St. Petri Church is the oldest building in Malmö that was built in the mid 1300s. The large church is a huge tourist attraction in the city and is famous for its Gothic style of architecture. Also known as Saint Peter’s church, the medieval church building has a 105 meter tall tower and was built in “Baltic Brick Gothic” style. The exterior of the church is dark brick while the interior is stark white. The place has impressive lanterns and an ornate altar.
The church has a black limestone and sandstone pulpit that depicts the story of Jesus Christ. The church floor was earlier covered with gravestones but most of them have been removed now. A huge (15m) Baroque altar piece stands at the front of the church and the popular astronomical clock adds to the beauty. For the art aficionados, St. Petri church is the right place for exploration. The Tradesmen’s chapel (Kramarkapellet) has a wonderful collection of paintings from the 1400s that includes the Dance of Death and wine-pressing.
A Baptismal chapel adorned with Late Gothic wall paintings of animals and flowers lies towards the left of the entrance. Votive candles are lit in the church and placed on a metal candle holder that is in the shape of globe. It is said that St Peter, Christ’s disciple and also the first Pope of the Catholic Church, requested to be hung upside down on the cross. The request was made because he felt unworthy to die like Jesus himself.
Admission to the church is free. The church is open Monday through Friday, the timings being 8 am to 6 pm. On Saturdays, the timings are from 9 am to 6 pm and on Sundays it is from 10 am to 6 pm. The St. Petri church can be reached by the street between the Governor's Residence and the Malmö Town Hall.
