Things to do in Zurich

Fraumünster Zurich: Chagall windows and the abbey of 853

The Fraumünster is famous for the stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall. Its history goes back to a convent that King Louis the German founded in Zurich for his daughter Hildegard in 853.

Address
Münsterhof 2, 8001 Zürich
From Zürich HB
900 m (straight line)
Chagall windows
Choir 1970, rose window 1978
Visitor information
Opening times
Fraumünster with its green spire, the Münsterbrücke and the clock tower of St. Peter in Zurich
The Fraumünster (left), the Münsterbrücke and the clock tower of St. Peter. Photo: “Fraumünster, Münsterbrücke and St. Peter, Zürich, 20250330 1243 7934.jpg” by Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

What to see

Marc Chagall designed the five large stained-glass windows in the choir (1970) and the rose window in the southern transept (1978), made in collaboration with the glass painter Charles Marq in Reims. Each of the five choir windows has a dominant colour and depicts a Biblical story.

In the north transept, Augusto Giacometti’s window "The Heavenly Paradise" – about 9 m high and around 27 m² – was inaugurated on 9 October 1945. Since 2016 the crypt, with the oldest remains of the abbey, has been open as a museum with a multimedia exhibition on more than 1,200 years of city and church history. The cloister has a series of frescoes by Paul Bodmer.

A short history

  • King Louis the German founded the convent in 853; it was inhabited by women of Europe’s aristocracy.
  • A first church was consecrated on the present site as early as 874.
  • In 1045 King Henry III granted the convent the rights to hold markets, collect tolls and mint coins, effectively making the abbess ruler of the city.
  • From around 1250 the choir and transept were rebuilt, first in Romanesque and later in Gothic style.
  • In 1524, during the Reformation, the last abbess, Katharina von Zimmern, handed the abbey and church over to the Zurich City Council.
  • The Münsterhof square, historically the main square and marketplace of the medieval city, is named after the abbey. The Fraumünster is listed as a Swiss cultural property of national importance.

Tips for your visit

  • The Chagall windows are protected by copyright: photos for private use only, no flash or tripod.
  • Wheelchairs: entrance, nave, shop and exit are accessible; the crypt is not, and a few steps lead to the Chagall choir.
  • Illustrated leaflets are available in many languages, and the free app "Altstadtkirchen Zürich" offers a tour in English.
  • Large suitcases, backpacks and trolleys may not be taken into the church.
  • Combine your visit with the Kunsthaus Zürich, whose collection includes a representative selection of Chagall masterpieces.

Getting there from Zürich HB

  • Zürich Tourism lists the Fraumünster at 900 m from the main station (straight-line distance), not far from Paradeplatz.
  • By tram: to "Paradeplatz" or "Helmhaus", then a 2-minute walk.