Cathedral Church of Our Lady: All about the Frauenkirche Munich

Visiting the Frauenkirche: Hours, Admission and Rules

The cathedral is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and admission is free. If you want to take in the interior at your own pace, check the service times first: sightseeing is not possible during Mass or during the admission periods beforehand.

👉 The interior of Munich's Frauenkirche on Frauenplatz is open to the public free of charge daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. – except during church services.

The Domshop, the cathedral store inside the church, is where you get tower tickets, sign up for guided tours and buy concert tickets.

The Towers: Figures, Bells and Welsche Hauben

The two towers define the old town skyline – no building in the Altstadt is taller. Their characteristic Welsche Hauben, the copper onion domes, were only added around 1525, some 36 years after the church itself was completed. The reason for the delay: master builder Jörg von Halspach had died, and the War of the Landshut Succession brought the project to a halt. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is considered a possible inspiration for the shape.

👉 The towers of Munich's Frauenkirche measure 98.45 meters (323 feet, south tower) and 98.57 meters (323.4 feet, north tower), making them the tallest structures in the old town.

South tower:

• Open as a viewpoint
• 98.45 meters (323 feet) tall
• Seven bells

North tower:

• Marginally taller at 98.57 meters (323.4 feet)
• Three bells
• Still houses the medieval treadwheel from the construction period

Tower ascent: Highest vantage point in the old town

For ten years the south tower stood behind scaffolding and stayed closed. Since March 2022 you can go up again: first around 90 steps of a narrow spiral staircase, then an elevator to the viewing platform. At the top, the windows of the tower room open onto a panorama across the old town, with Marienplatz directly below and the Alps in the distance on clear days. The platform is glazed, so the weather doesn't matter.

👉 The south tower of the Frauenkirche on Frauenplatz is the highest publicly accessible viewpoint in Munich's old town, with views across the rooftops all the way to the Alps.

Hours and tickets:

• 🕙 Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays and public holidays 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• ⏳ Last ascent at 4:30 p.m.
• 💶 Adults €7.50, children and teens aged 7 to 16 €5.50, reduced rate (students and people with disabilities) €5.50, free for children up to and including age 6
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family ticket €21 for two adults and two children, €3 for each additional child (add-on tickets available only at the Domshop)
• 🎫 Tickets at the Domshop or online in advance through Munich Tourism

What to expect:

• The spiral staircase is one-way only, and visitors are admitted in groups of up to 20
• A maximum of 60 people may be in the tower at once, so short waits are possible
• The climb is not wheelchair accessible
• The spiral staircase is tight – skip it if you're claustrophobic
• The tower may close on short notice for special occasions such as unscheduled services

The Gothic Architecture of the Frauenkirche

The Frauenkirche is a late Gothic, three-aisled hall church built of brick – masonry work rather than dressed stone. The central vault sits only slightly higher than those of the side aisles, which makes the space feel unusually wide. It holds up to 2,000 people.

👉 The Frauenkirche is a three-aisled late Gothic brick hall church and the largest church in Munich.

The upward-striving pillars are typically Gothic. Together with the colorful stained glass, the white octagonal pillars and pale vault ribs create an open, luminous room: seen from the entrance, the pillars conceal nearly all the windows but catch their colored light and seem to glow themselves. From the outside, large, calm brick surfaces dominate. Five portals lead inside – two each on the north and south sides, plus the main portal to the west.

Highlights Inside: Devil's Footprint, Cenotaph and Automaton Clock

The interior feels bright and expansive: white octagonal pillars, star-shaped rib vaults and colorful stained glass, across a nave 109 meters (358 feet) long, 40 meters (131 feet) wide and 37 meters (121 feet) high. If you only have half an hour, head for these three stops.

👉 The best-known features inside Munich's Frauenkirche are the Teufelstritt in the entrance hall, the Wittelsbach cenotaph and an automaton clock from the 16th century.

Interior and Artworks

Compared with other Gothic churches, the furnishings are restrained. The altar area is crowned by twelve reliefs from the life of the Virgin Mary and the statue of Maria Immaculata. The paintings focus on the Virgin and Child and on Christ as the Man of Sorrows.

Side chapels with varied decoration run around the space, filled with altars, sculptures and epitaphs. One eye-catcher is the automaton clock from the 16th century. The choir stalls with carvings by Erasmus Grasser were renewed during the major restoration between 1989 and 1994.

Wittelsbach Monument and Bishops' Crypt

The ornate cenotaph for Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian is hard to miss: black marble, richly detailed bronze figures and, at the top, a large imperial crown as a nod to his imperial title. Hans Krumper created it in the early 17th century.

Below the cathedral lies the bishops' crypt. Members of the House of Wittelsbach are buried there, as are the archbishops of Munich and Freising.

