2006: The Funicular Railway for a Slovenian Castle Finally Goes into Service

December 28, 2006

In the Republic of Slovenia, a long-sought-after funicular railway in this European country’s capital city of Ljubljana first went into service. That means of public transit covers 230 feet (70 meters) between Krek Square, which is located near the Ljubljana Central Market; and Ljubljana Castle, a popular historic landmark that dates back to the Middle Ages and stands high above the city on Castle Hill. As with similar railways across the globe, the Ljubljana Castle Funicular relies on cable traction to make travel on a precipitous incline all the more manageable. (The origins of the term “funicular” can be traced to the Latin word “funis,” which means “rope” or “cord.”)

The efforts to install such a railway in Ljubljana can be traced as far back as 1897, when present-day Slovenia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was during that year that Ivan Hribar (1851-1941), who served as mayor of Ljubljana from 1896 to 1910, wrote to empire government officials asking for the construction of a lift to transport people to and from the castle. Hribar’s request was not approved, and it would be well over a century later before the Ljubljana Castle Funicular finally came into existence. In the time since its introduction in 2006, this railway has been heavily used by tourists and area residents alike for visiting the castle that is depicted in the Ljubljana coat of arms.

Photo Credit: Marion Golsteijn (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

For more information on the Ljubljana Castle Funicular, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana_Castle_funicular