St. Peter's Church, Munich, Germany

St. Peter's Church is the oldest church in the Munich district. Before the foundation of Munich as a city in 1158, there had been a pre-Merovingian church on this site. 8th century monks lived around this church on a hill called Petersbergl. At the end of the 12th century a new church in the Bavarian Romanesque style was consecrated, and expanded in Gothic style shortly before the great fire in 1327, which destroyed the building. After its reconstruction the church was dedicated anew in 1368. In the early 17th century the 91 meter spire received its Renaissance steeple top and a new Baroque choir was added.

The interior is dominated by the high altar to which Erasmus Grasser contributed the figure of Saint Peter. Among other masterpieces of all periods are five Gothic paintings by Jan Polack and several altars by Ignaz Günther. The ceiling fresco by Johann Baptist Zimmermann (1753–1756) was re-created in 1999-2000.

The parish church of Saint Peter, whose 91 meters high tower is commonly known as Alter Peter - Old Peter - and which is emblematic of Munich, is the oldest recorded parish church in Munich and presumably the originating point for the whole city.

References:

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User Reviews

Daniel Wischnewski (18 months ago)
Walk up the belfry, entrance fee is very low and have a great view over Munich. Pick a fine day and you can see the alps quite clearly. On a day with foehn (warm winds coming down the mountains, towards town), you'll see the alps even better.

Mobile Oppression Palace (18 months ago)
Best views of the old town of Munich. The climb can be quite the workout—a harder climb than Saint Peter’s in Rome—and the stairs are really narrow, and you would have to stop at certain spots not only to catch your breath but also to let people travelling the opposite direction through. Well worth the effort though and quite affordable at only €3.

Ketsarin Suksomthin (19 months ago)
Been there during winter so there wasn’t many people on the top which was a good time to enjoy the panoramic view of Munich and took the beautiful pictures but I didn’t get a chance to enter the church The view is beautiful but somehow you can’t quite enjoy it that much because of the iron fence around the place which is understandable due to the safety reason On the way going up there’s many handwriting all over the wall which doesn’t look nice at all Somehow I feel like the lady who sells the tickets in front of the entrance doesn’t seem happy about her responsibility tho maybe her office is too small and the weather was too cold at that time that’s why she doesn’t want to interact not a single word or a single smile Entrance fee : 3€

Mark B (20 months ago)
To be specific St Peter's church Tower. Opens at 10. If you like views and panoramics then this is the best spot in Munich. The stairs are narrow and when it's busy it must be a nightmare going up or down. It's really only suited to single file.

Ciaran Brooks (2 years ago)
Visited the church itself and also paid to go up the tower. The church is pleasant though not as spectacular as others in the area. The tower was worth the climb, with good views from the top. That said it was definitely overcrowded and perhaps there needs to be a staff member moving people around, I think it actually constituted a safety risk.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Dan Lundberg

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Hagios Demetrios

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine called the ciborium, a hexagonal, roofed structure at one side of the nave. It was made of or covered with silver. The structure had doors and inside was a couch or bed. Unusually, it did not hold any physical relics of the saint. The ciborium seems to have been a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Byzantine Iconoclasm in 730. These mosaics depict St. Demetrius with officials responsible for the restoration of the church (called the founders, ktetors) and with children. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heaven for saving the people of Thessalonica from a pagan Slavic raid in 615.

Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430. About 60 years later, during the reign of Bayezid II, the church was converted into a mosque, known as the Kasımiye Camii after the local Ottoman mayor, Cezeri Kasım Pasha. The symbolic tomb however was kept open for Christian veneration. Other magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour versions give an idea of the early Byzantine craftsmanship lost during the fire.

Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. Tombstones from the city"s Jewish cemetery - destroyed by the Greek and Nazi German authorities - were used as building materials in these restoration efforts in the 1940s. Archeological excavations conducted in the 1930s and 1940s revealed interesting artifacts that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church"s crypt. The excavations also uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath, where St. Demetrius was said to have been held prisoner and executed. A Roman well was also discovered. Scholars believe this is where soldiers dropped the body of St. Demetrius after his execution. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.

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