St. Peter’s Church, Munich

St. Peter's Church, Munich tickets: which one to buy

Saint Peter's Church, known to Munich residents as Alter Peter, Old Peter, stands just off the Marienplatz in the centre of Munich, and entry to the church is free, while climbing the tower is ticketed. The tower's viewing platform, reached by about three hundred steps, gives one of the best views in Munich over the Marienplatz, the New Town Hall, the Frauenkirche with its twin domes and, on clear days, the Alps. It is the oldest parish church in Munich.

Walking tours of Munich's old town always pass the church, together with the Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel of the New Town Hall, the Viktualienmarkt food market next door and the Frauenkirche. The tower's stairs are narrow and busy, and there is a small ticket booth at the entrance. The church is active, and visiting pauses during services. Tickets for the tower are paid in cash at a small booth at the foot of the stairs.

Visiting St. Peter's Church, Munich: what to see

A church stood here before the founding of Munich in 1158, and the present church was built in the Romanesque style and rebuilt in the Gothic style after a fire in 1327, with later baroque and rococo decoration inside. It was badly damaged in the Second World War and reconstructed over the following decades. The interior is bright and richly decorated, with a high altar designed by Nikolaus Stuber and Egid Quirin Asam, with a golden statue of Saint Peter by Erasmus Grasser, surrounded by four church fathers carved by Asam. The ceiling frescoes, originally by Johann Baptist Zimmermann, were recreated after the war. The church's most unusual treasure is the skeleton of Saint Munditia, a Roman martyr, covered with jewels and lying in a glass case in a side chapel.

The church also holds Gothic sculptures and memorials. The tower's clocks have eight faces. The side chapels hold Gothic altarpieces and paintings by Jan Polack. The high altar's sculptures were restored after the war from surviving fragments. The church's organ is used for concerts and services. A plaque in the church commemorates the reconstruction by the people of Munich. The tower's bells are among the oldest in the city. The view from the platform includes the Glockenspiel figures of the New Town Hall across the square. The stairs are narrow and people pass each other in both directions, so patience is needed.

St. Peter's Church, Munich opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, and the tower is open most days, closing in bad weather. Munich is busiest during Oktoberfest, from late September to early October, and during the Christmas market on the Marienplatz in December; the tower gives a view of the market stalls. The Glockenspiel on the New Town Hall plays at eleven and noon, and in summer at five, and it can be watched from the tower. Clear days in autumn and winter offer the best chance of seeing the Alps. Allow about twenty minutes for the church and forty minutes for the tower, and visit the Viktualienmarkt next door. The Viktualienmarkt, beside the church, has food stalls and a beer garden under a maypole.