SUISSE news Summer 2017
Tourism
Tourism
July 2017
Travel News (August 2017)
Ready for a Few Fun Rides?
Switzerland is a land of many mountains. Yeah, we know that other countries have them too. But most of ours are accessible. Countless railway lines carry you up to beautiful panoramic spots. And the ride up there is an unforgettable experience. In this newsletter, we've rounded up some of our favorite fun(icular) trips. So clamber aboard for an amazing ride.
Ride Six Flags, Swiss Style
How about a ride with a maximum gradient of 106 percent? No, that’s not a typo – the rollercoaster-esque Gelmer funicular in the Jungfrau Region is the steepest in Europe. Built to transport the heavy construction materials for the Gelmer dam, it now carries brave tourists up to 6,102 ft / 1,860 m above sea level and the stuning Gelmer Lake. Oh, by the way: To reach the funicular, you have to cross the Handeck suspension bridge, which hangs some 230 ft / 70 m above the Handeck Gorge.
Read more: Jungfrau Region
Ride to Hidden Gems
If you like it steep, but a gradient of 106 percent is more than you can take, how about the Ritom funicular? With its maximum gradient of 87.8 percent, it still is one of the steepest in the world. And it takes you up to the spectacular Piora Valley, one of the most untouched areas of Ticino. It is an ideal starting point for many hiking and biking excursions, it offers great opportunities to admire the rich vegetation and the large variety of alpine flowers, lush green meadows where cows and horses graze peacefully.
Read more: Ticino
Ride like a Local
On the top of the Zürichberg hill lies the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETHZ), the Polytechnic School, also called "Poly". Getting to the campus can be a chore, especially for students or professors who are laden with books. So in 1889 a short funicular railway was built between the Limmat river and the Polytechnic school. It was completely renovated in 1990 with two new cabins but with the same old look. Today, it transports around 50 passengers every two minutes, in both directions.
