Wuppertal Photo Gallery - Schwebebahn

I came to Wuppertal to see and ride the Schwebebahn, a railway suspended above the ground with the tracks being above the train cars. At first, I thought it was a monorail flipped upside down, but it turned out to be a lot more unique than I had envisioned. This area was a textile manufacturing centre and as workers flooded in, there was a need to build a proper public transport system. However, an underground railway was not possible because of rocky soils and the valley landscape. Schwebebahn opened in March 1901 with the tracks resting on huge iron arches that are as tall as the surrounding buildings. The route runs above busy streets with long sections right above the river, offering great views along the 13km route. It's easy to get here. Take the regional train or the S-bahn from Dusseldorf for about 20 minutes to Vohwinkel or Wuppertal. A 24-hour StundenTicket (pass) with price level B costed 15.6 euros in 2026, which included the roundtrip to Wuppertal as well as unlimited rides on the Schwebebahn.