HAUPTKIRCHE SANKT MICHAELIS (CHURCH OF SAINT MICHAEL)

This imposing building is the most important baroque church in Northern Germany, the most famous church in Hamburg and one of the symbols of the city. It is affectionately called "Der Michel" by the locals. It is also one of the five main Lutheran churches in Hamburg and the largest in the city with 2,500 seats. It was built between 1647 and 1669, then reworked and rebuilt several times afterwards due to lightning, fires and bombings. It is a baroque building in red brick, 27 meters high for its central part, and 132 meters for its tower. You can climb the 453 steps of the latter to get one of the best views of the city. A grandiose view of the Elbe and the harbor that allows you to understand Hamburg and its harbor front. Seeing the cranes and containers from up there is really worth it! The interior of the church is richly decorated and worth a visit for its size. It is dazzlingly white, vast and bright. Little Johannes Brahms was baptized and confirmed here. The five organs of the church are impressive. They are among the largest installations in Germany. You have to visit it on weekdays around 10 am or 9 pm, and on Sundays around 12 noon to hear the trumpeter who has been playing a tune in each cardinal direction for centuries. Until 1861, it was the signal that warned of the opening and closing of the city gates.