Behind the Scenes in a Massive 500-Year-Old Swiss Cuckoo Clock

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Published Aug 23, 2017

A ritual for travelers around Europe is to gather at noon and see old medieval clock towers shift into action for a show that — centuries ago — was impressive. It’s generally pretty anticlimactic by modern standards: A rooster crows, a statue of Jesus stiffly offers a blessing as a carousel of Apostles jolts into motion, the Grim Reaper tips his annoying hourglass, and a jester dings his dong.
In an attempt to give the show a little more razzle-dazzle, here’s a look at the actual gears behind the scenes. Imagine the wow factor of this mechanical spectacle if you were a pilgrim passing through Bern in 1530.
(This clip was filmed with the help of Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, the brilliant photographer who shoots most of the gorgeous photographs we use on , and my local guide Marie-Therese Lauper, who loves to show off her town’s clock tower.)

Category: Travel

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Behind the Scenes in a Massive 500-Year-Old Swiss Cuckoo Clock

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