- In the center of old town in Bern stands a beautiful structure called Zytglogge, or The Clock Tower. This spectacular building once stood as Bern’s western gate and its tower was once used to imprison prostitutes. One of its most interesting and unique features is the astronomical clock, which was added in 1527.
Bern Clock Tower by naturalbornstupid on flickr.com
From the beginning, it has been putting on a show of little figurines every four minutes before the hour and still does to this very day. The figures found in the clock are a crowing cock, a parade of bears, Chronos with his hourglass, as a dancing jester.
Bern Clock Tower by natralbornstupid on flickr.com
This show is what draws most of the visitors and is rather charming. The clock itself is quite intricate and shows a multitude of things: 24 hour clock, the twelve hours of daylight, as well as the position of the sun in the zodiac. It also shows the day of the week, the date, the month, the phases of the moon, and the elevation of the sun above the horizon throughout the year. This is a truly unique Clock Tower and any tour of Bern should include this particular sight.