The Funicular railway

The funicular railway is a great way to get to Skansen if you are coming with a stroller or wheelchair, or if you just want to experience a lovely ride. Once you arrive, you have a nice view of Stockholm and are close to most of the activities at Skansen.

Please note that the funicular railway does not have the same opening hours as the main entrance and is closed during certain parts of the year.

History

The funicular at Hazeliusporten is built for the Stockholm Exhibition of 1897. Skansen’s founder Artur Hazelius realizes early on that the exhibition down at Lejonslätten could also bring many visitors to Skansen. He has a funicular built up on Skansenberget. The model is the Sikló funicular in Budapest from 1870. The carriages and engines are delivered from Switzerland.

1890s
The level difference on the new attraction is 30 meters and the entire length of the cable car is 107 meters. In just three weeks, 20,000 people ride the cable car. This shows that the exhibition has great importance for Skansen.

1920s
Until 1920, the railway was powered by a gas engine located in the Skånska mine. This year, the gas engine was deemed not worth repairing. Instead, it was converted to an electric engine so that Skansen could purchase direct current from the city via a fixed underground cable.

1930s
In the 1930s, the railway was open between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. A ride up cost ten öre while it cost 5 öre to go down. When the escalator and the new main entrance were built in the 1930s, the cable car lost some of its importance.

1940s
After 1945 it costs 25 öre for both an up and down journey. The funicular is open from 11 am to 8 pm. Until the 1940s the funicular was open year-round and after that only in the summer. In 1946 the carriages are glazed.

1950s
The year 1959 is the last summer before the Bergbanan is closed for several years. This is due, among other things, to the city of Stockholm turning off the direct current line.

1960s
In 1963, architect Gösta Åbergh developed a proposal for a complete reconstruction of the Bergbanan according to modernist style ideals. The supplier was Von Roll AG from Bern, Switzerland. At the same time, a proposal was developed to increase accessibility.

1970s
In 1973, the Bergbanan was reopened, modernized to meet the safety requirements of the time and with a slightly longer track length. It is now just over 196 m long and has a difference in level of almost 35 m.