Braunwaldbahn, Funicular railway in Glarus, Switzerland.
The Braunwaldbahn is a funicular railway connecting Linthal station in the valley to the mountain village of Braunwald, climbing around 605 meters (2,000 feet) in elevation. The route spans roughly 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) and includes a passing loop that allows two cars to operate simultaneously on the single-track line.
The railway opened in 1907 as a pioneering feat of mountain transport engineering. After nearly a century under the original operator, a new company took over management in 1994 and began modernizing the system.
The railway is the gateway to Braunwald, a car-free mountain village in the Glarner Alps. It shapes how the village connects to the valley and remains essential to daily life for those living above.
Each of the two cars carries up to 114 passengers and the railway operates year-round, making it reliable transportation for residents and visitors alike. The steep climb means comfortable shoes are important, and visitors should be flexible about timing on days with poor weather.
The route climbs at one of the steepest grades of its type, reaching gradients of up to 64 percent. The narrow-gauge track measuring 1000 millimeters between the rails was specifically engineered to handle the extreme mountain conditions.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
