The Funiculars of Europe - Torly Travels
Author: Carol Adams
Description: Relatively non-existent In the US, funiculars have been transporting people and cargo for generations in Europe. A funicular is not a cable car. It is a wooden boxcar railway where the carriages are pulled up or down a steep incline, like the face of a mountain. Sometimes they function by the pulling of a rope,Read More »The Funiculars of Europe
Date: 2016-08-29T00:57:49+00:00

# The Funiculars of Europe

- Carol Adams
- August 28, 2016April 22, 2020

Relatively non-existent In the US, funiculars have been transporting people and cargo for generations in Europe. A funicular is not a cable car. It is a wooden boxcar railway where the carriages are pulled up or down a steep incline, like the face of a mountain. Sometimes they function by the pulling of a rope, and sometimes by two equal cars attached by a cable, where one car goes up and one car comes down.

For a family that is generally afraid of heights, it certainly is surprising that we find ourselves including funiculars on our list of activities whenever we arrive in a new city in Europe. Not only is the ride itself fun, but frequently what we find at the top is pretty amazing. Here are a few we have experienced – in no particular order – and one or two on our “to do” list. Add yours to the comments and tell us why you liked it!

Como Brunate Funicular in Lake Como, Italy

The ride: climbs approximately 2500 feet in 7 minutes

What’s at the top: Stunning views of Lake Como from up above

Montmartre Funicular in Paris, France.

The ride: climbs approximately 118 feet in 90 seconds

What’s at the top: Sacre Coeur and the artist enclave of Montmartre

Castle Hill Funicular in Budapest, Hungary

the ride: climbs 167 feet in 3 minutes

what’s at the top : the World Heritage sight of Castle Hill and Buda Castle

Bergen Fløibanen in Bergen, Norway.

The ride: climbs approximately 1050 feet in 8 minutes

What’s at the top – Mount Floyen playgrounds, hiking trails and trolls!

Montjuic Funicular and Tibidabo Funicular in Barcelona, Spain

The ride: Montjuic climbs approximately 25o feet in 2 minutes and the Tibidabo Funicular climbs approximately 900 feet in 6 minutes.

What’s at the top: in Montjuic – another cable car (similar to a ski lift) that takes you to the Montjuic castle and in Tibidabo there is an adorable amusement park

Funicular de Igueldo in San Sebastián, Spain

the ride: climbs approximately 1000 feet in 5 minutes

What’s at the top: the good old world charm of a fun fair with rides and carnival games

Zagreb Funicular in Zagreb, Croatia

the ride: shortest cable car in the world climbs 100 feet in 55 seconds

What’s at the top: the charming neighborhood of Upper Town and the Museum of Broken Relationships!

Some that are on our bucket list:

The three Funiculars of Lisbon, Portugal

the ride: all short and sweet but essential in easily getting around the city

What’s at the top: connections to other parts of town

The Gelmerbahn Funicular in Bern, Switzerland

the ride: Europe’s highest- climbs to 6000 feet in 12 minutes

what’s at the top: who cares what’s at top! The drop is 106% gradient with no seat belts and just a bar to hold.

Want more awe inspiring Europe?

Summer vacation planning? Here are our European Favorites!

Eleven Awe-Inspiring Things We Did Last Summer

### Like this:

Like
Loading…

- Share
- Tweet

## 0 thoughts on “The Funiculars of Europe”

1. Little Miss Traveller August 28, 2016 at 8:59 PM

   I’ve been on some of these

2. 1. Carol Adams August 28, 2016 at 10:21 PM

      We’ve got lots more to go on @littlemisstraveler!

3. Pingback: San Sebastián Favorites – Torly Travels

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie Settings Accept
Manage consent

#### Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Loading Comments...
Write a Comment...
Email (Required)
Name (Required)
Website
%d