Eileen

Will be going to Germany for the first time next spring. Is the Black Forest area the best for buying cuckoo clocks or can they be found around Bavaria? Does anyone know of a particularly good shop? Thanks.

Rex

The area around Triberg/Schoenwald/Schonach is "ground zero" for cuckoo clock making (and sales to tourists). <BR> <BR>Schonach - - www,schonach.de - - in particular, is one of the "Family-Friendly 17" villages which may be of interest to you - - http://www.familien-ferien.de/deutsch/anreise_lage.htm for more info. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

xxxxx

Drive thru the black forest at 12:00pm and put your head out the window let your ears be your guide

Philip

I bought mine in Triberg. I think all the stores are pretty much the same in that town, i.e. same price, same merchandise, etc.

Al

We bought ours in a small shop in Furtwangen, in the Black Forest. It has survived three moves and twice bring dropped. The latter was very hard on the carved animals. Amazing what glue and patience can perform.

Lauren

House of 1000 Clocks in Triberg has just about all the clocks anyone can stand.

noname

Lauren, <BR>Love the way you put that!

Lauren

I did buy a small clock at House of 1000 Clocks in Triberg, but definitely NOT a cuckoo clock. I can't stand them--and I have no desire to mess with the winding mechanism. <BR> <BR>If you cannot find a clock in Triberg, you won't be able to find one anywhere in the world. I overdosed on clocks and basically just bought one because I was there--and not because I really wanted one.

steve`

bought mine at a dept store in Munich, our last stop. Didn't have to lug it around for weeks. Germany has very strict pricing laws so I am guessing that the same clock has the same price throughout the country

ohoh

Mine is a family keepsake. My great-great-grandparents were married and came over to the US when they were 19 and 16 years old in 1899. For some reason he had to return to Germany (somewhere in Bavaria...wish I had better info)leaving his then 17 year old wife alone in Milwaukee. (Not exactly like he could fly Northwest or United -- the passage took a couple weeks and he was gone for months) He brought the clock back as a present. It is gorgeous and has survived many generations of children being held up to see the cuckoo, including one who climbed up on his own and picked off one of the ivory numerals. The numeral was replaced when (after surviving a tornado the house did not) a wonderful clock maker in Northern Illinois restored it to glory in 1965...including sending away to Bavaria for the right wood so he could carve a replacement leaf for one which had been smashed to bits. I recently paid $250 to have the clock cleaned and restored (the paper bellows were deteriorating, and several other parts needed to be replaced. While it actually did keep good time, it chimes/crows every 15 minutes so we don't run it 24/7)). I noticed a tremendous difference in clocks, not only new ones but other old ones being restored, cleaned, etc. Pay particular attention to the quality of the carving on tiny details -- the birds (even though they are only seen when they pop out!) the doors, and the borders around the face of the clock.

Bob

You can buy a clock many places. We bought ours in Triberg. Note a few tips that I picked up regarding cuckoo clocks: <BR> <BR>Get one with a dark chain, not shiny gold as it will soon tarnish. They have both kinds. <BR> <BR>Get one with real carved wooden weights, not the stamped fake wood weights that are also sold in the US. Ask for real carved wooden weights. The look of your clock will be noticably better. <BR> <BR>Look at the sides and top of the clock. The good ones will be finished on top with small shingles and finished on the sides also. The cheap ones will be plain, flat wood. <BR> <BR>Ask how long the clock runs before you have to pull up the weights. This will vary. Ours is daily. You can get ones that last longer. <BR> <BR>Ask to see the workings. Some are plastic. Get metal. <BR> <BR>Ask how you turn the sound off while keeping the clock running. The cheap ones will be all or nothing. The good ones will allow you to turn the music off while still keeping the time. You will want this feature. <BR> <BR>Why do I say all this? If you simply want a cheap cuckoo, you can buy it in the US. With some help from a German clockmaker that knows good clocks you can get a classic cuckoo in Germany for the same price or a little more. One that will be a future keepsake. If you want the cheap one....get it at Kmart and save the trip.

ohoh

Actually, authentic weights should be made of cast iron -- most are shaped to look like long pine cones. The size will depend on the size of the clock. Mine is quite large and the three weights are each about 3lbs. I don't exactly understand how a "quiet" clock would keep time, unless it has a totally 21st century digital workings -- an authentic clock that works on the principle of weights and the pendulum is not necessarily "cheap." It may, in fact, be a work of art. But Bob is right about making sure you are looking at carved wood and not some molded substitute, and that plastic anywhere is a real alarm button.

Alma

I had a cuckoo clock for many years when I lived in NY.(30 years ago)It was bought in the Black Forest. It played music,cuckooed and had two people dancing with the music. The weights were cast iron &shaped like pine cones. <BR>Anyway, I moved to Florida and within 2 years, the whole inside rusted from the humidity. If you live in a humid climate, check with the company. I wish I could replace my clock (which sits on a high shelf even if it doesn't work). It was bought for about $75.00 30yrs.ago and now, a similar clock is about $800.00! A bit too much for me!

Bob

The weight question is good. My clocks are not that large. The weights I was referring to above are carved out of wood and have lead inside them for the weight. They look very good and do the job well. <BR> <BR>I also have a cuckoo clock that you can silence the music part and not the timekeeping part. It is great when you have guests in the house that are not used to hearing the clocks in the evening. This to me is a key feature on any clock. We have one clock we love but cannot turn off the sound and it is very loud. Always try to get one with the option to silence the clock while still keeping time.

Bob

Top for information.

Rita

When my husband & I visited Germany in 1989, his primary objective was to buy a cuckoo clock from the person who actually made it - NOT from a cuckoo clock factory. We found such a person just outside Schonach (north of Triberg). Robert Herr, his wife and wife's father were in business together making the clocks. He showed Andy around his workshop, how he cured the wood, carved it, etc. We ordered a custom-made cuckoo clock that was shipped back to the US several months later.<BR><BR>We went back to Germany this summer & Andy was determined to locate Robert Herr and have him create another clock for us. We located his shop and now his son (I don't recall the son's name) is also in business with his dad & grandpa. Andy wanted the new clock made by Robert (since he made the last clock) & was probably the best. The son showed us an magazine article where HE won a clock carving contest (his dad, Robert, came in 2nd place). So...the gist of this story is that both of our kids found clocks & the Herrs are making us another clock for our rec room, too.<BR>Check out his shop - again, just north of Triberg on the highway to Schonach.