St. Peter

As Munich’s oldest parish church, St. Peter is a stunning blend of spiritual history and Romanesque Gothic architecture. The interior is a treasure trove of gilded altars and intricate frescoes, but the true draw lies above. Climbing the 306 steps of the tower provides the absolute best 360-degree view of Munich, including a perfect bird's-eye perspective of the New Town Hall.

Beautiful church on the inside. Free to enter for everyone. Just please, like any other church or similar structures, be respectful and observe silence. Bonus is a climb to the top of the bell tower which offers impressive views around Altmarkt including the Rathaus. The climb is steep and can be challenging but very doable, with a few stops to pause. It was not so tight like many old bell towers.

Great church and well worth the visit. The climb up the stairs is manageable, and the views from the top are fantastic—especially over the old town. At €5 per person, it’s very reasonably priced for such a great panoramic view. Definitely recommend if you’re in Munich and don’t mind a short hike up the stairs.

St. Peter’s Church is one of Munich’s most beautiful and historic landmarks; its elegant interior, detailed artwork, and peaceful atmosphere make it a wonderful place to pause and appreciate the city’s rich heritage. The combination of Gothic and Baroque elements gives the church a timeless charm that reflects Munich’s spiritual and cultural depth.

St Peter is an impressive Catholic church in the center of Old Town. The building is usually open daily to tourists. They also have an observation deck at the top of the bell tower. The church is free to enter, and tower admission was only €5 when I visited. Tower tickets can be purchased at the base of the tower as walk-up only (no reservations accepted unless you want a night tour). Keep in mind there are 306 steps to the top of the tower, but the view is worth the climb. On your way up, you can see the massive bells. At the top, you get wonderful views of Marienplatz and all of Old Town. The church nave itself features ornate decoration with accents of pink and gold on white, making it a peaceful space of reflection. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in architecture, history, or great city views.

Stunning church in Munich. It is free to enter but costs to climb the tower. St. Peter is the oldest parish church in Munich. It dates back to the 8th to 12th century. It was originally built as a Romanesque church and later rebuilt in Gothic style. The architecture is just stunning as well as all the decoration inside the church. The high altar and sculptures are beautiful. The church has eight bells and four of them pre-date 1400. This is a must visit in Munich! We loved our visit.

St. Peter’s Church in Munich—the city’s oldest parish church. Here’s what makes it special: ⛪ History & Background First mentioned in the 12th century, before Munich was officially founded in 1158. Dedicated to St. Peter, the patron saint of Munich. Rebuilt and renovated many times, as it was damaged by fires and WWII bombings. 🎨 Architecture & Art A mix of Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo styles due to centuries of rebuilding. Interior highlights include: A beautiful high altar with St. Peter’s figure. Rich frescoes and altars from the 17th–18th centuries. The Schrenk Altar (15th century), one of Munich’s artistic treasures. 🗼 The Tower (Alter Peter) The tower is the highlight—about 91 meters tall. You can climb over 300 steps to the top. Offers one of the best panoramic views of Munich: you see Marienplatz, the Frauenkirche domes, the Alps on clear days, and the whole city’s rooftops. 📍 Location Right next to Marienplatz, so you can easily combine it with Heilig-Geist-Kirche and Viktualienmarkt. ✨ Tip: Go up just before sunset—the view with golden light over Munich’s red rooftops is breathtaking.

A steep climb to the top, but the panoramic views of Marienplatz and the entire city are absolutely worth the effort. It's a fantastic way to get your bearings in Munich.

Pros: Beautiful architecture, bells ring from the tower, you can climb to the top of the tower to look over the city To note: Be prepared to pay in order to climb to the top of the the tower Overall score: A-

The church interior is spectacular and you must see the jewel decorated skeleton of St Munditia who was murdered in 310AD, the decorations were added to the remains in 1675. Also ascend the stairs to have views of the central plaza including the Glockenspiel and Rathaus, and the Frauenkirche.

Another really beautiful church in Munich. This is probably the biggest one of the main ones to see.

5€ for adults, 3€ student discount Lots of stairs Nice breeze and view at the top Worth the climb Gorgeous place of worship

We climbed the St Peter bell tower to get some sights from above Munich. The visit was casual and just paid at the base of the tower to do the climb for the top. Though it's a bit of a physical endeavor if your pace your climb it is not that hard. We are in pretty good condition but others outside of our group were doing okay. The stairs narrow as you go higher so do know if you have an issue with Tight quarters or small space this is likely not for you. The trip to the top was so worth it to see Munich. To stand on the top catwalk and walk around the outside fabulous. The cost was minimal and rewarding to go here. Your should go if your not sure .

