The Peterskirche, or St Peter's Church, stands on the small Petersplatz just off the Graben, Vienna's grand pedestrian street. From outside you barely notice it, because the houses crowd right up to its walls. Step inside and you find one of the city's richest Baroque interiors: an oval space under a painted dome, almost entirely covered in gold, stucco and marble.
The Peterskirche at a glance
- Where: Petersplatz, in the first district (Innere Stadt), a few steps from the Graben and the Plague Column.
- Built: around 1701–1733; consecrated in 1733.
- By: Gabriele Montani began the building, Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt is linked to the design from 1703, and the dome fresco is by Johann Michael Rottmayr.
- What it is today: a Catholic church run since 1970 by priests of Opus Dei, open to visitors and known for its organ music.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes, longer if you stay for a recital.
From Roman barracks to Baroque dome
St Peter's claims to stand on the site of the oldest church in Vienna. According to tradition, the first church here was set up in late antiquity inside a building of the Roman camp of Vindobona; a later legend credits Charlemagne with founding the church around 800, and a relief on the outside wall shows that scene, though there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that a church of St Peter is recorded in 1137. The medieval building burned in 1661 and was only patched up.
The rebuild came after the plague of 1679, when Emperor Leopold I vowed to renew the church. Work began around 1701 under Gabriele Montani, with Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt involved from 1703, and the design borrowed ideas from St Peter's in Rome on a much smaller scale. Most of the building was finished by 1722, and in 1733 it was consecrated to the Holy Trinity. It was the first domed church of Baroque Vienna. A restoration from 1998 to 2004 cleaned the darkened paintings and brought back their original brightness.
What to look for
- The dome fresco: Rottmayr's Coronation of the Virgin, painted from 1713, rising above the oval nave.
- The pulpit: a gilded work by Matthias Steinl from 1726, with the Holy Trinity on top of its canopy.
- The Nepomuk group: opposite the pulpit, a gold and silver sculpture by Lorenzo Mattielli showing St John of Nepomuk being thrown into the Vltava in Prague.
- The high altar: by Antonio Galli Bibiena, with Martino Altomonte's painting of Peter and John healing a lame man.
- The catacomb saints: in two side chapels lie clothed skeletons of martyrs from the Roman catacombs, given to the church in 1733.
The Charlemagne legend
On the outside wall of the church, a relief shows Charlemagne founding St Peter's. It is a legend: there is no evidence that the Frankish emperor had anything to do with the church, and the first written mention comes more than three centuries after his death. But the story says a lot about how proud the Viennese were of this place, which they believed to be the oldest parish in their city.
Tips for your visit
- Approach along Jungferngasse from the Graben: it is the only angle from which you see the facade and dome properly.
- Look up from the middle of the oval nave to take in the whole dome at once, then walk to the side chapels for the details.
- The church holds regular organ recitals and concerts; check the programme on its website before you go.
Nearby
- Graben and the Plague Column: the grand pedestrian street right outside, with the Baroque column Leopold I raised after the same plague of 1679.
- St Stephen's Cathedral: Vienna's Gothic cathedral, a few minutes' walk east.
- Michaelerplatz and the Hofburg: the gateway to the imperial palace, a short walk west along the Kohlmarkt.
See Vienna with World City Trail
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If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Vienna.
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Facts checked in October 2026.