Tallest Churches Height Comparison (Meters)
Compare the 12 tallest churches, from Ulm Minster at 161.5 m height to San Gaudenzio at 121 m. Heights in meters and feet with all build dates listed.
Visual comparison
All values
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| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulm Minster Tallest church since 1890. 768 stairs to 143 m. | 161.5 m (529.9 ft) | Ulm, Germany, completed 1890 | Wikipedia tallest churches: Ulm 161.5 m (530 ft) |
| Basilica of Our Lady of Peace Tallest domed church. Cross tops St Peter's. | 158 m (518.4 ft) | Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, 1989 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 158.0 m (518 ft) |
| Cologne Cathedral Tallest building in world 1880 to 1884. | 157.4 m (516.4 ft) | Cologne, Germany, completed 1880 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 157.4 m (516 ft) |
| Strasbourg Cathedral Tallest building 1647 to 1874. | 142 m (465.9 ft) | Strasbourg, France, completed 1439 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 142.0 m (466 ft) |
| Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen Largest church in Poland. | 141.5 m (464.2 ft) | Stary Lichen, Poland, 2000 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 141.5 m (464 ft) |
| St. Peter's Basilica Largest church by area and volume. | 136.6 m (448.2 ft) | Vatican City, completed 1626 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 136.6 m (448 ft) |
| St. Stephen's Cathedral South tower is the tall one. | 136.4 m (447.5 ft) | Vienna, Austria, completed 1433 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 136.4 m (449 ft) |
| St. Peter's Church Hamburg Rebuilt spire after fire. | 132.2 m (433.7 ft) | Hamburg, Germany, 1878 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 132.2 m (436 ft) |
| St. Michaelis Church Tallest 18th century church. | 132.1 m (433.4 ft) | Hamburg, Germany, 1786 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 132.1 m (433 ft) |
| Cathedral of Maringa Tallest church in Latin America. | 124 m (406.8 ft) | Maringa, Brazil, 1972 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 124.0 m (407 ft) |
| Church of Our Lady Bruges Second tallest brick tower in world. | 122.3 m (401.2 ft) | Bruges, Belgium, 1465 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 122.3 m (400 ft) |
| Basilica of San Gaudenzio Dome on 19th century base. | 121 m (397 ft) | Novara, Italy, 1887 | Wikipedia tallest churches: 121.0 m (397 ft) |
About this converter
Ulm Minster stands 161.5 m, just 3.5 clear of Our Lady of Peace at 158. Cologne Cathedral at 157.4 held the world lead from 1880 to 1884 before Ulm passed it. Strasbourg at 142 led from 1647 to 1874. Lichen at 141.5 is the tallest built since 2000. St Peter's at 136.6 and St Stephen's at 136.4 sit close together. Hamburg holds two in a row at 132.2 and 132.1. Maringa at 124 leads Latin America, Bruges at 122.3 and San Gaudenzio at 121 close the table. Sagrada Familia plans 172.5 but its Jesus tower was still unfinished, so it waits here.
How to use it
Pick two churches and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try Ulm against Cologne to see the 4.1 m gap. The bars below scale to Ulm so the 121 to 124 group looks short. Switch the unit to feet for US figures. Ratios are exact divisions of the listed heights.
Heights follow Wikipedia List of tallest church buildings with Britannica cross check. Ulm 161.5, Peace 158, Cologne 157.4 and Strasbourg 142 match both lists. Sagrada Familia at 172.5 to 173 per Britannica is the planned Jesus tower, due 2025 to 2026. It is left out until topped out. Beauvais at 153 had a tower that fell in 1573, so it does not rank as standing.
FAQ
What is the tallest church?
Ulm Minster at 161.5 m. It has held the lead since 1890 with 768 stairs to 143 m.
Will Sagrada Familia pass Ulm?
Planned Jesus tower at 172.5 m would pass it. The tower was still under build in 2024, so it waits for topping out.
What is the tallest cathedral?
Cologne at 157.4 m. It is the tallest with two main towers and led the world 1880 to 1884.
What is the tallest domed church?
Our Lady of Peace at 158 m. Its dome sits lower than St Peter's but its cross runs taller.
Sources
- Wikipedia: List of tallest church buildings (Ulm 161.5; Peace 158.0; Cologne 157.4; Strasbourg 142.0; Lichen 141.5; St Peter 136.6; St Stephen 136.4; Hamburg St Peter 132.2; St Michaelis 132.1; Maringa 124.0; Bruges 122.3; San Gaudenzio 121.0 m)
- Britannica: 10 Tallest Churches (Sagrada 173; Ulm 162; Peace 158; Cologne 157; Strasbourg 142; St Peter 137; St Stephen 136 m)
- Hindustan Times Oct 4 2024 / AP: Ulm tallest since May 31 1890, Sagrada Jesus tower due 2025
Last verified: 2026-10-09 · 12 entries
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