I really wanted to love this attraction - being so high above Munich, getting to see the city and the outlying parts from a different viewpoint, being awed by everything around us. But, it just didn't do it for us. It wasn't the stairs - there are something like 922 of them up, and they're steep and narrow, and two adults can't pass each other without one feeling like they're being crushed. At least it the ascent/decent isn't as windy/twisty as the stairs inside the Wallace National Monument in Scotland. It wasn't the crowded observatory deck, either. It, too, is narrow and hard to maneuver, if you're trying to get to one side of the deck, or even if you're trying to get to the exit. It's the fact that they did nothing to monitor the number of people on the stairs, on the platform, or in the "holding area" at the top. They took our money (3 euro per person) and ushered us into the first floor, which led us to the first flight of stairs. There's nowhere to pull over to appreciate the view, nothing sharing the history of the building or the tower or the city. When we finally got to the top - all of us winded but pretending not to be - we were stuck near the interior door, being blocked by people on the observation deck, and unfortunately blocking those people that wanted to get down. It took 20 minutes of waiting (and of some people around us getting very angry) before we were able to take our first steps out onto the deck. We took a ton of pictures from that viewpoint, and were keen to inch our way along the deck to see the view from other vantage points, but were blocked by a wall of people. Mind, it was the end of December, and bitterly cold with a fierce wind that day, so we were all huddled against the wall and each other as we waited for the people in front of us to move. And they just...didn't. Once we finally made our way around to the exit door, we found out that the entire pile-up was caused by a group of 3 teenage girls, who had apparently been on the deck for over 2 hours, and had been uninterested in scooching over enough to allow others to pass them. That caused a bit of tension between them and the group of 4 people behind us, who started to yell that they wanted to get down, and started trying to shove past all of us to do so. They did apologize to my husband and me, as they were shouldering past us on the way to the door, but they did not have a kind word to say to the 3 teens that caused them to be stuck up so high for so long. We did get a lot of wonderful pictures from the top, and it was pretty up there (despite the cold and rain...and tension and anger), but I would suggest planning your ascent around the busy times, if at all possible.

A visit to St Peterkirche is a visit of two halves; the church itself, and the view from the top of its tower, 92m up. The church first: Munich's oldest church (dating from around 1150) was rebuilt in 1328 after a fire destroyed the original. The spire was completed in 17th Century and the interior was given a thorough makeover in the early 18th Century, featuring magnificent baroque frescoes by Johan Baptist Zimmermann and rococo sculptures by Ignaz Günther. The tower is visited separately for a small fee of €3. From the top are magnificent views but, be warned, it's a challenging climb up a series of wooden staircases, often waiting for people to come the other way. Once at the top, the outside walkway is very narrow - two people can pass each other, just; and there's no parapet, but a sort of cage, so anyone with a fear of heights will really struggle. Several people who'd reached the top found themselves unable to go outside (there is a bench inside to rest). For the rest, the views are amazing: just hold onto your phone or camera firmly.

It's a few euros to go up the stairs and have a very nice view of Munich. You should be up by 5pm time were every church starts ringing their bells! It's beautiful and imposing. Son unos pocos euros subir por las escaleras y tener una vista muy linda de Múnich. Tienen que estar arriba a las 5pm, hora en la que todas las iglesias empiezan a sonar sus campanas! Es hermoso e imponente.

A beautiful church and worth a visit. Spectacular paintings and architecture. Definitely give one the sense that they are in a very special place. We thought the photos showing the damaged cathedral during WWII and it's restoration were very interesting.

Love, sweet love. For a very reasonable 1.50 Euro, you can enjoy one of the best views of Munich from the tower at St. Peter. No elevator, so you will huff and puff your way up the narrow starcases, many only wide enough for one, on your way to the top. I've done this in the Spring, when the views of the surrounding area were clearer, and now around the holidays to see the snowy rooftops and towers. It is a wonderful 360 view of the city and the best vantage point to enjoy the Rathaus and Glockenspiel. There are several places to get coin souveniers and you can also pay a little money to use the viewers that come with books to identify the hills and mountains in the distance. The most charming thing on this visit were a series of padlocks along the rails. Many had sayings or love notes scribbled or etched on one side and I can only assume that this is a local's way of making a wish or romantic gesture. I tried to ask the gentlemen at the entrance desk about them, but we had a limited conversation using sign language, my photos and my limited German and his limited English. So I am left wondering what happens to all the padlocks? Are they just cast away in the garbage or are these "wishes" preserved in some way? In my mind, there is a little shrine of padlocks somewhere in Munich.

If you have time to go to the top, please do. It's quite a sight up there. The view of the city hall area and practically all of Munich makes this place worth the stop. Don't forget about the interior itself, it's really pretty in here and quite peaceful, despite the hundreds of people in there, it was rather quiet. A great way to make a stop and take a good look around Munich.

