HAMBURG

St.Michaelis Church (known as Michel to the HAMBURGERS) is the newest of Hamburg's main churches. It is a city landmark towering 132 metres with magnificent views over the city from the viewing platform below the dome. It has undergone many transformations. The first church built in 1649-61 was destroyed on 1750 by a strike of lightening; the second (built in 1750-62\0 burned to the ground in 1906. With the help of numerous donations, it was completely r built in 1907-1912. The viewing platform can be reached by 452 steps or a lift. Guess which we used.

The architect of the building in the centre of the photo is Hadi Teheran The dancing couple slants up to three metres away from the vertical axis. To find out more about this building look here: www.haditeherani.com/en/works/tanzende-t%C3%BCrme Many thanks to Gerrit and Klaus.

Almost as far up Michel as the general public can get.

Above the main entrance to St Michaeliis, Satan writhes at the feet of the Archangel Michael who is shown defeating the Devil with a cross-shaped lance. This photo is taken from a window inside the church.

The church balconies are curved and seem to give a sense of movement to the inside of St Michaelis.

The large Steinmeyer organ is the main organ of St Michael’s. Built in 1960-2 as Opus 2000 by the Steinmeyer firm, it has 5 manuals and pedal and 85 stops. It was dedicated in March 1962. With its 6,665 pipes, it is the largest organ in St Michaelis.

The Museumshafen (Museum Harbour) Oevelgönne is a wonderful destination on the Elbe beach for young and old. Around 20 vintage ships are anchored at this location – including German and Dutch flat-bottomed vessels (the leeboards of which challenge the public to work out their purpose), steam tugs and barges. Many of the ships anchored here were discovered as wrecks rotting away at remote locations, and most have been faithfully restored over years of painstaking labour, using historical literature, models and drawings. Not only the association's own vessels are anchored in Oevelgönne; private ships of association members and ships with their own associations, such as the steam icebreaker "STETTIN", have also found a home here.

Since November 1934, the lighthouse has been securing navigation on the Elbe river with lights reaching far for seven nautical miles. It marked the southern tip of the island of Pagensand. In November 2015 it was relocated by barge and placed at the Museumshafen Oevelgönne on the north bank of the Elbe at Neumühlen.