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The oldest church in Munich, Old Peter as it is known to the locals, was built in the 11th century and has been restored in various architectural styles over the years. Burnt down for the first time in 1327 and then destroyed again during World War II, Old Peter now consists of a rich baroque interior with a late-Gothic high altar and aisle pillars depicting 18th century figures of the apostles. Externally, the sides of the church's 300-foot tower consist of eight tower clocks and an immensely loud church bell.
One of the major attracting features of St. Peter's is the ability to walk up its tall church tower for splendid views of the city and on a clear day the Alps are within sight. With its location just off of the Marienplatz, perched high above the city line, the views down on the frantic activity in the city's main square can be intriguing.
The walk up to the tower's top takes about 12-15 minutes and may not be for the faint at heart. Over 300 steps along narrow stairwells and up wooden open stairs can make for quite the workout. Fear not, there are some small rest areas along the way and once up top the views are guaranteed to be worth the effort. Before beginning your climb up the tower, you must pay at the bottom about 1.50 euros. Coloured circles on the lower platform also tell you whether the climb is worthwhile: If the circle is white, you can see as far as the Alps.
Last updated: June 2006
