2015-04-06

Zagreb Funicular, Croatia

The Zagreb Funicular is the funicular in Zagreb, Croatia. The lower station is located on Tomiceva Street, while the other station is located at the base of Lotršcak Tower. It was opened in 1890, just 2 years after getting the building permit. It is 66 metres long, and it is the shortest funicular in the world! The trip is brief – lasting just 64 seconds – but it’s a fun ride and an efficient way to reach the Upper Town.

The funicular is equipped with a hydraulic lift platform and an access ramp, so it’s a great option for visitors who can’t climb the stairs. For almost 125 years, it has been transporting the citizens of Zagreb and its guests between the Upper and Lower Towns. Initially, it had steam engines, which were replaced with electrical engines in 1934. Having in mind that it kept its original shape, construction, and most of the technical properties, it was given legal protection as a monument of culture.

In 1889, D.W. Klein, a contractor from Osijek, presented the idea for Zagreb’s funicular to the city council. Inspired by the funiculars in other European cities, Klein counted passersby climbing the wide, wooden stairs on Bregovita Street (now Tomiceva) to confirm that it was the busiest path between Zagreb’s Upper Town and Lower Town. Klein planned to fund the project, and in return, he was to keep the rights to the funicular for 40 years. His proposal was quickly approved, and the following year, on October 8, 1890, the funicular embarked on its maiden voyage. Today, the funicular actually keeps itself pretty busy; it departs every ten minutes, seven days a week, from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. It travels 4,000 kilometres a year and transports 750,000 passengers annually. [source]

First Photo credit: Alan Hilditch