Hotel Montana funicular

The Hotel Montana funicular connects the lakeside promenade to the hotel lobby, transporting guests along a 1000mm gauge track over a distance of 85 meters. The system carries both people and luggage up the steep slope between the waterfront and the hotel entrance.

The system began operating in 1914, shortly after the hotel complex was completed between 1909 and 1910 on the site of the former Nidlenpalast. It was built to solve the practical challenge of the location on the steep lakeshore.

The funicular is part of the Art Deco Hotel Montana, which serves as both a luxury hotel and a training facility for the Swiss School of Hotel Management. It shapes how guests experience arrival at this storied establishment.

The journey from the base to the hotel entrance takes about 60 seconds, and the funicular runs daily to serve guests and their luggage. When visiting, plan to arrive with reasonable luggage since the system is designed primarily for hotel guests.

This system holds the record as the shortest funicular railway in Switzerland and was modernized in 1988 with an automated operation system. The automation allowed daily service to become more efficient while preserving the original structure.

Location: Lucerne

Inception: 1914

GPS coordinates: 47.05576,8.31993

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:08