St. Michael Church, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany

St. Michael's Church with its famous staircase towers majestically over Schwäbisch Hall's marketplace. It was consecrated on 10th February 1156 by the Bishop of Würzburg. From this period only the four bottom storeys of the Romanesque west tower have survived, along with the porch. From here the Archangel Michael – a stone sculpture from the late 13th century – watches over the trading on the marketplace and over the town as the guardian of justice. Outstanding works of Late Gothic art in the church interior include the large Netherlandish Passion Altar in the choir (c. 1460) and the Holy Sepulchre with its impressive mourners (1455/56).

From the marketplace the 53 steps of the vast staircase lead up to the Romanesque vestibule of the church, and another 160 steps take you up through the tower to the bell chambers and the former tower watchman's dwelling, which affords a magnificent view over the historic town centre. The staircase was constructed between 1507 and 1510/1511.

References:

int.stuttgart-tourist.de

User Reviews

Andrey Rudenko (2 years ago)
What a view! Climbing the tower is free and highly recommended. Be careful with the bells, they ring pretty loud every 15 minutes.

Brian Page (4 years ago)
St. Michael's...wow! What a beautiful church, inside and out. Make sure to climb the tower for amazing views of Schwabish Hall! They have live theatrical plays on the steps during Summer which is awesome. Great cultural learning.

Sylvia Pauly (5 years ago)
Dozens of wonderful details and a history that goes back past Roman times. From a family altar, to the 'unicorn' horn that hangs from the ceiling. Still a vibrant house of worship.

Mickey Steen (5 years ago)
The most fabulous church in Germany!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

St. Michael Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus