About this place
Tucked away on the tranquil Peterhofstatt in the heart of Zurich's old town, the Church of St. Peter carries more than a thousand years of history within its walls. Foundation stones from the ninth century still survive beneath the choir, marking it as the city's oldest parish church, while the bright, austere nave you see today was consecrated in 1706 as the first church raised under Zurich's Protestant faith. The tower, heightened to 64 metres in 1450 and still owned by the City of Zurich rather than the parish, is crowned by a clock whose face measures a staggering 8.7 metres across, the largest church clock face in Europe, with a minute hand nearly six metres long. For centuries this clock was the official time of the whole city, and every other public clock in Zurich had to be set to match it. High in the same tower a fire watchman kept a lonely vigil for over 570 years, walking his rounds every quarter hour until the post was finally abandoned in 1911.
Key facts
- 8.7 metres — Diameter of the tower clock face, the largest church clock in Europe
- 1911 year — The last fire watchman kept his lookout in the tower until this year
- 64 metres — Height of the tower, raised to this in 1450 and still owned by the city
📍 St. Peterhofstatt, 8001, Zürich