Sign up
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The gauge tower at Landungsbrücken shows two things that matter more in a port than any wristwatch: the tide and the time in ship's bells. Its bell strikes every half hour, just like on board.
On ships, time used to be measured with a sandglass. Every half hour it was turned and the bell was struck, one more stroke each time, until the watch ended after eight bells. The North Sea is about 100 kilometres away, yet the tide raises and lowers the water here twice a day by around three and a half metres. That is why the Landungsbrücken piers float on pontoons.
Be at the tower on the hour or half hour. Film the bell strokes and count them out loud. In the same video, announce whether the water is rising or falling and how you figured it out.
