Zytglogge
B3 ⌂ Bim Zytglogge 1 § 031 328 12 12 # Apr–Oct & 26–31 Dec: 2:30–3:20pm daily
The eclectic Zytglogge, also widely known as the Zeitglockenturm, is Bern’s most striking central landmark. Located at the heart of the medieval Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – this clock tower is one of the most visited sights in the city.
The clock tower was the town’s west gate from 1191 to 1250, when it was superseded by the Käfigturm. Rebuilt after the fire of 1405, the Zytglogge was then used as a prison. Its distinctive astronomical clock was made by Caspar Brunner in 1527–30 and contains mechanical figures, including bears and a crowing cock that begin their procession on the clock’s east face four minutes before it strikes the hour. A guided tour allows visitors to observe the clock’s impressive original mechanism (still in working order although no longer used), as well as see the rooms in the tower and admire the view.
t The softly lit arcade under Bern’s iconic Zytglogge, at twilight
Experience Bern
t Internal mechanics of the astronomical clock on display in the tower
The Tower’s Bell
With a diameter of 127 cm (50 in) and a weight of 1,400 kg (3,100 lb) the tower’s hour bell has remained unchanged since the tower’s construction. An inscription carved on the bell reads, in Latin: “In the October month of the year 1405 I was cast by Master John called Reber of Aarau. I am vessel and wax, and to all I tell the hours of the day.” Below it hangs the smaller quarter hour bell, cast in 1887 to replace the cracked 1486 original.