Funicular Railway Stuttgart

Stuttgart's most beautiful weird thing: the tranquil funicular in the Heslach district, which takes you from Südheimer Platz to the Waldfriedhof, is an endearing remnant from the past.

A carriage hangs from each end of the 550-metre-long steel cable. Almost noiselessly, one glides upwards on the bare rails, the other comes towards it. Lots of teak, brass and enamel transport you back in time to the 1920s on the track, which has a gradient of up to 28 percent. It is a matter of honour that the SSB is keen to preserve this living piece of urban history.

To experience such a means of transport not in the high mountains but in the state capital Stuttgart is a distinct rarity. The Stuttgart cable car is almost completely presented as an original ensemble in the condition of the opening year 1929 and is a listed building. Even then, it was Germany's first funicular with automatic control (at the push of a button by the car attendant), and also the fastest. Since then it has been running like clockwork.

So the SSB funicular is more than just an ordinary means of transport in the Stuttgart transport network: a fascinating technical monument with a complete historical ambience, a traditional means of transport and an absolute must for your visit to Stuttgart.