Traverse Innsbruck in Style

For nearly a century, a funicular system offered passage around the hills of Innsbruck. In 2007 the system was retired, and replaced with something so architecturally stunning that it became a tourist destination in its own right. The journey is what matters on the Hungerburgbahn, and it happens in futuristic style.

Funicular in Innsbruck designed by Zaha Hadid
 

Innsbruck

 
 
To call the Hungerburgbahn in Innsbruck a hybrid funicular railway is both accurate and misleading, for this is much more than a railway. Travelers from around the world come not just to travel between four stations -- Congress, Löwenhaus, Alpenzoo and Hungerburg -- but to marvel at the sheer wildness of the design. Built in 2007, the system replaced the previous funicular service in operation between 1906 and 2005.

In a country renown for its architectural daring, this new collection of structures seemingly hails from another galaxy. With biomorphic undulations and futuristic curves, they celebrate the gorgeous landscape -- while ferrying you over it. Each train carries just 130 people, and the ride lasts less than ten minutes; the physical scale is small, but the artistic vision connects with a great tradition of architectural innovation throughout Austria.

Take a virtual tour through Innsbruck with Kelley:



Learn more about the Funicular
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