Felskinnbahn, Aerial lift in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.
The Felskinnbahn is an aerial cable car in Saas-Fee that rises from 1843 meters to 2989 meters altitude, covering a distance of 3635 meters. Each cabin holds 90 passengers and completes the journey in approximately 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Von Roll built the Felskinnbahn in 1969, linking Saas-Fee to the Felskinn at 2989 metres. In 2006 the system was renewed, and both cabins were replaced and painted red; previously one was red and the other blue. Materials for the underground Metro Alpin to Mittelallalin were carried up on this cable car.
The Felskinnbahn gained worldwide fame through the video for Wham!'s Last Christmas, filmed in Saas-Fee: the band members arrive by off-road vehicle at the valley station and climb into one of the cabins. Normally cars cannot reach the station, since Saas-Fee is car-free; in winter the Bifig 1 and 2 ski lifts cover the roughly 60-metre height difference of the Chalbermatten between the village edge and the valley station.
The journey crosses five support towers, with the fourth featuring an intermediate stop that includes a restaurant. Plan extra time to spend at the top since the mountain station sees fewer crowds than the valley station.
The cable car's route runs almost exactly north–south, deviating by only about 5 degrees. The support pair above the intermediate stop is built as a movable structure because it stands in a glacier zone.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,080 contributors worldwide.
