Gütschbahn funicular, Water-powered funicular in Lucerne, Switzerland
The Gütschbahn is a water-powered funicular railway in Lucerne that runs between Baselstrasse and an upper station. It climbs steeply on two parallel tracks, moving people smoothly between the lower town and the heights above.
The railway opened in 1884 and operated without interruption for nearly 130 years. Following a complete rebuild, it reopened in 2015 and continues under local management.
The castle hotel at the top has drawn visitors for generations seeking views over the town and lake. The place still feels like a destination where people come to look out and take in the landscape around them.
Passengers can use bus tickets or day passes to ride, making it easy to plan a trip. The journey takes just a few minutes, and it's best to travel during quieter times to avoid crowded cabins.
This is one of the oldest parallel-track funicular systems still running, and it operates on the same water-powered principle it has used since the beginning. Very few railways anywhere still rely on this historic way of moving uphill.
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Since the 19th century, funiculars connect the tops of towns and mountains to the rest of the land. Some go up in a few minutes, where walking would take an hour. Others pass through old neighborhoods on the hills. They are part of everyday life for local residents and help visitors reach places...
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