Switzerland never ceases to amaze with its majestic alpine landscapes and engineering endeavours. And the two often combine to provide memorable experiences for tourists. Here are five highlights of the upcoming 2024/25 winter season Billed as the world’s steepest cableway, the Schilthornbahn 20XX will open in mid-December, connecting two of the prettiest mountain villages of the Bernese Alps, Stechelberg and Murren.
Boasting a maximum cable incline of up to 159.4%, it will carry around 800 passengers an hour and will form part of a network linking with the summit stations of Birg (2684m) and Schilthorn (2970m). The latter is home to Piz Gloria, a science station that doubled as villain Blofeld’s lair in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and lulls visitors with its rotating restaurant and viewing terraces.
From October 2024 to March 2025, the Birg-Schilthorn cable section will be closed for construction. But after this, the total travel time between Stechelberg and Schilthorn will be slashed from 32 to 22 minutes. Surrounded by cloud-piercing peaks, and characterised by its well-preserved wooden architecture, Saas-Fee is a rustic-chic resort village near Zermatt and the gateway to more than 100km of pistes for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and toboggan runs.
It also has the world’s highest underground funicular on its doorstep. Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, the Metro Alpin has been modernised with upgraded stations and new carriages. The.