Stunning view of Munich from the top, but god bless getting to there! Our group of 4 were breathing pretty heavily along the way, and may have needed a break or two...possibly 3 O_O Overall, it's not too bad of a walk, but the stairs really are quite narrow, but definitely worth the trouble! It's a very reasonable 2-3 euros to enter because you really get a nice look at the city from above. You can walk all the way around the top area to get a 360-degree view, but it's also a pretty tight fit up there - basically you can stand two people deep and you'd be blocking everyone's way. A must when you're in Munich - even cooler if you come for sunset!

It is 922 steps all the way to the top of the bell tower. The cost is €3 for adults and they offer a student discount. The stairs are narrow and the same stairs are for both the traffic going up to the tower and for those exiting the tower. It is also a tight-squeeze up on the observation deck. The line can be long at the ticket booth. There is a beautiful 360-degree view once to get to top. It is just a little something to do while visiting Munich.

We didn't go inside the church, but the tower is great, and easily worth the €3 admission. The tower has a separate side entrance outside, and once you pay, your first few steps are narrow and steep, but it quickly opens to stairways large enough for people to pass going up and down. There are plenty of landings to rest, too, but make sure to come on a day when you have your leg strength because it is a good 7-8 minute walk up and up. You see signs along the way listing which "og" your are at, and it only goes to 14, so you will be there before you know it. As you reach the top, the air gets cool and pleasant, and once you step out, you get unparalleled views of Munich, with its signature slanted red roofs and brightly colored facades. On one side, you get a direct view of the New Town Hall and Marienplatz. Pretty amazing. I believe last entry is 5.30. Well worth all the steps!

The outside is not much of a sight to see, but the inside is beautiful. Also, for 2 euros, you climb up a ton of stairs and see a wonderful view of the surrounding area.

Thankfully I took a look at the book 101 things to do in Munich. I had already walked through Marienplatz a few times this trip and never noticed Alter Peter. I had previously wandered into another church so I went back there thinking it was it. Since it wasn't and I was late to meeting people, I was about to give up when I was heading back to the U-bahn. I noticed a sign perpendicular to the glockenspiel and walked along the road to a line that was forming to buy tickets. For €2 (student discount available with school ID) you can get one of the best views of Munich. I spent maybe 30-40 minutes there (including the climb up and down) but could have spent a bit more time. A group of guys brought beers to cheers when they go to the top. Another couple shared a sandwich in the little lounge area that is at the top. There are only a few choke points in the climb that made it difficult to navigate when people were going in reverse directions with you, but overall it's built really well! I've been in some cramp corners in church steeples in Italy and this was so much better. I'm glad I took the time to come up especially because the weather cleared up.

Is it me or do the church bells go on forever in Munich? Alter Peter (St Peter's Church) has the best views in Munich. By the way, you can't access the observation tower from inside the church (trust me I tried). You have to walk around the entrance until you see a guy selling tickets. It is €1.50 for adults and €1.00 for children / students to go to the top of the tower. There is no elevator - only a narrow two way traffic staircase to the top. People mistaked my stopping at the top of each flight as yielding to people coming down (I was only trying to catch my breath). Once you get to the top, there is a spectacular 360 degree view of Munich on a narrow ledge. You can get great pics of the following with a little patience: Marienplatz, New Town Hall (Neus Rathaus), Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche), Toy Museum (Spielzeugmuseum), Odeonplatz, and St Peter's Church.

With the Marienplatz being the center focus in this area it's really easy to miss the Alter Peter. We've passed by it several times without knowing it was there until we saw it on a guide list. I will repeat what has been said over and over in these reviews that it is absolutely worth your while climbing those steep and narrow steps. Well, actually it wasn't that the climb was necessarily bad (I'm sure there are far worse) but the freezing cold wind blowing through the stairs got pretty intense. But once we reached the top, we were only able to focus on that amazing view. An experience that only set us back €2. An absolute must when visiting Munich.

Climbing a tower, you can get the best view of Munich. It's only 3 euro. Sunday the tower opens at 10. I went there around 9:55 and already 10 people formed a line. It was a sunny clear day, so the view was splendid.

A great way to see Munich from above - and at only €2 entry it's well worth it. Hint - if you can try to head up for just before 11am or 12 noon, as then you can get a brilliant view of the glockenspiel clock in action in Marienplatz, without having to jostle with fellow tourists. Warning - lots of steep stairs to climb (and no lift)

The 2 euros fee to get to the top is definitely worth it. You get your cardio workout (this is the real stair master) and you get to see the 360 view of the Munich city center (Marienplatz). This has got to be one of your stops when visiting Munich.

