Tour de l'Horloge, Medieval clock tower at Palais de la Cité, France
The Tour de l'Horloge is a tower with thick stone walls and a square dial decorated with golden rays on an azure background. It rises prominently over the Palais de la Cité and serves as a defining feature of this historic complex.
The tower was built between 1350 and 1353 under King Jean II le Bon and received Paris's first public clock in 1370 by watchmaker Henri de Vic. This timepiece transformed the location into a center for measuring time across the city.
The clock face displays Latin inscriptions referencing the crowns of kings and philosophical statements about justice. These texts reflect how rulers viewed the tower's role in their realm.
The tower is easily accessible by Metro Line 4 at Cité station or by several bus lines serving the Palais de la Cité area. Visitors should note that the location sits in a busy historic zone and can become quite crowded on weekends.
The clock mechanism features bronzed copper hands with detailed designs that move against a background maintaining its medieval characteristics through the centuries. These details are often overlooked but reveal the craftsmanship invested in the original construction.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
