Clock Tower

The Clock Tower of Bern, located in the center of the Old Town, used to play the role of a defensive structure. There was even an idea to add a prison to the tower and its walls, but the idea did not become a reality. Now the tower is a symbol not only of the city, but of the whole of Switzerland.

The mechanism of the astronomical clock, installed in the tower by Kaspar Brunner in the XVI century, is still valid today. Nowadays, every hour on the tower you can watch a small performance in which bears, roosters and Chronos take part. Near the tower there is a rail triangle on which the carriages of the 12th trolleybus route run.

During the great fire in the XV century, the tower, on which the clock hangs, completely burned down. After the fire, an astronomical clock with a musical mechanism was installed on the tower, which gave it the name “time bell”. Above the clock there is also another clock with an ordinary dial, which shows the movement of the stars and signs of the zodiac.

The height of the tower in the late Baroque style reaches almost 55 meters. Since the XVIII century, the tower has fully preserved its historical appearance.