Which one to choose in Vienna
Two churches in Vienna. Karlskirche has 2 tickets and tours to book; St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna has 4 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Vienna, Austria
The ticket is moderate and includes the museum room and, most importantly, the panoramic lift that carries visitors up into the dome to a platform beside the frescoes, a few metres from the paintwork; that access is the reason to pay and is unusual anywhere. A steep ladder continues to a higher lantern gallery for those who want it. Vivaldi concerts in period dress are staged in the nave several evenings a week and sold separately;
Vienna, Austria
Entry to the back of the nave is free; everything else is ticketed, and the choices matter. The main body of the church, seen from behind a barrier unless you pay, is covered by an all-inclusive ticket that also opens the catacombs, the north tower lift, the south tower stairs and the treasury; buying the parts separately makes sense only if you want one of them. The south tower is the serious climb, 343 steps up a spiral to the watchman's room at 67 metres, with the best view of the tiled roof.
| Karlskirche | St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Church | Cathedral |
| Height | — | 136.4 m |
| Opened | 1716 | 1137 |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | 2 | 4 |
| Official website | yes | yes |