The world's largest cuckoo clock in the Eble Clock Park
The eponymous cuckoo, which leaves its little house on the hour, delights young and old alike. It can be found in numerous living rooms around the world in an artistically crafted clock. Genuine cuckoo clocks are made in the Black Forest - and so every single clock contains a piece of Black Forest tradition, which is now available in countless versions. But there is one that towers above them all in terms of size and it is, of course, in the Black Forest: the world's largest cuckoo clock, created in countless hours of work in the Eble Clock Park. Come, marvel and enter the place where the cuckoo lives. The largest cuckoo clock opens its doors to visitors every day and invites you into a world that you can otherwise only experience from the outside. A must for all clock lovers, Black Forest enthusiasts and fans of the cuckoo! Our clockmaker Johann will be happy to explain the clockwork to you.
We offer guided tours of the clockwork in the following languages:
German, English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Chinese.
All about the world's largest cuckoo clock in the Eble Clock Park
A cuckoo clock so big that you can walk on it? We present to you the largest cuckoo clock in the Black Forest and in the world. The clock combines traditional craftsmanship with precision. The result is a spectacular sight that conceals a technical masterpiece. You will find the clock in Schonachbach 27 in Triberg, in the heart of the Black Forest - the cradle of cuckoo clocks.
No other clock in the world currently stretches to such dimensions! 4.50 metres tall, the cuckoo alone is taller than you, made entirely of wood and painted by hand! The bird, which is anything but small, weighs in at 150 kilograms. The pendulum is 8 metres long and weighs 100 kilograms.
And the best thing about the world's largest cuckoo clock is that it works and reliably tells the time. This is because a fully functional clockwork beats inside it. It is a replica of an original clockwork, much, much smaller in size, with a scale of 60 to 1, so the magnificent clockwork, which you can view via a staircase, measures 4.5 by 4.5 metres. And despite its size, it is driven purely mechanically in accordance with tradition - by two huge pine cone weights.
Two bellows produce the typical cuckoo call. The little bird calls once every half hour and announces the time on the hour. This is an experience in the world's largest cuckoo clock.
Black Forest tradition: cuckoo clocks in all sizes
Clockmaking has a long tradition in the Black Forest. It was the harsh cold winters that prompted farmers in the Black Forest to make clocks by hand at home at the kitchen table. Today, cuckoo clocks are world-famous as wall clocks with mechanical pendulum movements made in the Black Forest.
The trademark of every Black Forest clock is, of course, the little bird that announces the time with its call, triggered by a striking mechanism. A railway keeper's cottage, typical of this region in the 19th century, with a clock face, gives the clocks their characteristic appearance. Today, there are numerous variations of these classic versions, available as 1-day cuckoo clocks or 8-day cuckoo clocks. They are hand-carved and feature ornate details.
But the well-known cuckoo also cuts a fine figure in a new guise: modern cuckoo clocks are constantly reinterpreting the traditional clock and stylising it into a design object. Another speciality today are mini cuckoo clocks. These miniature versions fit into even the tiniest of spaces and are the absolute antithesis of the world's largest.
5 years, four hands: how the world's largest cuckoo clock was made
Despite its truly gigantic dimensions, the world's largest cuckoo clock was traditionally made by hand using delicate craftsmanship. Not a single part of the majestic structure comes from series production. It is a completely one-off production. A small model measuring 7.5 x 7.5 centimetres served as a model, which was faithfully reproduced in every detail.
It took five years to realise this mammoth project with its gigantic dimensions. in 1990, master clockmakers Ewald and Ralf Eble from Triberg-Schonachbach began building the Black Forest clock, which takes up an entire house. They found a solution for every technical difficulty that arose during this time. And so, in 1994, the technical masterpiece was completed. Three years later, the Guinness Book of Records recognised the construction as the largest cuckoo clock in the world.
Visiting the cuckoo: the world's largest cuckoo clock welcomes guests to Triberg
While standard one-day cuckoo clocks are only an eye-catcher in the living room, you can recognise the world's largest model from the B33 main road leading to Triberg. The neat little house, which opens its doors to international guests every day, stands majestically in the centre of the Eble Clock Park.
A large car park in the immediate vicinity welcomes visitors. The craftsmanship is evident even from the outside. The bird lives in the attic and appears in the window every hour and every half hour. A real sensation every time, and not just for children!
Clock fans and lovers of sophisticated clock technology will get their money's worth inside. Here you can experience the movement of the largest cuckoo clock live and up close. Clockmaker Johann will explain it to you in detail.
We offer guided tours of the clockwork in the following languages:
German, English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Chinese.
German, English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Chinese.
The neighbouring Eble Clock Park is also always worth a visit. Here you can discover 1000 square metres of Black Forest clock art in all its facets, including the in-house Eble cuckoo clocks - a perfect souvenir and the world's largest cuckoo clock in miniature, so to speak.