Attraction · Berlin · Updated on 1 November 2026.

World Clock in Berlin

World Clock is an attraction in Berlin, Germany. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 11 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 650 m you'll find a public toilet, a bench, a bike pump and a water point.

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The story

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Audio tour · World Clock

2:18

You're standing on Alexanderplatz in Berlin, next to the Weltzeituhr, the World Clock. Look up at that big metal drum with twenty-four sides. Each side stands for one time zone, with the names of cities engraved into it. There are 148 of them in all. Below the names runs a band of numbers from one to twenty-four, each in its own coloured box. Find your city, read the number underneath, and that's the hour there right now. If the number sits slightly off to one side, you can guess how many minutes past the hour it is.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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World Clock in Berlin: a time clock on Alexanderplatz

The Urania-Weltzeituhr in Berlin is a world clock that shows what time it is in other places around the world. The clock lists 148 cities, spread across 24 time zones. You look up a city and can see straight away what time it is there. The World Clock in Berlin has stood since 1969 and has long been a regular meeting point in the city. You will find it on Alexanderplatz in Berlin, 266 metres from the Fernsehturm Berlin.

What you can see at the Urania World Clock

Look up at the large metal ring with the engraved city names. Below the names runs a band with 24 numbers, each in its own coloured segment. Find your city and check which number is beneath it, and you will know what time it is there. If the number sits just to the side, you can see roughly how many minutes it is past the full hour. Cities such as Sint-Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Kaapstad and Seoul are all on the ring. The band moves all day, but so slowly that you cannot see it happen. On top, something does move visibly: a sculpture of steel rings and spheres that represents the solar system. It turns once every minute. With this sculpture included, the clock stands 10 metres tall and weighs 16 tonnes. Walk underneath the clock too. A compass rose is painted on the stones beneath your feet, and the slim column has 4 small clocks on it.

Urania World Clock: history of the Urania-Weltzeituhr

Erich John designed the clock. He got the idea when the remains of an old public clock from before the war were found during the redevelopment of the square. The clock was installed just before the 20th anniversary of the DDR, in the same period as the television tower. Its gear housing was converted from a part of a Trabant. In 1997 the clock was updated. Leningrad became Sint-Petersburg. 20 cities that the DDR had left out for political reasons were added. On Alexanderplatz, the clock was also a place of protest. On 7 October 1989, a demonstration against the regime began here. More than 1,200 people were arrested. 33 days later, the Muur fell. Since 2015, the clock has been a protected monument.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

The nearest public toilet to the World Clock in Berlin is 43 metres away, near Alexanderplatz. It is wheelchair accessible and has a baby changing table. There are 9 public toilets within 500 metres. Benches are plentiful too. The nearest one is 96 metres away, also near Alexanderplatz, and there are 137 within 500 metres. Drinking water is harder to find. There is no water point within 500 metres. The nearest one is 651 metres away, on Neue Jüdenstraße. You can fill a bottle there, and the point is wheelchair accessible. It is a good idea to carry a full bottle with you. If you are cycling, there is a free bike pump 244 metres away on Alexanderstraße. It is the only bike pump within 500 metres.

Walking and more to see nearby

The area has plenty to see if you walk a little further. The Berliner Fernsehturm is an attraction with its own audio story, and at 266 metres you can listen to it on the way. After 774 metres you reach Hackescher Markt, which is also an attraction with an audio story. The Humboldt Forum is a museum at 940 metres, and there is an audio story about it too. The audio story about the Urania-Weltzeituhr lasts 2 minutes, and you can listen to it on the spot in the Outdoor Pitstop app.

Facilities near World Clock

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 11 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Fernsehturm Berlin · 270 m

Photo: L-BBE · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Hackescher Markt · 770 m

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Berlin Cathedral · 860 m

Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 deView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Humboldt Forum · 940 m

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Gendarmenmarkt · 1.7 km

Photo: Christoph Matthias Siebenborn · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Fernsehturm Berlin on the spot with the app

All 760 points of interest in Berlin →

Also within walking distance

The 10 nearest points of interest with a story, within 2 km.

All 760 points of interest in Berlin →

Walks within 2 km

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Cycle routes within 5 km

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Frequently asked questions

What is the World Clock in Berlin?

The World Clock (Weltzeituhr) in Berlin is a world clock on Alexanderplatz that shows the time in other cities. The ring has 24 sides, one per time zone, with 148 cities engraved on it in total.

When was the world clock in Berlin built?

The Weltzeituhr was installed on Alexanderplatz in 1969, shortly before the 20th anniversary of the DDR.

How tall is the world clock in Berlin?

The Weltzeituhr is 10 metres tall, with a model of the solar system on top. The clock weighs 16 tonnes.

Is there a toilet near the world clock in Berlin?

The nearest public toilet is 43 metres away, on Alexanderplatz. It is wheelchair accessible and has a baby changing table, and there are 9 public toilets within 500 metres.

Are there benches near the world clock in Berlin?

Yes, the nearest bench is 96 metres away, on Alexanderplatz. There are 137 benches within 500 metres.

Where can I find drinking water near the world clock in Berlin?

The nearest drinking water point is 651 metres away, on Neue Jüdenstraße. You can fill a bottle there and it is wheelchair accessible, but there is no drinking water point within 500 metres.