Things to Do in Christuskirche

Christuskirche interior and stained glass

Step inside on a weekday morning when the eastern stained glass (donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II himself) throws ruby and cobalt panels across the white plastered walls. The marble altar is Italian. The bronze baptismal font is a gift from the Kaiser's wife, and the whole space smells faintly of beeswax polish and old hymnals. It's smaller than the exterior suggests, which is part of the charm.

Sunset photography from the steps

The west-facing steps catch the last hour of daylight and frame the church's spire against the granite kopjes behind. Bring a wide lens. You'll want to capture the contrast between the sandstone facade and the impossible blue of the Namibian sky, which seems to deepen by the minute as the sun drops. Around 5:30pm in winter, 7pm in summer, the light goes through about four distinct colour temperatures.

Independence Memorial Museum next door

Look up. The gold-and-glass tower right beside Christuskirche is the Independence Memorial Museum. The contrast between the two (German colonial church, North Korean-built liberation museum) tells you most of what you need to know about Namibian history in one glance. The top-floor restaurant has the best aerial view of Christuskirche you'll get without a drone.

Alte Feste fort and the old colonial precinct

A short walk away. Three minutes' walk from the church steps, the whitewashed walls of the Alte Feste (Windhoek's oldest surviving building, dating to 1890) give you a sense of just how recent permanent European presence is here. The fort has been closed for renovation on and off for years. But the exterior walk-around, with its old cannons and views back toward Christuskirche, is worth twenty minutes.

Sunday morning service in German

Come open-minded. If you're curious about the living half of Christuskirche's identity, the 10am Sunday service is conducted in German with hymns sung by a small but committed congregation. You don't need to be Lutheran, German, or even devout. Visitors slip in quietly at the back all the time, and the acoustics under the vaulted ceiling are honestly lovely. It runs about an hour.

Klein Windhoek is leafy and residential. Ten minutes by car from the church, it's home to most of the city's best guesthouses.

CBD around Independence Avenue. Walking distance to Christuskirche, mid-range hotels, livelier at night than the residential areas.

Eros sits north of the centre. Quieter neighborhood with garden lodges and good value mid-range options.

Ludwigsdorf is an upmarket hillside suburb. Boutique guesthouses, panoramic city views, a fifteen-minute drive in.

Avis: eastern suburb closer to the airport road. Decent for early flights. Otherwise a bit removed from the action.

Olympia sits south of the CBD. Mix of budget guesthouses and self-catering apartments. Easy taxi to the church.