Wuppertal suspension railway

FLYING HIGH ON THE WUPPERTAL SUSPENSION RAILWAY

Taking a ride on the “steely dragon” is something you must do at least once

The people of Berlin have the Brandenburg Gate, the people of Cologne the cathedral and the people of Wuppertal the suspension railway. The Wuppertal poet, Else Lasker-Schüler, described it as a steely dragon with stations for heads. A ride on this dragon is not something to be missed.

It doesn’t matter where you get on: a round trip over the 13-kilometre route takes around an hour. On a Sunday, you will have no more than a six minute wait. On weekdays, trains run every three minutes, making this little adventure refreshingly easy.

Residential neighbourhoods and backyards glide by, along with factories, parks and gardens. The majority of the journey follows the path of the river Wupper running 12 metres below the carriages. But it also takes you to Vohwinkel, through the middle of the busy Kaiserstraße, very close to grand Wilhelmian-style buildings.

For architecture buffs, many of the 20 stations are striking in the true sense of the word. Photographers will discover unique subjects along the route. And there is no more comfortable way to get to the many sights this city has to offer.

But at the end of the day, you don’t need a particular reason because the Wuppertal suspension railway is something you must experience at least once.