Funiculaire du Capucin, Electric funicular railway in Mont-Dore, France
The Funiculaire du Capucin is a cable railway in Mont-Dore that carries visitors up a vertical distance of about 175 meters. The track stretches about 450 meters and leads to the Salon du Capucin plateau at about 1,245 meters elevation.
The system opened in 1898 as France's first electric funicular railway, marking an important breakthrough in transport technology. The station underwent modernization in the 1930s while keeping its original machinery intact.
The station displays design elements from the 1930s built into its architecture. Visitors can see the machinery and mechanical parts at the upper station and understand how the system works.
Service runs year-round with each journey taking about a minute when both cabins operate together. Sturdy footwear is recommended, as the upper station sits on a plateau with hiking trails nearby.
The cabins were designed in Switzerland in 1897, yet they still operate with the original gear and cable systems. Visitors can experience this vintage machinery up close at the upper station.
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