Mendel Funicular

The Mendel Funicular, (German: Mendelbahn, Italian: Funicolare Mendola), connects the Überetsch plateau with the Mendelpass.

In the twelve minutes of the journey the visitor rises 854 meters. The whole track is located in a rocky region sometimes covered by a forest, and this needs many bridges and tunnels.

The funicular was planned by Emil Strub to connect Bolzano with the Mendelpass. In 1903 Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria opened the line itself after nearly one year of construction. The line was at the time one of the lengthiest funiculars in Europe. Until 1934 tourists could use the funicular and some other railways to made a journey around the Mendel.