Posts mit dem Label Schwarzwald werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Posts mit dem Label Schwarzwald werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen

Dienstag, 19. März 2013

Odd things in Germany (1)

Today:

The world's largest cuckoo clock.

(No, this is not yet the world's largest cuckoo clock...)
Do you know anybody among your friends, your neighbours or in your family who owns a cuckoo clock?
(Or even you personally have one???)

Then you've a good chance you are Japanese, Chinese, Russian, British or from the United States
or from somewhere else outside Germany!

;-)

I do NOT know one German who owns such a peculiarity...
(...not even my parents...)
...although most of these cuckoo clocks are made in Germany.


Especially the Black Forest region is traditionally known for horology (--> watchmaking) and especially for what we call a cuckoo clock (German: Kuckucksuhr)

Last week, when travelling job-related through the Black Forest area in the southwest of Germany, I came around the town of Triberg, where several watchmakers are located.

Of course they're in direct competition with each other and they tout for the tourists attention.

So years ago the shop owners started to build large cuckoo clocks in front of their shops as an eye catcher.
Currently it's a company called Eble (Eble watch park) that has the biggest of all...
...so here it is!

For an entrance fee of currently € 2,- you can visit the huge clock mechanism.
So I paid the fee for you all, my friends, and took some photos.


The size of the unique clockwork is 4,5 x 4,5 meters and has a weight of 6 tons.
The lenght of the pendulum is 8 meters.
The wooden cuckoo has a weight of 150 kg!




The life-size puppet at the foot of the clockwork represents an historic "Kraxenträger" (18th to 20th century), a pedlar transporting his goods (--> clocks) afoot with a wooden back frame with shelf from front door to front door to sell them to households.


Has anybody of you, my dear friends, already visited this unique, but odd tourist trap?
;-))


Freitag, 15. März 2013

Winter hasn't finished yet... (follow-up)


Beneath the top of the Feldberg, the highest mountain in the Black Forest
and also of Germany outside the Alps; with an elevation of 1,493 metres.

 
Recent Tuesday.


German & British teenagers wanna have fun.

In blue bin bags.

In the snow.







I hope this was my last chapter and encounter with German winter in the first half of year 2013... ;-)