ChurchFree entry

Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

#2of 10 places to visit in MunichMunich, Bavaria, Germany

Also known as Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau · Munich Cathedral · Church of Our Lady

Quick answer

Opening hours: Cathedral: daily 08:00 - 20:00. Entry is free. Allow 45 min. Best time: Weekday mornings 08:30 - 10:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Diliff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Opening hours: Cathedral: daily 08:00 - 20:00; Closed to sightseeing during services. South tower: Monday - Saturday 10:00 - 17:00, Sunday and public holidays 11:30 - 17:00, last ascent 16:30.
Entry fee: Free
Time needed: 45 min
Best time of day: Weekday mornings 08:30 - 10:00
Best months: May – Sep, Dec
Address: Frauenplatz 1, 80331 Munich, Germany

About Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

Frauenkirche in Munich is free to enter and its south tower platform costs EUR 7.50 for adults, as of 2026. Its two brick towers, at about 98.5 metres each, dominate the Old Town skyline, and the church is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Frauenkirche was built in Late Gothic style as a three-aisled hall church, with its foundation stone laid in 1468 and the main structure finished within about 20 years; the domed caps on the towers were added around 1525.

Best time of day: Weekday mornings 08:30 - 10:00. For a quiet nave; the tower in clear weather for views to the Alps.

Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) timings

Opening hours: Cathedral: daily 08:00 - 20:00; Closed to sightseeing during services. South tower: Monday - Saturday 10:00 - 17:00, Sunday and public holidays 11:30 - 17:00, last ascent 16:30.
Closed on: Open every day

Good to know: Tower hours can change for weather or maintenance; verify at the official site.

Opening hours compiled from muenchen.de and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) ticket price

Entry fees for Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	Free
Concession (student / senior)	Free
Children	Free

Entry to the cathedral interior is free, as of 2026. The south tower viewing platform costs EUR 7.50 for adults and EUR 5.50 for ages 7-16 and students, free up to age 6, sold only in the cathedral shop on site; verify at the official site.

Prices compiled from muenchen.de and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

08:00 - 10:00
Early QuietBest time to go
Few visitors and worshippers at morning services; the nave is quiet before tour groups.
Quiet
10:00 - 13:00
Tower and Tours
Tower ticket queue forms in the cathedral shop and tour groups pass through the entrance hall.
Busy
13:00 - 17:00
Afternoon Flow
Steady visitors; tower slots usually available but weekend queues can build.
Moderate
17:00 - 20:00
Evening
Fewer sightseers as the tower closes at 17:00; the church remains open until 20:00 outside services.
Quiet

History of Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

Frauenkirche was designed by Jörg von Halspach, also known as Jörg Ganghofer, and built of brick with the foundation laid in 1468. The distinctive onion-shaped domes that cap the towers were added around 1525, roughly 36 years after the main building was completed, and give the church its silhouette.

Frauenkirche was damaged in the Second World War and restored in stages, with a major restoration between 1989 and 1994. Inside, a black marble and bronze cenotaph honours Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian, and a mechanical clock from the 16th century is among the artworks.

Frauenkirche's entrance hall contains the Teufelstritt, the Devil's Footprint, a dark impression in the floor. Legend says the devil stamped it in rage when he saw the church had no windows visible from that spot; this is folklore, not documented history.

Rules & etiquette at Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

Frauenkirche is an active cathedral, and sightseeing is not possible during services; the interior closes to tourists then, so check the time before entering. Dress respectfully, keep voices low and remove hats. Modest dress is expected, and bare shoulders or short shorts can draw a request to cover up, as in most Catholic churches in Bavaria.

Frauenkirche's south tower is reached by about 90 steps of a narrow spiral staircase and then a lift to the viewing platform; the tower is not wheelchair accessible, though the north portal has a ramp for the nave. Tower tickets are sold only in the cathedral shop and not online, so queues can form at busy times.

Frauenkirche's Teufelstritt draws a small crowd in the entrance hall; stand back so worshippers can pass. Photography for personal use in the nave is generally tolerated, but do not photograph people at prayer or use flash.

Tips for visiting Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

1
Frauenkirche works well as a first stop in the Old Town because it is free and takes only 30-45 minutes. Enter through the main portal and pause at the Teufelstritt, then walk the nave for the sense of scale created by the tall, plain brick walls.
2
Frauenkirche's tower ticket is worth the EUR 7.50 on a clear day for views over the roofs towards the Alps; on hazy days the view is limited, and the last ascent is at 16:30. Queues build on weekend afternoons.
3
Frauenkirche sits three minutes from Marienplatz, so the Glockenspiel and Viktualienmarkt can be combined into a single morning. Go before 10:00 on a weekday to see the nave nearly empty, and avoid the hour around Sunday services when the church is busy with worshippers.

How to reach Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)

The red star is Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady); the numbered pins are the 9 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Frauenplatz 1, 80331 Munich, GermanyDirections in Google Maps

From Munich Airport (MUC)
40 km · 40-45 min
EUR 13.60-14.30 one-way (airport zone ticket; sources differ, verify at mvv-muenchen.de)
From Munich Hauptbahnhof
2 km · 5 min plus 3 min walk
About EUR 4.20 (MVV Zone M single ticket, as of 2026; verify at mvv-muenchen.de)
From Marienplatz
0.3 km · 3 min
Free (walking distance)

Nearest airport

From Munich Airport (MUC)

about 40 km from the city centre, roughly 40-45 minutes by S-Bahn (S1 or S8) to Marienplatz.

Nearest station

From Marienplatz (S1-S8, U3, U6), about 3 minutes on foot.

Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) FAQs

Is the Frauenkirche free to enter?

Yes. The Frauenkirche interior is free to enter, as of 2026; only the south tower platform charges EUR 7.50 for adults.

Can you go up the Frauenkirche tower?

Yes. The south tower is open Monday to Saturday 10:00 - 17:00 and Sunday and holidays 11:30 - 17:00, with last ascent at 16:30, and tickets are sold only in the cathedral shop.

How many steps are there in the Frauenkirche tower?

About 90 steps of a narrow spiral staircase lead to a lift, which takes visitors to the viewing platform. The tower is not wheelchair accessible.

What is the Devil's Footprint in the Frauenkirche?

The Teufelstritt is a dark footprint-shaped mark in the entrance hall of the Frauenkirche. It is tied to a legend of the devil stamping in rage, which is folklore and not documented history.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places