The nightwatch
Overview
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Hint
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Intro
The bell tower of the Gothic cathedral, high on the hill on which the Old Town is built, is home to the city’s most enigmatic resident.
Lausanne’s nightwatch, who from his eyrie calls out the hour every night from 10pm to 2am. Perched in his den 75 metres above ground, at the heart of the high tower, the watchman sends his message to four points on the horizon across the roofs of the old town. “C’est le guet, il a sonné dix, il a sonné dix...” (This is the night watch, the hour has struck…). In so doing, he keeps alive a tradition that stretches back more than 600 years – to the Middle Ages, when his predecessors played the all-important role of raising the alarm when fire broke out in the city.
This spectacle lasts twenty minutes and can be seen from some bridges and squares in the town, since the tower is illuminated especially for this purpose.
General information
| Time required |
Less than 1 hour
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|---|---|
| Weather |
Indoor and outdoor
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| Category |
Culture, Urban
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Contact
Lausanne Tourisme
Avenue de Rhodanie 2
Case postale 975
1000
Lausanne
Switzerland
Phone
+41 (0)21 613 73 73
Fax +41 (0)21 616 86 47
info@lausanne-tourisme.ch
lausanne-tourisme.ch
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