Only 18 Minutes to Reach 3000m Summit... Steepest Cable Car in the Alps Debuts

Cable Car Connecting to Alps Schilthorn
Section 1 to Murren Opens... 57.9-Degree Slope
Restaurant Offering Views of Over 200 Mountain Peaks Connected

A cable car line that allows quick access to the restaurant located at the summit of Schilthorn in the Swiss Alps has started operation. According to Euronews, Schilthornbahn Ltd. held an opening ceremony on the 13th (local time) for the first section of the line, which directly connects Stechelberg and M?rren in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, and began operation the following day. The gradient of this cable car is 159.4%, which corresponds to an incline angle of 57.9 degrees.

Cable car directly connecting Stechelberg and M?rren in Bern, Switzerland. YouTube

This cable car, which has one of the steepest incline angles in the world, was designed to provide higher transport capacity and efficiency. Each of the two cable car cabins can carry 85 passengers or 6.8 tons of cargo and can ascend 775 meters in just 4 minutes. The maximum passenger capacity is about 800 people. The first vehicle operated during the official opening ceremony that evening and began regular service the next day.

Schilthornbahn is currently working on the 'Schilthornbahn 20XX' project, which will connect nearby areas with high-speed cable cars. The entire route runs from Stechelberg and M?rren via Birg to Schilthorn, with the section from Birg to Schilthorn scheduled to open next spring. Once the entire route is completed, travel time will be reduced from the current 32 minutes to 18 minutes. Since this is a popular tourist destination, demand is expected to be sufficient.

'Piz Gloria' restaurant at the summit of Schilthorn. Schilthorn official website

In particular, this route provides convenient access to the 'Piz Gloria' restaurant located at the summit of Schilthorn at an altitude of 2,970 meters. This restaurant is well known as the filming location of the 1969 movie 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' and features a revolving observation deck that completes one rotation every 45 minutes, offering a 360-degree view of over 200 mountain peaks. On a clear day, Mont Blanc can also be seen. The restaurant is currently temporarily closed due to cable car construction but is expected to reopen in mid-March next year.