Mendola Funicular

Around Bolzano there are two very special means of transport which invite young and old to an unforgettable trip. One is the Mendola Funicular - "Mendelbahn" in German, "Funicolare della Mendola" in Italian -, one of the steepest funicular railways throughout Europe. It starts in Sant'Antonio, a district of Caldaro, at 510 m a.s.l. and takes you up to the Passo della Mendola mountain pass at 1,364 m a.s.l. The other one is the historic Renon Railway.

Empress Sissi, Mahatma Gandhi and Karl May were already on summer holidays on the Mendola Pass. The Mendola Funicular overcomes 854 m in altitude and 64% incline in 12 minutes. Arrived at the mountain station, you can enjoy a fantastic view on the Valle dell'Adige valley and the South Tyrolean Bassa Atesina area in the south of South Tyrol.

The history of the bright red funicular railway, which was renewed in recent years, dates back to 1903. Planned by the Swiss engineer Emil Strub, it was a superlative work at that time: Austria's first electrically operated cable car, the steepest funicular in continental Europe and the longest in the world. Since 2021, the Mendola Funicular has been managed by the STA - South Tyrolean Transport Structures. And how can it be reached? Its valley station is located in San Antonio in Caldaro. The bus line Bolzano - Caldaro (no. 131) also stops there.