The Monte Brè funicular, or ''Funicolare Cassarate - Monte Brè'', is a

funicular railway A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...

in the city of

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

in the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

canton of

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

. The line links a lower station in the Lugano suburb of

Cassarate Cassarate is a village on the northern shore of Lake Lugano, to the east of the outfall of the Cassarate River, in the Swiss canton of Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the C ...

with an upper station at near the summit of the

Monte Brè Monte Brè (925 m) is a small mountain east of Lugano on the flank of Monte Boglia (1,516 m) with a view of the bay of Lugano and the Pennine Alps and the Bernese Alps. It is considered one of the sunniest points in Switzerland. Since 1912, th ...

. The top yields views of the city and

Lake Lugano Lake Lugano ( or , from ; ) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. It was cited for the first t ...

. The funicular is composed of two separate and independent sections. The first section links the stops of Cassarate and Suvigliana and is only long. At Suvigliana passengers must cross the road to reach the lower station of the second, and significantly longer, section. This section is long, and is very sinuous with further intermediate stops of Albonago, Aldesago and Brè Villaggio. The first three intermediate stops serve the villages of Suvigliana, Albonago and

Aldesago Aldesago is a village on the western slopes of the mountain of Monte Brè, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Politically the village forms part of the Brè-Aldesago quarter of the city of Lugano, although until 1972 Brè-Aldesago was an independe ...

, all of which are on the western flank of Monte Brè, whilst the Brè Villaggio stop is linked to the village of Brè on the eastern flank by a long path. The Monte Brè funicular is one of three operational funiculars within the Lugano area. The other two are the Monte San Salvatore funicular, which ascends

Monte San Salvatore The Monte San Salvatore (912 m) is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps above Lake Lugano and the city of Lugano in Switzerland. The Monte San Salvatore funicular links the city with the summit of the mountain. One of the villages on the slopes ...

on the opposite side of the city, and the

Lugano Città–Stazione funicular The Lugano Città–Stazione funicular, ''Funicolare Lugano Città–Stazione'', or ''Sassellina'', is a funicular railway in the city of Lugano in the Switzerland, Swiss canton of Ticino. The line's upper station is located within the Lugan ...

, which links the city centre with the railway station.

History

The concession for the construction of the funicular was granted in 1905, with the intention of creating a resort where the inhabitants of Lugano could, without abandoning their businesses, enjoy the cool during the heat of summer, along with the views. The lower section opened in 1908, with the upper section following in 1912. In 1959, the cars of the lower section were replaced with the new metal-bodied cars in a then-modern style, with a capacity of 42 persons each. Similarly new cars were provided for the upper section in 1984, although in this case the cars had a capacity of 68 persons and were designed with a nostalgic look. In both cases, the cars are still in use.

Operation

The line has the following parameters:

Notes

In 2019, "SA" was added and changed to uppercase: "SOCIETÀ FUNICOLARE CASSARATE-MONTE BRÈ SA"

References

External links

*
Official web site of the Monte Brè funicular

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monte Bre funicular Funicular railways in Switzerland Transport in Lugano Railway lines opened in 1908 Metre-gauge railways in Switzerland 1908 establishments in Switzerland

History

Operation

Notes

See also

Further reading

References

External links