Religious Sites

The Grossmünster (Great Church)

Any religious tour to Zürich must begin at the Romanesque Grossmünster, symbol of the city and Zürich's religious heart and soul. This is the site where legend says Sts. Felix and Regula are buried, the cathedral that Charlemagne is said to have founded himself. More importantly, it was here in the Grossmünster that Huldrych Zwingli preached a new brand of Christianity in the early 16th century, one that would change the face of Switzerland and Protestantism.

The interior of the Grossmünster bears evidence of Zwingli's influence. The cathedral stands stripped of any pre-Reformation statuary or ornamentation (save a few stone carvings of Charlemagne); they were removed to guard against the distractions of religious artwork, and to impress upon visitors the sufficiency of God alone in one's salvation. Beneath the apse, the cathedral's 12th-century crypt houses 15th-century murals of Felix and Regula, as well as a well-worn, 15th-century statue of Charlemagne. Visit before noon and the cathedral's east-facing apse glows red and blue, lit up by Augusto Giacometti's 20th-century stained glass windows.

Helferei

The unassuming office building at 13 Kirchgasse belies the importance of the work that was accomplished within its walls. Here is the "Helferei", the office where Huldrych Zwingli studied and wrote the sermons that forever altered Zürich and Switzerland. The small room that served as Zwingli's office is located upstairs, remarkably unaltered since the great Swiss Reformer occupied it. The rough, wood-paneled walls and sloping wooden floor appear just as they did in the 16th century, as do the thick glass windows looking out on the garden out back. The entire Helferei is still owned by the church. Downstairs the building houses a bookstore, a fair trade shop, meeting rooms and a chapel dating from 1856. Zwingli's office is still used by the Grossmünster's ministers, who draw inspiration from the space as they prepare their sermons.

Walking Tour

The narrow, cobbled streets of Zürich's Old City were once home to many key figures in the Swiss Reformation. Their former residences and businesses are not open to the public, but most bear German historical markers. An easy walking tour encompasses them all.

The Zähringerplatz in front of the Prediger Church incorporates a memorial to Christopher Froschauer; across the street stands the Froschauer family's 16th-century print house. Froschauer printed many of Zwingli's texts; in 1535 the printer published the first English Bible in Europe, the same Zürich Bibles that traveled with the Pilgrims to the New World. Follow Predigergasse to 5 Neumarkt, the former house of Konrad Grebel who, along with Felix Manz, founded Anabaptism. Walk along Neumarkt and south on Münstergasse to the Zwingliplatz, across from the Grossmünster, where Zwingli's successor Heinrich Bullinger lived in 1536. Successive generations of Grossmünster ministers lived there up until 1833.

Within view of the Zwingliplatz at the corner of Neustadtgasse and Kirchgasse is the Haus zur Sul, the residence of Zwingli himself from 1522-25. If you follow Neustadtgasse south to 8 Trittligasse, you'll find "Zum Friesenberg", the home of Zwingli's widow and children from 1533-39. Follow Trittligasse west to the Limmat Riverbank. Beside the Wasserkirche stands the Zwingli Monument, depicting a rather stern-looking Reformer with his Bible and a sword.

Cross the Limmat River by way of the Rathausbrücke. Head north along Schipfe until you arrive at the water-level marker where, in 1527, Felix Manz was executed by drowning for preaching Anabaptist theology.

Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum)

Exhibits ranging from Swiss prehistory to regional costumes and art fill the halls of the Swiss National Museum. But Christian travelers will want to visit the 16th- and 17th-century historical rooms, with special emphasis on Zürich's Reformers. Artifacts include Zwingli's portrait and medals as well as the helmet and sword he wore when he died in the Battle of Kappel in 1531. Other Reformation-era objects include early Protestant handbills and remnants of church artworks destroyed or removed by the iconoclasts.

Fraumünster (Our Lady Church)

Zürich's Fraumünster supports a graceful spire and, perhaps, the remains of Sts. Felix and Regula, but it is the church's stained glass windows that draw attention. Created by Marc Chagall in 1970, the windows depict the Prophets, the life of Jacob, the life of Christ, Zion, and the Lawgivers. The church's rose window depicts the creation in Genesis and creation's salvation through Noah's Ark. Augusto Giacometti created the north transept's stained glass window in 1930. The Fraumünster is closed for renovations until early 2007.

St. Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church)

St. Peterskirche was a landmark in Swiss Reformation history, the home of Zürich's first appointed Protestant pastor, Leo Jud. (Zwingli was appointed as a Catholic priest and later converted.) Zwingli's close friend and colleague, Jud arrived at St. Peter's in 1523; Rudolf Gwalther, Zwingli's son-in-law, served as pastor here beginning in 1541. St. Peterskirche enjoys the distinction of bearing Europe's largest clock face.

Predigerkirche (Preacher's Church)

Originally a Dominican church, the Predigerkirche became Protestant during the Reformation. In spite of the Predigerkirche's lengthy history, the church's attempt at modern relevance makes it stand out. The 13th-century sanctuary houses church pews as expected; its side aisles include a library with easy chairs and a dining area for free Sunday lunches. The church loans its building out to immigrant groups for worship, and is often the site of evening concerts.

Excursion: Zwingli's Beginnings and End, Wildhaus and Zug

Visitors interested in Zwingli's beginnings can visit the Zwinglihaus in Wildhaus, 80 miles east of Zürich. A small museum occupies the farmhouse where the Reformer was born in 1484, and includes displays of period furniture and Bibles. Zwingli celebrated his first mass as a priest in the local church before it became Protestant. Zwingli's life ended at the Battle of Kappel in 1531 when the Reformer died of a sword wound. A monument marks the occasion of his death near the town of Zug, about 20 miles south of Zürich.