I will remember this forever. It was a step down from the stair master extreme (that is reserved for the Great Wall). Climbing these flights of stairs is intense and along the journey, one forms a bond that you share with all of the other curious tourists filing up and down the narrow pathway. People are panting, some people have the face of agony, little kids complaining that their parents can't faster, and the triathlete that doesn't break a sweat. Personally, this made me want to quit smoking, which was a failed attempt. Once you reach the top be prepared to be packed in like sardines. The view is spectacular. I wish that the balcony was larger so people have more than one meter to shuffle around, but what you gonna do? I would suggest coming here on your first day. It gives a nice overview of the city and gives you a better idea of where things are. Best thing about climbing a million stairs? (Ok around 200) Afterwards you can wander off to the Viktualienmarkt and grab one of those giant beers and sausages and be guilt free.

I walked by this church on the way from Marienplatz to Viktualien. Although I had been to Munich multiple times, I had never been to this church and was not familiar with it. I noticed that you can climb up the steeple for a view of the city, and that drew me in. I was intrigued by this possibility and decided to climb up to the top. Meanwhile, my wife decided to wait in the church. I climbed to the top and had a great view. I could clearly see the entire downtown area, including a nice view of Marienplatz and the glockenspiel. In the distance, I could even see the Alps. It was beautiful! When I was done, I came down and met my wife inside the main part of the church, and was surprised to see that this church is quite nice on the inside too. I'll admit, I've seen nicer, prettier churches, but this one is certainly worth a quick stop, especially considering its location. I also have to point out that the stairway up the steeple is very narrow in places. So narrow that not only is there not room for people to go up while others go down, but that in places there isnt even a place for those going down to wait on the side while a group is going up; this can make it tough to go up or down the stairs. Still worth doing though, and its not like that the whole way.

Scarier than walking up the set of stairs in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but I'm determined to take a bird's eye view of every European city I step foot on. There is no elevator up. The wooden stairs were cramped and creaky. I'm pretty sure they were made for one person at a time.. but every one wants a piece of Munich's view. I'm scared of heights, so it took me a while to get up. Even at the top, there is not much space for a crowd. After 5 minutes, my boyfriend and I came back down. That was the scariest part of the entire trip. It costs two euros to trek up. If you're a student, I believe it's 1.50 euros. I brought my American college student ID and it worked. Yay for student perks!

The view from the top of the tower was my favourite part of the Munich old-town. There's no lift to the top, so you have to climb the very narrow, very winding stairs, but almost in recompense, they only charge EUR1.50 a bargin in my eyes. It's worth mentioning that you are going to have to squeeze past someone somewhere on your climb up, walk around or passage down. It is all very narrow. Even the viewing area at the top is squeezing territory. Anyway, back the to view You get a great view of the huge Frauenkirche and also the nearby Rathaus. Probably some of the best photos you'll get of Munich can be taken from up here, so it's definitely worth the climb.

It's quite a trip up but it's well worth it. It's only about 2 euro to get in and then you have to climb a lot of very narrow and worn stairs. Some are wooden though some are the original stone steps. It's quite a walk but the view down onto the Marienplatz is spectacular. You can see in all directions out over the city from here. It's really quite lovely. Definitely give it a try.

One of the best places to get a view of the city, Marienplatz in particular. Naturally that means a ton of other people are wanting to check it out too. There are stairs all the way up the tower so you will have to do a lot of waiting for people to get down past you.

The views from the top of this church are excellent! You can see the city hall from which is really close by and even the Olympic stadium from there. The cost is only 2euros which is extremely cheap to walk up a church tower. The staircase is extremely narrow in the beginning and hard to fit two people but it does widen up after the third floor. The do not have an elevator but the exercise is well worth the view so definitely do it! The entrance is on the side of the building so do not walk through the front entrance of the church, even if you do they have the guards that will re-direct you.

The best 2 € you would ever spend, simply stunning view of Munich and if you can time it just right you will see the clock work! Highly recommended.

Highlight of our trip to Munich. Well worth the long walk up the old staircase. Views are amazing!

Go upstairs is a little exhausting, but the view is it worth.

Probably my favorite place in Munich. Spent about 1/2 hour inside on a Sunday afternoon. It was post mass, and a heavy smoke lingered in this moderately warmed cathedral in January. Ornately decorated in catholic traditions, this place is a feast for the eyes. For my soul, it was a mecca after spending the better part of past 24 hours traveling to get to Munich. The quiet of inside soothed over me like a warm bath. I closed my eyes for a while and then took my re-energized self out and found the tower to climb. I think it was 14 stories, but don't remember clearly. It was narrow, but not frightening. The top was very cool, and even though I couldn't see the alps due to the cloud cover, it was still super cool. A little chilly too on the west side with the wind blowing. View over Marianplatz was awesome! The top is pretty narrow, but just be polite and smile a lot. I learned that's the best way to get around when you don't speak German. Sehr gut!!

well worth the climb up. The ticket is very cheap only 1.50E. Once you manage to walk up all the steps you are rewarded with a super view of the city.