My Swiss Brick Trip Switzerland

Bern · about 1220 (gate); clockwork 1530

Zytglogge

The shelf › Bern › Zytglogge

Brick-built model of the Zytglogge on its display stand Zytglogge, BernBERN

My Swiss Brick Trip · Bern

Zytglogge

The Zytglogge is Bern's medieval clock tower, standing right across the main street of the old town. It began around 1220 as a town gate, later became a prison, and for more than 500 years it has told the city the time. Every hour, crowds gather to watch its little parade of moving figures.

Where
Bern
Built
about 1220 (gate); clockwork 1530
Pieces
934 (100 different parts), display stand included
Difficulty
Intermediate · about 2.5 hours (46 sideways (SNOT) parts)
On your shelf
13.4 × 27.5 cm, 26.2 cm tall
Bricks cost
≈ CHF 88 for new parts, plus shipping (rough estimate, 7 October 2026; BrickLink prices vary)

Exchange rates of 6 October 2026 (European Central Bank)

Download the booklet (PDF, 9.7 MB) Nameplate stickers (PDF)
Buy the bricks ↓
Coming soon: printed at cost, no margin

A little history

Built around 1220 as the west gate of the young town, it was raised when Bern grew past it and became a prison in the 1340s. Between 1527 and 1530 Kaspar Brunner built the clockwork that still drives the dials and the figures today.

Its present outline and colours date from a renovation in 1770–71; the painting on the west front is by Victor Surbek (1929–30).

The booklet opens with the full story: key dates, what to look for and where to find it.

Two sizes

Display edition of the Zytglogge

Display

934 pieces · ≈ CHF 88

The full model with its surroundings on the standard display stand, with the history pages in the booklet.

Buy the bricks ↓

Look inside the booklet

A few pages from the free PDF. Tap a page to open the booklet there.

Visiting the Zytglogge

Address
Bim Zytglogge 3, 3011 Bern
Getting there
Tram or bus to Zytglogge, right beside the tower, or a ten-minute walk from Bern station along Spitalgasse and Marktgasse.
Insider tip
Arrive about five minutes before the hour and watch from Kramgasse. The clockwork inside can only be seen on a guided tour; check current times before you go.

All around

Zytglogge model, hero view
Hero view
Zytglogge model, front left
Front left
Zytglogge model, front right
Front right
Zytglogge model, back left
Back left
Zytglogge model, back right
Back right
Zytglogge model, front
Front

Also in a package

BernCity package

1 set · 934 pieces · ≈ CHF 88

The Zytglogge clock tower and the arcaded Kramgasse. The Federal Palace and the Minster are next.

Buy the bricks

≈ CHF 88 for new parts, plus shipping (rough estimate, 7 October 2026; BrickLink prices vary) · 934 pieces in 100 lots

1 · Download Wanted List (XML) 2 · Open BrickLink upload page ↗ Parts list (CSV)

  1. Upload

    Log in to BrickLink (free account). On the upload page, choose the file (or paste the copied list), select Create New Wanted List, name it “Zytglogge”, click Proceed, then Add to Wanted List.

  2. Let BrickLink pick the shops

    Open the list and click Buy All. Use Auto-select, set your country (e.g. Switzerland or Europe) and untick shops whose minimum order you won't reach. Fewer shops means less shipping.

  3. Check out

    BrickLink creates one cart per shop. Check the totals, then pay each shop. Parts usually arrive within one to two weeks.

Prefer Brick Owl? Its Wishlist → Import accepts the same file (set condition to “New”). The CSV lists LDraw and BrickLink part numbers side by side for any other shop. More in the FAQ.