Een persoonlijke speurtocht naar tikkende verrassingen in het rijk der fantasie
We spent five days sleeping in the woods. Well, in Bosrijk — where trees whisper, gnomes take off their shoes, and the Sandman sprinkles dust into your eyes at night. Five days at Efteling, with my wife and children. We came for the magic, the stories, the rides on Max & Moritz, and — as it turned out — the clocks.
Time is everywhere, but in Efteling, it behaves differently. It doesn’t tick — it whispers. It sinks away in hourglass sand or chimes the quarter-hour in theatrical scenes. And as a watch enthusiast, I couldn’t help myself. I went clock hunting. No haute horlogerie, no Swiss precision, but a collection of time signals you might otherwise just walk past. Sometimes literally.
Let me take you into two of my favorite worlds: timepieces and Efteling. You’ll be surprised how many clocks are hidden in fairy tales and attractions — and just how big a role they actually play.
The Biggest Clock: The Magic Pendulum above the Grand Hotel
You can’t miss it. Literally — unless you take a different entrance. The Magic Pendulum towers above the Grand Hotel’s arcade like a gateway to another time. And in many ways, that’s exactly what it is.
It’s the largest timepiece in Efteling: four meters in diameter, suspended nine meters high. No numbers, no hands to show traditional time. Instead: advice. Just for you. As you walk underneath it, it "reads" who you are and suggests your perfect Efteling day based on that. A lovely nod to the idea that time doesn’t matter in the realm of fantasy. Focus on what delights you, not on what time it is. A hidden life lesson, really.
The dial is filled with symbols: a carriage, a key, a rose, a mushroom, a rider, even a flying witch. At night, the whole thing lights up like a celestial clock.
And then there’s the fairy tale. According to the story, a humble innkeeper received a small clock from a mysterious guest. It was special: every time it was wound, the inn expanded. And so it grew, again and again, until it became the Grand Hotel we know today. A fine example of some serious winding-up, so to speak.
My kids walked under it at least ten times. Maybe looking for another perfect day.
The Clock Workshop of Max & Moritz
Without a doubt, my kids’ favorite ride — and a wonderful place for clocks. Not for the engineering, but because almost no one notices it. Max & Moritz takes place in their mother’s workshop — she’s a clockmaker.
Clocks hang everywhere. Wall clocks, cuckoo clocks, pendulum clocks, gears. Even the station hall features a giant clock spring. I don’t know how many people notice any of the theme on their first visit. You’re mostly thinking: “Which cart do we take?”
But if you, like us, ride it fifteen times in a week, you start seeing things. Little clocks with hands in slightly different positions. A saw on a table someone was clearly using to make clocks. Patents on the wall. No haute horlogerie, but certainly an ode to time and mischief.
The Clock Where a Little Goat Hid
In the Fairytale Forest stands a clock that’s more than just scenery. In the tale of The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats, the youngest goat hides in a tall clock. And that very timepiece is right there. Classic in form, and large enough to hide a goat.
What struck me most? I’d probably seen it dozens of times, but never really noticed it. And yet it plays a lead role. One that deserves a spot on the poster.
Swan Lake Clock: A Clock with a Parade
On the Anton Pieck Square — which already feels like a collection of forgotten time — stands a clock by the miniature theater of Swan Lake. Every quarter hour, a little performance plays. Figures march by, the princess smiles, and the whole scene glides beneath the clock’s dial.
Given its imprecision, I suspect this is a mechanical clock that could use some TLC. Maybe I should take that clockmaking course alongside my watchmaking one... I bet many — maybe even you — have heard this clock without realizing it. If you’re anywhere near the square, you can hardly miss the cheerful chimes, even if you don’t know where they’re coming from.
The Toddler Clock (or: Why Sometimes You Should Listen to Your Wife)
“Look, there’s another clock!” said my wife at the Toddler Square.
I looked. And saw a seesaw shaped like an apple core. “That’s not a clock,” I thought. “Yes it is,” she said. “Look at the hands — they move when you rock it.” She was right. It was a clock. An apple-core clock. A seesaw-clock-core thing...
Would I have noticed this on my own? Probably not. But now I had. And that’s exactly why it deserves a spot on this list.
A Hidden Gem: The Clock in Symbolica
On the Hero’s Route in Symbolica, there’s a small glimpse into a room where — yes — a clock hangs. I only truly saw it on my third visit. The first time I took the Treasure Route, and I just missed the view.
It’s not a centerpiece. Not a show element. More like a set detail with personality. The kind where someone must’ve said, “This needs a clock here, or it just won’t feel right.” And I couldn’t agree more.
The Magical Clock (Fairytale Forest)
Among all these larger timepieces, this might be the most obvious clock. The fairy tale is literally called The Magical Clock. And for that very reason, I nearly forgot to include it.
It’s a beautiful clock, not made by a clockmaker, but by a wizard and his mischievous apprentice. And that might make it the most Efteling timepiece of them all.
The Smallest Clock: Diorama Station Clock
And as a counterpoint to the largest clock in the park — the Magic Pendulum — here’s one you’ll easily miss. In the Diorama — that miniature world of trains, mountains, and towns — there’s a tiny little clock in a tower. I think it’s the smallest timepiece in all of Efteling.
My kids thought it was silly that I stopped to photograph it. “No one even sees that!” And that’s exactly the charm.
And Even More Ticking Surprises...
During our clock hunt to capture every timepiece on camera, we found even more:
- The station clocks at Station De Oost, Station Marerijk, and the Children’s Railway.
- A sundial on Pardoes Promenade — a special one, too. How many vertical sundials do you know? Depending on the angle, the “dial” changes shape.
- Pardoes himself, standing on a sundial (though it rotates, so telling time might be tricky).
- A vintage wall clock and an old-school alarm clock in De Bonte Versaemelingh.
- The clock by the Tufferbaan.
- And last but not least: the hourglass of Klaas Vaak — not technically a clock, but certainly a time instrument.
We fell asleep before we could get a good picture...
Some clocks had no nameplate, no maker’s mark, and no clear function. But they were there. And maybe that’s exactly what made it so enjoyable.
To End: Time as Scenery
In Efteling, time stands still for me. It sinks into hourglasses, disappears in sundial shadows, or is chased by children running to beat the line at Max & Moritz.
I went with my family. I came back with a photo series of clocks, a head full of gears, and a smile. And the quiet certainty that next time — there’ll be another clock I missed.
So to you: on your next visit, take a second look. Time is everywhere. You just have to really look.