Actually church bells and some other bells.. On the hour and on the half hour, all day and night we have two sets of bells ringing. I've been out for a walk at ringing time and one set is on the church and the other I'm not sure but think it's the commune office.
On the hour, both sets ring out the number, like 10 rings for 10 o'clock, and on the half hour they both just ring once. To make matters worse, the clocks are about 3-4 minutes out from each other, so at midnight we get 24 rings of the damn bells..
Last night it was warm so was sleeping with the windows open, I nearly pat shants at 11pm!!
Not calling the cops, i can live with it, just wanted a rant
Complain to your commune/Gemeinde or even better, collect signature of other people who share your complaint.
I haven't given up any hope that things could change this way.
Well, I've experienced even worse: in the city center of Valencia, Spain, where the church bells ring every quarter with a chime + 1 for 15, chime +2 for half, etc....
You don't need to go to Spain for that: I had this in Wallisellen (church 100 meters from my bedroom window). Unlike airplaine noise, I could never get used to this one. And I don't really see the point, I mean, has anyone started believing in God at 3:15 AM just because church bells were ringing?
That would drive me nuts. Church bells are only pretty from a distance. Sleep is precious. You should be able to sleep with your windows open in the warmer season without having your sleep disturbed by a church... particularly if you're not Christian!
The Church bells in the centre of Market Harborough, Leics, UK, ring 4 x per quarter + the hour. So midnight is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 12! Then 1.30 mins of peels/bellringing practice once of twice a week + 10 bells at 8am on a Sunday + all services, funerals, weddings. So it is not just Switzerland!
I'm am with you on this one. I had the same problem and even thought about inviting the priest for a night over, for him to realise how loud the bells are, and that they should not ring during the night but then, after a while, I got used to them and don't mind them anymore..
In the Greek village in which I used to live, not only was one awoken by the bells at horrible o' clock on a Sunday morning, but the entire village was subsequently treated to the sound of the priest singing over a very big PA system for the next hour or so.
Unless you're about 500 years old (which I'm intelligently guessing you aren't), I figure that the church was there before you were even a twinkle in your mom's eyes. Which begs the blatantly obvious question of why you didn't open your eyes and ears before moving to your current location?
But after a while you don't hear them any more, we got used to "our" church bells pretty fast; however, there is still one thing I couldn't figure out and that is why they get into a frenzy shortly after 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening.