An old saying has it that if someone hears a cuckoo calling from the right, it is a sign of a lucky day and wishes coming true. Hearing it from the left signals misfortune, while hearing it from behind is said to foretell death.
The cuckoo holds a firm place in Slovak superstition and can often be heard while walking through the woods. To honour the bird, the largest cuckoo clock in the country was built in the Chlípavice saddle near Pohronská Polhora in central Slovakia in August 2024, quickly becoming a favourite tourist attraction.
Recently, the animal procession emerging from beneath the clock face was replaced by moving folk musicians. They begin to play immediately after the cuckoo announces the full hour, the regional newspaper MY Novohrad reported.
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Accessible on foot, by bike or by train
The idea to build the cuckoo clock came from local businessman Igor Vlček, the owner of another popular tourist spot, the Salaš Zbojská farm.
The clock is decorated with wood carvings of St Wendelin, the patron saint of shepherds and farmers who also protects animals from disease, and St Demeter, the patron saint of the area. The bell rings every 15 minutes. When the full hour strikes, the door opens and the entire valley fills with the sound of a cuckoo.
The attraction is located in a relatively isolated area, where visitors will also find a farm called Gazdovský dvor, accessible on foot or by bicycle. At weekends, it is also possible to take a bus-train service running every hour between Salaš Zbojská and Gazdovský dvor.
More additions in the pipeline
The latest addition to the clock – the folk musicians – was created by Ján Maciak, a woodcarver from nearby Tisovec.
“There are several crossroads here,” said Andrea Vlčková of Salaš Zbojská. “People used them to travel to Tisovec, Klenovec, Čierny Balog, Michalová and Zbojská. When journeymen and musicians passed through, they would talk and sometimes even sing together.”
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A singer is expected to be added in the future to complete the band, she revealed.
In addition to the musicians, large pine cones and a pendulum have recently been attached to the clock, along with a water mill and a miller.
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