St. Michael's Church
Hauptkirche St. Michaelis (Michel)
The Baroque cathedral nicknamed 'Michel' by locals; its 132-metre verdigris tower is the emblem of this port city, and you can climb it for views over the harbour.
St. Michael's Church is the most famous Baroque Protestant church in northern Germany. It has been rebuilt several times after lightning strikes and wars, and its present form was completed in 1912. The spacious white-and-gold nave seats about 2,500 people and houses five organs, and short organ recitals are often held at midday. The tower is about 132 m tall. You can take an elevator or climb 452 steps to the observation deck at about 106 m, with views over the harbour cranes, the Elbphilharmonie and the city centre, the classic bird's-eye view of Hamburg. The underground crypt holds the grave of the composer C.P.E. Bach and an exhibition on city history. Admission to the tower and crypt requires a ticket (roughly a few euros to over ten euros; check the official website). Nearby, Krameramtsstuben is a lane of 17th-century widows' houses. It is about a 10-minute walk from the harbour landing stages, or reachable by U-Bahn at Baumwall or S-Bahn at Stadthausbrücke.
Opening hours
About 9:00am–7:00pm (10:00am–6:00pm in winter); the main hall is closed to visitors during services
Nearby sights
- Krameramtsstuben
- Cap San Diego Museum Ship
- Bismarck Monument
- Rickmer Rickmers Museum Ship
- Elbphilharmonie
- Miniatur Wunderland
- Hamburg Dungeon
- St. Nikolai Memorial