The legend of the devil's footprint

According to legend, the famous footprint in the entrance hall – the Teufelstritt, or Devil's Footprint – was left by the devil himself. He had bet the master builder his soul that not a single window could be seen inside the church. From that exact spot he really couldn't spot one, because the pillars hide them all. Delighted at what he took for human stupidity, he stamped his foot and left his print in the floor.

When the devil took one step forward, he saw the windows and realized he had been tricked. Furious, he turned himself into wind and tried to destroy the building. Apparently he's still at it – anyone who comes near the cathedral usually feels a light breeze.

Organ concerts and cathedral music

The Frauenkirche regularly gives organ concerts, has several choirs and its own cathedral singing school. The large main organ is one of four organs in the cathedral, made by the workshop of Georg Jann (Alkhofen near Regensburg). Cathedral music can be heard on Sundays and holidays and on special occasions.

The Building History of Munich's Landmark

A parish church dedicated to Our Blessed Lady already stood at the edge of the medieval town in 1271. As the city and its population grew, the decision was made in the 15th century to build a larger and more representative replacement.

👉 The foundation stone for today's Frauenkirche was laid in 1468, and the brick building was finished in just 20 years.

The commission went to the Munich master builder Jörg von Halspach, also known as Jörg Ganghofer. Two memorial plaques at the southeast portal commemorate the laying of the foundation stone. In 1821 the Frauenkirche became the cathedral of the newly formed Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. During World War II the interior burned out and the vault collapsed – the towers remained standing. The most important artworks and the historic windows had been moved to safety in time. Reconstruction began under Cardinal Michael Faulhaber, and the last major restoration ran from 1989 to 1994.

Church Services at Munich Cathedral: the Regular Schedule

The Frauenkirche is not only a sight to see but the cathedral of the archdiocese and the parish church of Munich's smallest parish. Its calendar is correspondingly full. These services take place regularly:

• 🕣 Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m.: Mass
• 🕕 Monday to Friday, 6 p.m.: Mass, streamed live by the archdiocese
• 🕟 Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.: rosary prayer in the Sakramentskapelle (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
• 🙏 Thursday, 6:45 to 7:30 p.m.: eucharistic adoration in the Sakramentskapelle
• 🕕 Saturday, 6 p.m.: vigil Mass for Sunday
• ⛪ Sunday, 10 a.m.: main service with organ music and singing, also streamed live
• 🎶 Sunday, 5:15 p.m.: vespers
• 🕕 Sunday, 6 p.m.: Mass

👉 Mass is celebrated at Munich Cathedral on Frauenplatz Monday through Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the main Sunday service at 10 a.m.

Times differ on solemnities and religious holidays, when additional services are added. Current dates are listed in the Munich Cathedral calendar. For an overview of other churches, see church services in Munich.

Getting There and Accessibility

• 🚇 Subway and commuter rail: Marienplatz (U3, U6, S1–S8), about a two-minute walk from there
• 🚋 Alternative: Karlsplatz/Stachus (U4, U5, S1–S8, tram 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28), about a ten-minute walk
• 🚌 Bus: route 132, Marienplatz stop
• ♿ Access: through the north portal to the left of the main portal, where there is a ramp with a 6-degree incline
• 🅿️ Accessible parking: on Ettstraße and Maxburgstraße
• 🤲 Services: tactile models of the church and its floor plan inside, tactile tours, induction loop. A cathedral guide with tactile illustrations in Braille and large print is available at the Dombuchhandlung, the cathedral bookstore (Frauenplatz 14a, entrance on Löwengrube, one step)
• 🗼 Important: the south tower is not wheelchair accessible

Frequently Asked Questions About the Frauenkirche

How much does it cost to enter the Frauenkirche?

Entry to the church is free. You only need a ticket to climb the south tower: €7.50 for adults, €5.50 reduced.

When is the Frauenkirche open?

Daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sightseeing is not possible during services or during the admission periods beforehand.

Can you go up the towers of the Frauenkirche?

Only the south tower. You take around 90 steps up a spiral staircase and then an elevator to the viewing platform.

When are services held at the Frauenkirche?

Monday to Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Sundays at 10 a.m. (main service), 5:15 p.m. (vespers) and 6 p.m. Current changes are listed in the Munich Cathedral calendar.

Are there guided tours of the Frauenkirche?

Yes, Monday to Saturday at 11:30 a.m., except on public holidays. Registration is at the Domshop.

How long does a visit take?

Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for the interior. Plan on a good hour if you're climbing the tower, a bit more on busy days.

Can you take photos inside the Frauenkirche?

Photography without flash or a tripod is generally possible inside. Put the camera away during services.

Why does the Frauenkirche have two towers?

The twin-tower design was intended from the start, and even the Romanesque predecessor building had a twin-tower front. The characteristic domes were only added around 1525.