Rheinseilbahn

The Rheinseilbahn (aerial tramway crossing Rhine) in Cologne is the only river crossing aerial ropeway in Germany. It connects the two banks of the Rhine at the height of the Cologne Zoobrücke (zoo bridge). Since 1957 it has transported more than 13 million people without an accident (2003: 261,000 passengers).

The Rheinseilbahn was put in service on 26 April, 1957 for the opening of the federal garden exhibition. In 1963 it was dismantled, because the suspension tower of the new Zoobrücke on the right bank of the Rhine stood in the way. After long discussions over whether drivers were irritated by the aerial ropeway over the bridge it was rebuilt, with a changed route. The suspension tower on the right side of Rhine was shifted towards the south and the distance was extended by a new smaller suspension tower to a deep station lying in the Rheinpark. The Rheinseilbahn was re-opened on 22 August, 1966. Today it crosses the thermal bath "Claudius Therme", which was built later.

The operator of the Rheinseilbahn is the Kölner Seilbahn-Gesellschaft mbH (Cologne Aerial Ropeway Company Ltd.), since some years a daughter of Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe. The Rheinseilbahn operates daily between the months of April and October.

External links

* [http://www.koelner-seilbahn.de Official site]