St. Peter

You'll see plenty of churches in Zürich, but this one has a special "wow" factor if you know how to find it. My advice: don't just snap a picture from the main square. The real magic happens when you get lost in the narrow side alleys around it, like the Schlüsselgasse. You're walking down this quiet little street, and suddenly you look up—the tower is just looming right over you. They say it's the largest church clock face in Europe, and you don't truly grasp that fact until you're standing right underneath it, craning your neck back. The scale from that low angle is just incredible and makes for a much more dramatic photo. While other churches might be more famous overall, the experience of stumbling upon this massive, iconic clock tower from a tiny alley makes St. Peter's a truly memorable stop. Highly recommend taking a few extra minutes to explore its immediate surroundings.

St. Peter’s Church is one of Zürich’s oldest churches, dating back to the 8th century. It may not be as grand as the Grossmünster or Fraumünster, but it holds its own unique charm with its simplicity, serenity, and historical weight. The church is especially famous for its clock tower, which has the largest church clock face in Europe — you can spot it from various points around the city. Inside, the church is calm and unpretentious, with clean lines and a peaceful atmosphere that invites reflection. Unlike some of the more ornate cathedrals, St. Peter’s feels personal and grounded — almost like a secret tucked within the Old Town. It’s free to enter, and it usually isn’t crowded, making it perfect for a short, meaningful stop during your walk through Zürich’s Altstadt. The surrounding cobblestone streets and charming buildings add to the experience, making it feel like a step back in time.

Church is temporarily closed but still beautiful to see from the outside.

Wonderful sight,many such churches in zurich however different ambience and structure,enjoyed the visit 🪄

The church is currently closed but you can still be amazed by its gorgeous appearance. It’s also famous for its largest clock surface in Europe!

St. Peter's Church is the oldest parish church in Zurich. The original foundation walls from the 9th century are still visible under the choir.

From a distance, St. Peter’s Church in Zurich makes a striking impression, primarily due to its massive clock tower, which is notable for having the largest church clock face in Europe. The clock is certainly an eye-catcher and adds to the city’s skyline, which features several other interesting towers. While we didn’t go inside, the exterior of the church looked quite interesting and seemed to promise more intriguing architectural features and historical elements. Zurich is full of such historical sites, and St. Peter’s fits well within this ensemble, even if it didn't quite lure us in for a closer look this time. The abundance of compelling clock towers and other attractions around Zurich might make it easy to overlook St. Peter’s unless you have a particular interest in church architecture or historical clocks. It might be worth a quick stop if you're nearby and interested in its external facade and the clock, but we felt our time could be better spent exploring other unique spots in the city. Overall, for those with a deep interest in Zurich's historical sites, a closer inspection might reveal more charms that we missed from afar. However, for casual tourists, it’s a pleasant enough view from the outside but not a must-see unless you're passing right by.

It's a beautiful protestant church in the heart of the city. It can be approached through a mild climb which gives it an extra hint of charm. The bell tower clock is very unique and prominent . It is characteristic for this area so cannot be commonly found anywhere else. Unfortunately, I couldn't get inside as it was closed and partially under refurbishment but it was still well-worth the visit.

Nothing to see. They were having an event and under construction.. pick one already.lol . Recognized as the LARGEST CLOCK FACE IN EUROPE. The building is nice tho..

As is the case with most churches in Zurich, St. Peter is stunning on the outside but incredibly ordinary on the inside. While worship is its primary function rather than beauty, as a tourist you won't get any jaw-dropping photographs inside. It is however interesting that the church has stood since AD 1000. It does hold a special place in my heart as the church attended by my 4th-great-grandmother from her birth in 1791. Your best pictures will be of the exterior clock tower and its brilliant golden Roman numerals, the largest clock face in all of Europe! In fact, the outer structure defines the Zurich skyline!

There is no explanation in English nor brochures. Pictures are not allowed. I have been to many cathedrals and churches around the world, but Swiss by far has been the strictest for "no picture policy." I get it, but as a visitor I was a bit bummed. The building itself is quite nice. I wouldn't say breathtaking though. I didn't go to top of tower because I didn't feel like it. The glass stained windows were quite different from other cathedrals. It is said to have the biggest clock in the world. Bigger than Big Ben. Pretty neat for that. All in all, it was a good visit. I am Christian and seeing places that pioneered Christians to where we are today is quite chilling in a good way.

Right, so first up, gotta confess I didn't go in, but went past here as part of the free Zurich walking tour as apparently the clock face is biggest in Europe, bigger than Big Ben and also very cool how the 4 is written! The church location is surrounded by a very nice plaza as well but the clock face definitely dominates!

Worst neighbor ever. Not sure why the bells need to ring every 15 minutes throughout the night. I guess they are doing their part to help Catholics and non Catholics suffer.