Catholic Trinity Church

The Church of the Holy Trinity (Dreifaltigkeitskirche) in Bern is a Catholic basilica on Taubenstrasse, in the centre of the Swiss capital. A late 19th-century Neo-Romanesque building, it stands out for its tall flanking tower and its richly painted interior.

What is this church, and who built it?

The church went up between 1896 and 1898 to designs by Heinrich Viktor von Segesser, an architect from Lucerne. It was only the second Roman Catholic church in Bern since the Reformation, a reminder of how long Protestantism shaped the city. Segesser also designed the neighbouring parish house at Taubenstrasse 4. In 1956 the church was named a minor basilica.

What does the exterior look like?

The building is a three-aisled Neo-Romanesque basilica with a choir ending in three apses and a high tower beside the nave. Its floor plan and elevation follow the basilica of San Zeno in Verona, so anyone who knows Romanesque churches in northern Italy will spot the influence.

What will you see inside?

The interior took decades to complete. Alois Balmer painted the Trinity in the main apse in 1903, wall paintings followed in 1912-13, and August Müller-Warth finished the decoration of the central nave in 1921-22. After restoration attempts between 2003 and 2007, the artist Jörg Niederberger reshaped the side aisles and the apse semi-dome, so older and contemporary layers of decoration now sit together.

Music lovers should look at the organs. The large Mathis instrument from 1980 has three manuals and pedals, and Marco Fratti built the choir organ in 2008. Concerts are held here from time to time; the parish website kathbern.ch lists current dates.

How should you plan a visit?

This is a working church, so it is best to visit outside service times and to keep quiet and dress modestly. Its central location makes it easy to combine with a walk through the old town and the area around the Federal Palace. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for a look around, and more if you want to study the paintings and organs.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Holy Trinity Church in Bern built? Construction ran from 1896 to 1898, but the interior painting was only completed in 1921-22.

Who designed the church? Heinrich Viktor von Segesser of Lucerne, who also designed the nearby parish house.

Which church served as its model? The plan and elevation echo the basilica of San Zeno in Verona.

Does the church have basilica status? Yes, it was named a minor basilica in 1956.