The Clock Tower

Here it is, Berne’s magnificent Clock Tower, or the Zytglogge, as it’s called in the local dialect. Every hour, it puts on a delightful show with medieval figurines. The show starts three minutes before the hour, when the carillon chimes, powered by a 16th-century mechanism that’s still operated by hand. Just like the start of a new day, the rooster crows first. Then a jester rings the bells above him, announcing the number of chimes for the upcoming hour, while a parade of seven bears begins to circle below Chronos, the personification of time. Each bear represents a day of the week. Sunday leads the way on horseback, and the others from Monday to Saturday follow, each one symbolising a different profession. Look closely and you’ll notice a clever little touch... The fourth bear, representing Wednesday, turns his head as he appears, marking the midweek turning point. When the hour strikes, Chronos flips his hourglass, nods his head with each chime, and waves his golden scepter, while a golden lion shakes its mane to match each strike. Don’t forget to look up at the top to see the mechanical figure strike the large bell with his hammer right on time – these kinds of clockwork figures are known as jacquemarts in Europe. Even if you miss the hourly show, take a moment to admire the astronomical clock just below. It displays Berne time, 90 minutes behind summer time and 30 minutes behind winter time. The ornate dial shows the moon’s position with a black and gold sphere that rotates to display its phases, while the zodiac signs move across the face of the clock. If you're curious to see how this old-world machinery works, you can join a guided tour, public or private, for a small fee. In under an hour, you'll uncover the secrets of the clock’s intricate mechanism and be rewarded with a spectacular view over the city from the top of its 130 steps.