Tyrolean Zugspitze Cable Car

The Tyrolean Zugspitze Cable Car is a wire ropeway in the Austrian state of Tirol. It links the village of Ehrwald at 1,225 metres with the summit station at 2,950 metres beside Germany’s highest mountain. The line was the first to reach the Zugspitze when it opened in 1926. It was designed and built by the Leipzig firm Adolf Bleichert & Co. Dr Hermann Stern, deputy mayor of Reutte, promoted the project to boost local tourism and the economy. The cable car holds a place in transport history. Its original 1926 opening made it the first public lift to the Zugspitze. The modern system spans 3,600 metres and climbs 1,725 metres in under ten minutes. Two cabins each carry up to 100 passengers at 36 kilometres per hour, giving a combined hourly capacity of 1,460 people. The line runs on 1,000 kilowatts of valley power and passes three aerial pylons. At the top station visitors find an exhibition on the cable car’s history and modernisation. The nearby Ehrwald Alm resort offers skiers a view of the Zugspitze face. A ski run descends from the mountain back to Ehrwald. The cable car’s anniversary events and mountain museum displays mark its continuing role in the region’s life.