Gurten Funicular

This funicular railway climbs the wooded flank of the Gurten, the hill that rises just south of Bern and serves as the city's nearest recreation ground. Opened in 1899, its two cars carry passengers from the suburb of Wabern up to a plateau crowned with meadows, a lookout tower and a small park railway for children. From the top a broad panorama takes in the whole city, the Aare valley and, on clear days, the snow line of the Bernese Alps. Families come for the sledging runs in winter and picnics through the summer.