Heidelberg Funicular

In 2022, the Heidelberger Bergbahn will celebrate its 120th year of providing service between the Kornmarkt, in Heidelberg's Altstadt, and the Königstuhl, or "King's Chair," with its spectacular views and activities such as the Märchenparadies (a fairy-tale park for children) and the Tinnunculus Falknerei (where you can see falconry demonstrations year-round).

The lower section of the funicular, which runs underground from the Kornmarkt to the Schloss or castle, is even older: It opened for business in 1890, with service to the castle and to the settlement of Molkenkur.

Today, the completely renovated funicular consists of two parts:

• The underground stretch from Kornmarkt to Molkenkur, which has all-new cars and a tunnel with the latest fire-safety technology;

• The longer above-ground stretch from Molkenkur to Königstuhl (shown above), which uses antique cars with modern working parts.

Like most funiculars, the Heidelberger Bergbahn has two cars that travel in opposite directions and pass each other at the midpoint of their ascent or descent.

The total length of the system is just over 1.5 km. Travel time is 2 minutes from the Kornmarkt to the Schloss, 5 minutes to Molkenkur, and another 9 minutes to Königstuhl after changing to the vintage funicular at Molkenkur.

The funicular runs daily from 9 a.m. until late afternoon in winter and until mid-evening in summer. Ticket prices depend on how far you're traveling, and on whether you want to stop along the way.

Getting married? You can exchange wedding vows on the historic Königstuhl section of the Heidelberger Bergbahn.

For more information on riding the funicular or taking your vows on the trip up, visit the English-language Heidelberger Bergbahn Web site.