Hamburg – St Nicholas’s Church (Elevator and Views)

This glorious church was the tallest building in the world between 1874 and 1876 and it still remains the fifth tallest church in the world today. Unfortunately, other than the tower, the church was mostly destroyed during allied bombing of the city in 1943. Disappointingly, it could have been repaired after the Second World War as enough was left standing, but a decision was made to knock down most of what remained in 1951.

There are several parts of the church which remain today, some of the walls, some memorials and also the crypt which is now a museum. More of those in other posts…

There’s an elevator to the top of the tower and it’s fast and efficient, allowing visitors to get to just over 75 metres. The tower itself though is taller, topping out at 147 metres high. The sides are made of glass, so there are some good views of the tower’s interior when going up and down in the lift.

The elevator holds around eight people, although it wasn’t particularly busy when I visited. There’s a charge of €5, which includes admission to the museum, which was reduced for me as I had purchased the Hamburg Card.

The River Elbe and the Rathaus.

The Rathaus dominates the background.

Other views of the city centre, including the docks and old town areas. I’m not entirely sure that the whole elevator structure fits entirely well into the church, but if it brings money and people into the building then that’s a positive element.