St. Michael’s Church (Hamburger Michel)

St. Michaelis, known to everyone in Hamburg simply as the Michel, has been a landmark for sailors on the Elbe for centuries. The present building is the third on the site. The first church was destroyed by lightning in 1750, its successor was completed in 1762 with a tower finished in 1786, and that church burned in 1906 during repair work. It was rebuilt in its old form but with a steel and concrete structure, reopening in 1912, then repaired again after bomb damage in the Second World War and fully restored by 2009.

Inside, the Baroque interior is built on a Latin cross plan and seats around 2,500, which makes it the largest church in Hamburg. Music is central to the church's life: it has five organs, including a large Steinmeyer organ with more than 6,600 pipes and a Marcussen concert organ. Johannes Brahms was baptised here in 1833.

Most visitors also climb or ride up the 132-metre tower. The viewing platform sits about 83 metres above the ground, with views over the city and the harbour. The four clock faces, each 8 metres across, are the largest in Germany. A long-standing tradition sees a tower musician play a chorale on the trumpet from the tower; time your visit to hear it if you can.

Below the church, the crypt was used for burials for many years and holds more than 2,000 graves, including those of the composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and the church's architect Ernst Georg Sonnin. It also served as an air-raid shelter during the war and is now used for exhibitions and concerts.

The church's own site lists the tower and crypt as open from 10:00 to 18:00 and the church from 12:30 to 18:00 with a short window before midday, though times are subject to change for services and concerts. Tickets are needed for the tower and crypt. A weekday midday prayer is held at 12:00. Allow an hour to 90 minutes for all three parts.

The church stands in the Neustadt, between the old town and the harbour, so it fits well into a walk that continues down to the waterfront. Guided tours and self-guided visits can be arranged through the church.