Funicular of NH Hotel Prague, Inclined elevator in Smíchov, Prague, Czech Republic
The funicular at NH Hotel is an inclined elevator system that connects two sections of the hotel building in Smíchov. The red cabin travels along a 156-meter track, spanning a height difference of 51 meters between the two levels.
The system was installed in 1996 as part of the original Mövenpick Hotel, during a period when the country was opening up after the political changes of the late 1980s. It reflects the wave of international investment that swept through Prague in the years following these transformations.
Locals call the inclined elevator "lanovka" or "pozemní lanová dráha", though it is technically a Schrägaufzug, not a funicular. Since 1996 it has linked the hotel's lower and upper buildings across the public part of Mrázovka park, and non-guests may ride it to reach the restaurant in the upper building. Since late September 2019 public access has been limited to three daily windows from the lower building.
The cabin holds up to 16 passengers and operates automatically throughout the day, making the journey in about 1.5 minutes. The system is well maintained and easily accessible to hotel guests who need to move between the two building levels.
The design was created by Austrian company Doppelmayr, which blended cable-transport technology with modern elevator engineering. This hybrid approach combining funicular and monorail elements represents a clever technical solution to the hotel's elevation challenge.
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