on the inside. The stained glass windows are incredible and can be admired from the inside of or the outside.

The smaller and more elegant church, which is opposite the larger munster and is a feature for photographs and the views across zurich.