Wasserkirche

The Wasserkirche, or Water Church, sits right beside the Limmat in the middle of Zurich, between the Grossmünster and the Rathaus bridge, and its name comes from its original position. When it was built in the late fifteenth century, it stood on a small island in the river, and for a long time water ran on both sides of it. Today the river bank has been filled in around it, but the church still seems to hold itself apart, a compact Gothic building hemmed by the busy quay.

Its story begins with Zurich's patron saints. According to legend, Felix and Regula, a brother and sister who served in the Roman army and converted to Christianity, were put to death on or near this spot in the third century and then, as the story goes, carried their heads up the hill to the place where the Grossmünster now stands. A stone said to be the place of their execution was kept at the site, and a chapel marked it for centuries before the present church was built. This makes the Wasserkirche one of the oldest sites of devotion in the city.

The Reformation changed its role. When Zurich turned Protestant under Huldrych Zwingli in the 1520s, the veneration of saints was rejected, and the church was stripped of its cult. For centuries it was used for other purposes, including as a warehouse, and from the seventeenth century until the early twentieth century it housed the city library. The old building thus became a place of books and learning, a use that suited the new city. Later it returned to a role as a church and a venue for events, and in recent times the Wasserkirche has become known for concerts and cultural gatherings.

The late Gothic structure has a simple outline: a long nave, a polygonal choir and a steep roof with a slender tower. Inside, the vaulting and plain walls give a quiet, bare feeling that is typical of Reformed churches. Opening times are limited and depend on events, so the church is sometimes closed when visitors arrive, and it is wise to check before making a special trip.

The setting is the real attraction. A walk along the Limmatquai, with the Grossmünster's twin towers above and the river flowing beside the old town, makes a natural route, and the Wasserkirche is a good place to pause.