La Tour de l’Horloge – The Clock Tower

The Clock Tower, in Paris

The Clock Tower shelters the first public clock of Paris, on the Île de la Cité. The Paris audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this historic monument, at the corner of the Conciergerie, which has given the time to Parisians since the Middle Ages.

The first public clock of Paris

The Clock Tower is a square tower that rises at the corner of the Conciergerie, on the Île de la Cité, at the edge of the Seine. It takes its name from the clock it bears, which has the particularity of being the first public clock installed in Paris. It is King Charles V who, in the fourteenth century, had this mechanism installed in order to give the official time to the inhabitants of the town, a great novelty at the time. The dial, richly decorated, is framed by allegorical sculptures and adorned with colours and gildings, which makes it a true work of art. Restored over the centuries, the clock continues to mark the passing time in the heart of Paris. A witness of the history of the town and of the advances in the measurement of time, the Clock Tower is an emblematic monument of the Île de la Cité.

What to see

You admire the square tower at the corner of the Conciergerie, which bears the first public clock of Paris, installed in the fourteenth century by King Charles V, with a richly decorated dial, framed by allegorical sculptures and adorned with colours and gildings, a true work of art. The Clock Tower is an emblematic monument of the Île de la Cité. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Clock Tower lies at the corner of the Conciergerie, on the Île de la Cité, in the heart of Paris, reachable on foot and by public transport. You admire the clock freely from the street; the tower is part of the monument of the Conciergerie. You discover it during a walk on the island.

What is particular about the Clock Tower in Paris?

It bears the first public clock installed in Paris, set up in the fourteenth century by King Charles V to give the official time to the inhabitants; its richly decorated dial adorned with gildings is a true work of art.

Where is the Clock Tower of Paris?

At the corner of the Conciergerie, on the Île de la Cité, in the heart of Paris, in France.