Malbergbahn, Funicular railway in Bad Ems, Germany.
The Malbergbahn is a funicular railway in Bad Ems that climbs a distance of 520 meters with a gradient of roughly 54.5 percent. The lower station sits in the town, while the upper terminus is located at a hotel positioned around 350 meters above the valley floor.
The funicular opened in 1887 and ran for almost a century before closing in 1979. Throughout its entire operational period, it never recorded a single accident.
The name refers to the Malberg mountain that the railway climbs, connecting the valley to a destination that has long drawn visitors seeking elevated views and relief from the spa town below. The route itself became part of the local identity as a symbol of progress and leisure in the 19th century.
Visitors can explore the site at the lower station, where a restored cable car now operates as Café Eckstein with around 20 seats available. This allows people to sit inside the historical structure and experience it firsthand.
The railway used water tanks in the upper carriage to power itself: as the upper car descended, water weight helped pull the lower car upward without requiring an engine. This simple system proved reliable throughout the railway's long operational life.
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