Visiting Höllsteig Germany and its cuckoo clock

There are quite a few nice memories associated with cuckoo clocks. The very first time I saw an actual bird-clock was when visiting the Salar Jung museum in Hyderabad. It wasn't a cuckoo which popped out though, but a hooting owl to declare the hours.

Then there was one of my all-time favourite films, the Sound of Music, in which one of songs is: ....And in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say "cuckoo"...

This, of course, is referring to a cuckoo clock. The place to be if you want to buy cuckoo clocks are the small towns in Germany, such as Triberg, Hornberg, Titisee-Neustadt and Höllsteig.




World's largest cuckoo clock

Höllsteig is a quaint little town in Germany, much like many other charming towns elsewhere in the country. It is primarily famous due to it being the home of what is considered as the world's largest cuckoo clock, which was built in 1994. The exterior of this clock's home is a fairytale-like cottage with - what else? - a clock on the wall. Above it is a small flowering balcony with 3 couples in dance mode. When the hour strikes, the cuckoo pops out of its hatch & a water mill at the side of the cottage starts its work. Once the cuckoo pops back in again, the dancing couples waltz around in a circular motion. 

Dance figurines twirl after the cuckoo goes back into into little door above them

In front of the cottage are beautiful hued flowers which make a pretty picture.

Pretty blooming flowers outside

In the clock shops, there are, of course, lots & lots of clocks to select from. Each clock has miniature figurines of people, birds & animals in different settings.

Hunter Clock

There are warning signs everywhere, admonishing you not to touch anything.

Many of the cuckoo clocks depict farm scenes with miniature farmers, hens, goats, etc. There are clocks depicting professions too, such as wood choppers, hunters, fishermen, musicians...and clock-makers.

 

Address:

Höllsteig 76, 79874 Breitnau 

Timings: 9a.m. to 6p.m.