Koblenz Cable Car or BUGA Cable Car

Koblenz has a new cable car – the longest in Europe outside of the Alps and the first of its kind in Germany.

The decision to build a cable car across the Rhine was taken as part of the city’s planning for the Bundesgartenschau 2011 (BUGA 2011), the Federal Horticultural Show to be held in Koblenz from April to October 2011.  Two million visitors are expected to attend the six-month garden extravaganza and  eco-studies showed that the cable car provides a better eco-balance than using buses.

Koblenz Cable Car © Holger Weinandt/Wiki

Built at a cost of Euros 12 million, the Koblenz cable car will also be one of the Bundesgartenschau’s special attractions. The cable car travels across the Rhine from Deutsches Eck up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a distance of 850 metres, giving visitors breathtaking aerial views of the Rhine and Moselle.

There are 18 gondolas, each with a 35-passenger capacity.  And if you’re not fearful of heights, one of the cabins has a glass floor so you can look down into the Rhine as the cable car takes you across. It is expected that 3,500 passengers can be transported per hour in each direction.

To get the best room in the house, book your Koblenz hotels early.