Rittnerbahn narrow gauge railway: South Tyrol's unique panoramic train | 2023
0:00 Intro
0:38 Rittnerbahn narrow gauge railway (regular service)
8:59 Heritage trains
Starting in 1907, the Ritten, a plateau north of Bozen in the South Tyrolean Alps, was served by a unique railway: The core section of the Rittnerbahn was a 4 kilometer long rack railway route between Bolzano and Maria Himmelfahrt. The rest of the route was built as a tram in Bolzano and as a local railway to Klobenstein. High passenger numbers, long travel times and a serious accident led to the rack railway being replaced by a cable car in 1964, and since then only the section on the Ritten itself has been in operation.
Today, second-hand trains from the Trogenerbahn (Switzerland) run twice an hour, while some heritage trains are available for special trips. The scenic narrow-gauge railway is both an important means of transport and a tourist attraction, ensuring its continued existence.
