C3⌂ Münsterplatz # Winter: noon–4pm Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm Sat, 11:30am–4pm Sun; summer: 10am–5pm Mon–Sat, 11:30am–5pm Sun ∑ bernermuenster.ch
A splendid example of the German-influenced late Gothic style, Bern’s Münster is the most recent of Switzerland’s great Gothic cathedrals. Work on the cathedral began in 1421, however it was not until 1893, when the spire was added, that the building was finally completed.
t The Münster’s tower and spire, piercing the sky above Bern’s quaint Old Town
Replacing a smaller church the Münster is the country’s tallest cathedral and largest ecclesiastical building, at just over 100 m (328 ft) high. It was originally located outside the city walls, near what is now Kreuzgasse; today the cathedral dominates Münsterplatz in the city’s Old Town.The architect Matthäus Ensinger of Ulm designed it as a three-aisle basilica with fan vaulting, side chapels and a tower. The main construction took place during the city’s conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism. As a result, the choir’s religious symbols are Catholic, while the arms on the ceiling’s keystones are Protestant.
Experience Bern
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GREAT VIEW
The Tower
Fortune favours the brave. For a small fee, you can climb up the 344 steps that scale the cathedral’s tower to the lookout point, which perches high above the entrance. The reward is fantastic views, spilling over the rooftops of the city across to the snow-covered mountains of the distant Bernese Oberland.