Strasbourg Astronomical Clock (Horloge Astronomique), Strasbourg: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

 

Strasbourg Astronomical Clock stands in the south transept of Strasbourg Cathedral, measuring roughly 18 meters tall with a painted facade dating to the 1570s. The current mechanism was installed by Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué in 1843, replacing an earlier clock, and calculates the positions of the sun, moon, and several planets, along with eclipses and equinoxes. Each day at 12:30 p.m., an automaton procession of the Twelve Apostles passes before a figure of Christ while a rooster crows and flaps its wings. The clock also displays a perpetual calendar and the current phase of the moon. is just one of many options in Strasbourg. Major attractions worth considering include Grande Île, Rohan Palace (Palais Rohan), and Alsatian Museum (Musée Alsacien).