Zytglogge

Called Zeitglockenturm in High German, it was once part of the city's western gate (1191-1256). It's reminiscent of the Astronomical Clock in Prague's old town square in that crowds congregate to watch it chime - and then wonder why. The clock's revolving figures begin twirling at four minutes before the hour, after which the actual chimes begin. Tours enter the tower to see the clock mechanism between May and October (contact the tourist office).

It's said the clock tower helped Albert Einstein hone his theory of relativity, developed while working as a patent clerk in Bern. The great scientist surmised, while travelling on a tram away from the tower, that if the tram were going at the speed of light, the clock tower would remain on the same time, while his own watch would continue to tick - proving time was relative.