Fraumünster
Medieval church transformed by Chagall's luminous stained glass windows.
The Fraumünster is a Protestant church on the west bank of the Limmat river in Zurich's Old Town, built on the site of a Benedictine abbey founded in 853 AD by Louis the German for his daughter. For most of its history it was one of the most powerful religious institutions in the region, but today it draws visitors from around the world for a very specific reason: five extraordinary stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall in 1970, plus an additional rose window by Augusto Giacometti completed in 1945. These aren't minor decorative additions — they are among the finest examples of 20th-century stained glass anywhere in Europe.
Step inside and the windows immediately dominate the space. Chagall's five choir windows glow in deep blues, greens, and reds, each depicting biblical themes — the prophets, the law, Zion, Christ, and the life of Jacob — rendered in his characteristically dreamlike, floating style. The figures seem to hover rather than stand, suffused with an otherworldly light that shifts with the time of day. Giacometti's rose window above the north transept is gentler, more abstract, a riot of warm yellows and blues. The church itself is modest in scale and restrained in decoration, which makes the windows hit harder — there's nothing else competing for your attention.
The Fraumünster sits on the Münsterhof, one of Zurich's most attractive squares, directly across the Limmat from the Grossmünster. Admission is charged (a few Swiss francs) and includes an audioguide. The windows photograph beautifully in the morning when direct light enters from the east and illuminates the glass most dramatically. It's worth timing your visit accordingly — the difference between flat afternoon light and that morning glow is significant.