Group Excursions: Cable Car Rides

The cable cars once used by mountain farmers are known in Swiss dialect as Buiräbähnli. They are now are the highlight of a multi-day hike through the mountains of the Engelberg region – the Buiräbähnli Safari.

Since 1885, this funicular has been the fastest route from Bern railway station to the Aare and the Marzili-Bad lido. It now carries a million passengers per year, departing every few minutes on its one-minute journey.

The Rigi is the most visited mountain of Swiss people. With breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views, the Rigi offers a first-class mountain experience whatever the season. The cogwheel train from Goldau and Vitznau, as well as the cable car from Weggis, enable a variety of round trips, which can also be combined with a boat trip on Lake Lucerne.

It’s not hard to pinpoint the distinctive head of rock at the entrance to the Bernese Oberland – but the fact that you can stand pretty much on top to enjoy views direction Thun, Aare Valley and Bern as far as Jura is known to few.

The Beckenried–Klewenalp cable car takes you comfortably to 1,600 metres above Lake Lucerne. A wide range of possibilities await you on Klewenalp – from varied hiking trails to excursion destinations such as Stockhütte or Niederbauen.

A culinary voyage of discovery between mountains and lakes on lake Brienz. This allows you to discover the Bernese Oberland.

The Allalinhorn above Saas-Fee is what gave the area its name. With the right equipment and in the company of a mountain guide, the four-thousand-metre peak is a relatively easy climb for a sporty mountaineer.

At the very heart of Switzerland, a world record-holding technical innovation awaits: the steepest funicular railway in the world leads from Schwyz up to the car-free mountain village of Stoos. The journey there is an experience in itself, with passengers being taken up to a natural paradise 1,300 metres up.

The Kandersteg – Oeschinensee gondola lift takes you up to the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. Up here at 1578 meters, the turquoise Oeschinensee is waiting for you. It is surrounded by steeply rising rock faces.

The journey to the Titlis is truly an adventure in itself. First take the Titlis Xpress gondola to the middle station, then continue your journey in the TITLIS Rotair, the world’s first revolving cable car, all the way to the top.

With his keen eye for beautiful landscapes, and unique light conditions, Segantini discovered this special patch of the earth. Between the wide valley of the River Inn and the valley that leads to the Bernina Pass, this is probably the most beautiful vantage point above the lakes of Upper Engadine. Sunsets from here are a sight to behold.

This viewpoint was known a long time ago for ore mining, but is now famous for its far-reaching views. You could spot as many as 1,000 peaks from up here.

The glacier to the west of the Wildstrubel is flat, 200 metres thick in places, and drains mainly towards Lenk in the Bernese Oberland but also into the Rhone Valley in Valais.

Despite undergoing a number of technical updates, the funicular railway still radiates the same nostalgic charm and romance it did way back in 1879.

Lugano’s home mountain and pinnacle of enjoyment - that’s San Salvatore! The striking mountain south of the town boasts 360° views over the lake and environs, far south and to the high Alps in the west.The funicular railway up this landmark mountain starts in Lugano-Paradiso.

One of the world’s steepest funicular railways departs from Leventina for the Ritomsee lake. Built by Swiss Federal Railways in 1917 to aid with the construction of the reservoir and power station, the little red train has been carrying 100 people per hour to the recreation area around the mountain lakes in the Val Piora since 1921.

Some people say that the Matterhorn is best viewed from the Rothorn, since it showcases its pyramid shape perfectly. And who are we to argue? The mountains to the east of Zermatt are great viewpoints.

Already the Romans trod this path from the main Valais valley to the north. The historic Gemmipass crossing unites Leukerbad with Kandersteg – without roads, instead mountain rail.

The panoramic view stretches across large parts of the Valais Haute Route: to the west, the Dents du Midi and Mont Blanc; to the south, the Grand Combin with the Val de Bagnes and Mauvoisin reservoir; to the east, the Weisshorn, Dent Blanche and Matterhorn; and northwards across the Rhone Valley to the Vaud and the Bernese Alps.

With the Salève cable car, you float from the outskirts of Geneva to an altitude of 1100 meters in 5 minutes. At the top, a 360-degree view of Lake Geneva, Mont Blanc and the Jura Mountains awaits you.

The Diavolezza cable car in the Engadine takes you up to an altitude of 2,978 metres in just a few minutes. You have a view of the Piz Bernina, the only four-thousand-metre peak in the Eastern Alps, as well as the Piz Palü and the Pers and Morteratsch glaciers.

The “Funi” (funicular railway), which overhang the Old Town and the river Sarine, is a “technical engineering marvel”, listed as a cultural asset of national importance. This nostalgic railway has been running since 1899 – with no exhaust fumes.

The Corviglia funicular and the Piz Nair cable car take you up to over 3000 metres in a short time. At the top of the Piz Nair, a panorama over the Engadine lake landscape and the peaks of the Albula Alps awaits you.

The Zermatt Bergbahnen AG take visitors right to Europe’s highest mountain station – at amazing 3,883 metres.

The Monte Tamaro lies in the triangle between Lugano, Bellinzona and Locarno. It is famous for the Santa Maria degli Angeli church designed by Mario Botta and the scenic ridge walk from Monte Lema.

Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chose the 120-metre-high waterfall as the location where his hero Sherlock Holmes staged his own death in his battle against Professor Moriarty.

You can take the cable car from Wengen to the 2343-meter-high Männlichen in just a few minutes. Once at the top, a unique view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau awaits you. A short marked hiking trail leads to the summit.

The ski safari in Zermatt includes much more than just skiing. Those who take on the challenge cover more than 10,000 metres of altitude in one day. An impressive performance!

The ridge between Lake Neuchâtel and the Val de Ruz valley is Neuchâtel’s local mountain. It boasts stunning views, a hotel and a path that tells the story of the earth, and is the starting point for many hikes in the Jura.

Two gondola railways make their way up from Bad Ragaz or Wangs to the edge of the forest, from where you enjoy far-reaching views over the Rhine Valley to Lake Constance – and chairlifts carrying you to the Pizol ridge if you wish to venture further afield.

A musical treat of a special kind is offered by the Toggenburg Sound Trail. The panorama trail starts on Alp Sellamatt and combines amazing things with the most beautiful landscape. An exciting route for curious nature lovers.

The view from Stanserhorn overlooking ten Swiss lakes and 100km of Alpine mountains is quite superb. The 30-minute Stanserhorn circular trail is the best way to enjoy these 360-degree views.

Many may know this name thanks to the Gurten festival, but also on the other 361 days of the year Berne’s home mountain has plenty to offer to visitors, hikers and families from near and far.

The Aletsch Arena offers an impressive mountain backdrop in the heart of UNESCO World Heritage site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, with a view of the longest glacier in the Alps, the Great Aletsch Glacier.

The nostalgic red cable car carries passengers from the sunny mountain village of Isenfluh above Lauterbrunnen up to the hamlet of Sulwald. The cabin has enough room for eight people or one cow.

Easily accessible by public transport from Lucerne, Mount Pilatus is the ideal adventure mountain for the entire family.