My first visit in 2006 should probably count as a half-visit: I did go and see both churches but wasn't able to admire the art which has earned them their recognition as WHS. The Dom (St. Mary's Cathedral) was closed because of Mass, and St. Michael's was undergoing restorations. Viewed from the outside, both churches are very much alike. St. Michael's setting is a bit more impressive, on a hill just outside the city center.

In July 2011, while on my way back from the nearby Fagus Factory, I decided to stop in Hildesheim again. They still are very busy restoring these 2 Christian monuments: the Cathedral now is closed (until 2014 or 2015), and the St. Michael's Church is partly hidden under scaffolding.

Fortunately, they have finished working on the interior. The church is open to the public again. As Ian Cade has stated below, it looks almost too clean and fresh to be true. There's not much decoration inside, no miracle since this is a protestant church nowadays. But it holds some major works of art: the elaborate and colourful wooden ceiling, and two 11th-century bronze objects "on loan" from the Cathedral: its very fine baptismal font and the Easter column. Just realizing how very old these objects are, their state of preservation is amazing.