Spieljochbahn, Mountain cable car in Fügen, Austria

The Spieljochbahn is a 3,925-metre gondola lift in Fügen, in the Zillertal valley of Austria, running from the village edge at 641 m to the Spieljoch at 1,860 m. It has two sections: the first ends at an intermediate station at 1,198 m, where cabins are decoupled and pass slowly for boarding; they are then reattached to the same cable for the second section. The steepest gradient is 74 percent.

The first version of the lift opened in 1973, giving hikers and mountain visitors a way to reach higher ground without a long walk. In 2017, Leitner Ropeways built a new installation to replace the original one.

The Spieljochbahn is run as part of the Spieljoch ski area, which also operates the Panoramabahn Geols (since 2015), the six-seat Arzjoch chairlift (since 2002), the Onkeljochbahn (since 1989) and the Onkeljoch, Mösllift and Skischullift drag lifts. In summer the mountain station at 1860 m is the setting for a children's water play area with balance stones and small rafts.

Bring a layer to wear at the top, as the mountain station is noticeably cooler than the valley below, even on warm days. The ride itself is short, so plan extra time if you want to walk the trails or visit the outdoor areas at the summit.

The mountain station has a barefoot path where visitors walk over different natural surfaces such as gravel, earth and wood. Most people only discover it once they arrive at the top, and it tends to be one of the more memorable parts of a visit.