Just a few steps away from the City Hall, St. Petri, named for the apostle Petrus, is one of Hamburg's five main Christian churches. Built in the eleventh century, it became Hamburg's oldest church after the Mariendom was torn down in 1805.
Although during the Great Fire of 1842 the Gothic church was entirely consumed by the flames, just seven years later, the newly reconstructed building was introduced to the public. During WWII, in July of 1943, the air attacks of 'Operation Gomorrah' caused yet another massive fire in the city. Fortunately, this time tower wasn't seriously damaged, though the same cannot be said of the rest of the city, nearly half of which was destroyed.
If you manage to climb the 544 steps to the viewing platform, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful view through the tower's portholes. From this remarkable height, you overlook the entire city centre, including the City Hall, the Alster Lakes and even the cranes in the port far in the distance.
The tower is open from Monday to Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The last entry to the tower's staircase is at 4:30 p.m.
Visiting hours may change, so please check the church's website for the latest information.
www.sankt-petri.de (German only).
