St. Peter's Church

This guide to St. Peter's Church in Hamburg opens on a small bronze lion's-head handle at the west door, cast around 1342 by smiths who had never actually seen a lion. It follows the handle through the Great Fire that tore through Hamburg for three days in May 1842, as townspeople ran into the burning nave to save what they could before the roof gave way. Reach out and touch the worn muzzle before you step inside.