HAMBURG'S LANDMARK CHURCH ST. MICHAELIS
If it's Baroque it must be "Michel"
St.
Michaelis, Michelskirche or just “Michel”, St.
Michael’s
Church is northern Germany’s largest city’s most famous church
and the symbol of the city, a must-see tour stop for the sights
of Hamburg. Its high clock tower is one of the few that can be climbed
in the Hanseatic free city of Hamburg, offering one of the best panoramic
city views in Europe. Dedicated to the Archangel Michael’s
defeat of the devil at the end of times and illustrated with a beautiful
and haunting bronze sculpture over its
main entrance portal, the church was built in the mid 1700’s in
the Baroque style at the height of this northern port city’s economic
power as a shipping and trading center. It survived two major fires,
one of which destroyed much of Hamburg,
and the massive bombings of WWII, which Hamburg’s gothic cathedral
did not, except for a remaining ruin of one bell tower.
The
interior of the St. Michealis was designed to hold 3000 of the city’s protestant Lutherans, in white with gold
leaf decoration in theater like seating for the performances of its massive
organ.
The altar
is almost 50 feet high and the pulpit rises up over the pews with almost
the feeling of today’s revival mega churches. Musical performances
are still a regular attraction at St. Michael’s, especially Handel
and Hamburg hometown boys Mendelssohn and Brahms. The church’s
viewing platform in the bell tower can be reached by elevator or stairs,
with seperate admission, with
the interior
of its wood over brick construction visible.
Michaelskirche is located in the Neustadt area of the city near the
port over which it's clock tower provides breathtaking views (See Tour
Hamburg Harbor). This was the area of the city which grew
in the 1600’s
with the trade growth outside the original medieval section almost
no longer to
be recognized. Admission fees to the tower and music performance information
at Saint Michealis can be found on the web at www.hauptkirchen.de (unfortunately
in German) which also has information about the city’s other four
main churches. The church can be visited as part of the Hamburg City
Walk "Port
Promenade" and many city bus tours make it one of their main stops
for the church and the medieval shopping street nearby. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Compare best hotel and vacation deals in Hamburg
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE ALSO:
SUPERMODEL
SECRETARIES - HAMBURG
BERLIN-HAMBURG AT 240 KPH
GERMAN FAIRY TALE MUSEUM
FERRY
THE ELBE TO LUCKY CITY - GLUCKSTADT
A TOUR WALK AROUND MUNICH
HAMBURG BALLINSTADT EMIGRATION MUSEUM
