{"id":45976,"date":"2016-08-04T15:20:31","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T20:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orbitz.waveinteractive.com\/?p=45976"},"modified":"2018-02-27T11:37:13","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T17:37:13","slug":"worlds-coolest-funiculars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/worlds-coolest-funiculars\/","title":{"rendered":"The world’s coolest funiculars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Funicular is one of those funky terms that gets tossed around a lot. A hybrid of a railroad and an elevator, the term is often used to describe cog railways or even aerial cable cars. But the only authentic funiculars are those having two cars of equal size connected by a cable looping over pulleys and a drive wheel. As the drive wheel moves the cable, one car goes up the track while the other goes down. Funiculars are used on slopes too steep for conventional railroads.\u00a0If you’re so inclined, ahem, here are\u00a0the world’s coolest funiculars.<\/p>\n

Related: 10 awesome bridges around the world<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ritom

RItom Funicular | Flickr CC: Vasile Cotovanu<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Switzerland<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When it comes to steep slopes, there\u2019s no place like the Alps. That\u2019s why when it comes to funiculars, Switzerland, to mix metaphors, takes the cake. The Alpine nation has dozens. Some of the more popular ones among tourists are the Harderbahn in Interlaken<\/strong>; the Marzilibahn in Bern<\/strong>, connecting the Marzili neighborhood to the Bundeshaus, the seat of the Swiss government; and Ritom<\/strong>, one of the steepest funiculars in the world, measuring\u00a02579 feet in altitude at a maximum 87.8 percent gradient. It’s by Lake Ritom in the Southern Alps canton of \u00a0Ticino which borders Northern Italy.<\/p>\n

\"funicular

View of Funicular Como Brunate | Flickr CC: Elliott Brown<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Italy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In Northern Italy, the funicular fun continues near Lake Como<\/a>. The Funicular Como-Brunate<\/strong> connects the \u201cmetropolis\u201d of Como to Brunate, a picturesque small town located in the mountains. The funicular opened in 1894, coinciding with the early days of tourism in the area. Today\u2019s visitors experience a seven-minute ride offering stunning views along the way.<\/p>\n

\"Old

Old Quebec Funicular | Flickr CC: Rene Belanger<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Quebec City, Canada<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In days of old, many funiculars were designed to connect a city\u2019s upper and lower towns. Such is the case in Quebec City<\/a>. The funicular linking the two parts of this UNESCO World Heritage\u00a0site dates back to 1879. Located in the historic district, the Old Quebec Funicular<\/strong> serves as a direct link between Dufferin Terrace, located outside the storied Chateau Frontenac Hotel<\/a>\u00a0and le Quartier du Petit Champlain and the Old Port below.<\/p>\n

\"Duquesne

Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh<\/p><\/div>\n

Pittsburgh, PA<\/h3>\n

Pittsburgh<\/a> sports three rivers and two operating funiculars. The Monongahela Incline<\/strong> was built in 1870 and is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the United States. It is one of 17 that were originally built to carry folks from hillside homes to work during the late 19th century. The other from that era still operating is the Duquesne Incline<\/strong>. If it looks familiar, you might have seen it in the movie \u201cFlashdance\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Fenelon

Fenelon Place Elevator in Dubuque Iowa | Flickr CC: minnemom<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Dubuque, IA<\/h3>\n

Dubuque<\/a>, not to be confused with Duquesne, is in Iowa. Its Fenelon Place Elevator<\/strong> is likely the shortest funicular in North America. It\u2019s 296 feet in length, stretches\u00a0steeply from downtown to the summit of Dubuque\u2019s bluffs. At the top, take in a magnificent view of the historic business district and the mighty Mississippi River.<\/p>\n

\"Peak

Peak Tramway in Hong Kong<\/p><\/div>\n

Hong Kong<\/h3>\n

When it opened in 1888,\u00a0Hong Kong<\/a>\u2019s Peak Tramway<\/strong>\u00a0was the first cable funicular in Asia. During the course of its lengthy ride, it has been experienced by\u00a0tens of millions of passengers. Today, it continues to be one of the city\u2019s most popular tourist attractions and perhaps its most photographed sight.<\/p>\n

\"Orbitz<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Take the ride of your life on one of these iconic funiculars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":46445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1860,2152,1673,2155,1915,2444],"class_list":["post-45976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hong-kong-vacations","tag-iowa-vacations","tag-italy-vacations","tag-pittsburgh-vacations","tag-quebec-vacations","tag-switzerland-vacations"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Dubuque, IA, USA","latitude":"42.5005583","longitude":"-90.66457179999998","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\nThe world's coolest funiculars | 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