Switzerland’s alpine peaks beg to be explored. Wherever you go, you’re confronted with yet another spectacular vista with a seemingly endless supply of mountains. Whether you’re seeking adventure, stunning photography opportunities, or a peaceful escape into nature, these cable cars provide an unforgettable journey.
Enter the cable car, an engineering marvel that the Swiss have turned into a standard form of transportation in this horizontally challenged landscape. Ride them up, hike among the alpine views to your heart’s content, have a sumptuous meal at a mountain station, and move on to the next “peak” experience.
Switzerland, often called the “Land of Cable Cars,” is renowned for its stunning landscapes, picturesque mountain ranges, and pristine alpine lakes. The Swiss Alps, in particular, offer some of the world’s most breathtaking vistas, and one of the best ways to experience this natural beauty is by taking a cable car ride. Switzerland boasts an extensive network of cable cars that transport visitors to high-altitude destinations, allowing them to marvel at the mesmerizing scenery. Here, we present the top 5 must-take cable car rides in Switzerland that promise an unforgettable journey to the heart of the Alps.
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
The Zermatt Bergbahnen AG will take you to Europe’s highest mountain station at 3,883 metres. Offering panoramic views of the largest glaciers of the Alps, the cable car ride will also show you about 38 peaks of the Swiss, French and Italian Alps and Europe’s most extensive ski region, which operates all year round. You will find that Mont Blanc, the highest mountain of the Alps, will appear close enough to touch. In Zermatt, you are close to the mountain Matterhorn and Switzerland’s border with Italy. The other attractions waiting for you at the base are Cinema Lounge, Europe’s highest viewing platform, the glacier palace with sculptures and ice chutes, a restaurant, and Europe’s highest storage summit wine.
Schilthorn Piz Gloria
For some spectacular 360-degree panoramic views of the Eiger and Jungfrau (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and many more peaks, get to the cable car ride in Schilthorn, set at an altitude of 2,970 metres. In a typical example of Swiss efficiency, the cable car departs every half an hour from Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen valley, taking you to the summit in four stages.
Schilthorn became famous when it was seen in the 1969 James Bond film, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” If you are a Bond film fan, you will recognise the revolving restaurant here, which rotates on its axis once every 45 minutes. You can follow in the footsteps of James Bond at the interactive Bond World exhibition or on the 007 Walk of Fame.
Titlis
Take a trip on the world’s first revolving cable car, the TITLIS Rotair. Before you can hop on to it, there is another short but scenic journey on the TITLIS Xpress gondola, which will then lead you to your final destination, the Rotair cable car to the summit of mount Titlis. At 3,062 metres, a 360-degree panoramic view of the expansive Engelberg Valley waits for you.
Cardada Cimetta
Orselina is where the funicular railway from Locarno will take you so you can take the cable car to Cardada. The chairlift will take you to an altitude of 1,671 metres above Lake Maggiore, the lowest point in Switzerland. While inside, you can view the highest point of Switzerland, Dufourspitze. And, from beautiful Locarno, all of this only in less than an hour.
Säntis Cable Car
The journey in a cable car to Säntis, the highest mountain in the Alpstein massif of northeastern Switzerland, is extraordinary. The cable car to the summit of Säntis began operating in 1935. Once on top, you will have exhilarating views of six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Also known as the “weather mountain,” Santis has a weather station that started in 1882.
