One of Stephansdom cathedral’s unique attractions is its multi-coloured roof. Unfortunately, being a roof, it’s…well…quite high up. That’s where the North Tower comes in.
- A lift takes you up over 60m
- Views to the north, east and west
- Get close to the cathedral’s roof tiles
- …and to the famous 21t Pummerin bell
- Lift tickets available on-site (cash only)
- Book all-inclusive cathedral tickets* in advance
- Check the calendar for any days with limited entry times
- See also:
Inside the Tower
(The north tower is on the left with the green dome)
Construction on the North Tower began around 1450, but its completion took almost 130 years thanks to budget problems. Vienna needed the money for more pressing concerns, such as keeping the Ottoman Empire outside the city walls.
A small lift runs up to a stone viewing platform that surrounds the bottom of the green-domed bell house that caps the tower.
The open-air platform gives you views in various directions. However, the cathedral roof blocks the south and southwest.
This hindrance turns out to be a feature rather than a bug; you get a perfect close-up look at the multi-coloured mosaic tiling that replaced the original gothic roof lost to fire at the end of WWII.
You do still get views across much of Vienna, and large labelled photos allow you to understand what you’re seeing.
For example, you can look across to the Prater area and the famous Riesenrad giant ferris wheel, various churches (e.g. Votivkirche, Jesuitenkirche, Franziskanerkirche), and newer buildings like the DC Tower or Wien Mitte station building. Catch glimpses of Belvedere and the Rathaus too.
Nevertheless, some of the city’s iconic buildings do lurk hidden behind the roof (the Hofburg area and Schönbrunn Palace, for example).
As well as the view of that roof, another advantage of the North Tower is getting almost within touching distance of the famous Pummerin bell that the viewing platform surrounds.
As one of the largest free-hanging bells in the world, the Pummerin weighs in at over 21 tonnes with a height of almost 3m.
This bell “only” dates back to the early 1950s. Its 1711 predecessor fell and shattered during the same fire that damaged the roof, but they used the remains to construct the new one.
(The early 18th-century Pummerin pictured in a postcard produced by Kilophot (K. L.), 1905–1915; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 34757/23; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
The old bell was itself built from Turkish cannons captured at the 1683 siege of Vienna; see its clapper on a tour of the cathedral catacombs.
The Pummerin rings out on special occasions (like Easter or the death of a Pope). Indeed, most of Austria holds its collective breath at 11.59pm on December 31st and waits for the Pummerin to ring in the New Year on radio and TV.
Tickets & visitor tips
At the time of writing, adults pay €7.00 to go up; tickets for the tower are available at a counter next to the lift (cash only at the time of writing).
That lift has an attendant, so simply wait at the bottom (or top) for them to arrive and beckon you inside.
A lift ticket is also contained within the all-inclusive package (also available in advance online) that covers:
- The different attractions inside the cathedral (North Tower, South Tower, self-guided cathedral tour, catacomb tour)
- The neighbouring Dom Museum
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
(NB: Check the cathedral calendar for occasional service-related limits on visiting times)
A few further tips:
- If you’re just interested in the cityscape, then the cathedral’s South Tower offers clearer views in all four directions. However, you have to work
a bita lot harder to get up top: it has no lift and 343 steps. Nor does the South Tower offer quite such wonderful views of the roof
- Tall, mesh fencing surrounds the stone platform, which is quite wide. So you have plenty of room, though be warned that the view down is somewhat sheer in places
- On my trip, a set of stone steps linked two viewing areas. You could still see most of the view without going up to that separate area, though
- In addition to the views and roof, be sure to look at the other details on the cathedral building, such as floral stone carvings largely invisible to those down below
- Vienna offers plenty of alternatives should you wish more views of the city from above. Try my suggestions
How to get to the North Tower
See the information on Stephansdom cathedral for directions and public transport tips.
Once inside the cathedral, head off up the left-hand side to find the North Tower lift and ticket counter. You can’t miss it.
Address: Stephansdom, Stephansplatz, 1010 Vienna