Swiss Review 2/2018

29 Swiss Review / March 2018 / No.2 The land of a thousand cable cars Cable cars are an intrinsic part of Swiss cultural heritage. They hold a fascinating appeal, inspire dreams and rekindle memories. They combine incredible feats of engineering and entrepreneurial pursuit of innovation. Three museums are currently holding a joint interactive exhibition dedicated to cable cars. Under the slogan ‘Cable Car – Happiness’, various aspects of this remarkable mode of transport are explored. A world first built in 2012: a convertible-style cable car at Stanserhorn in Nidwalden. Photo: Photoglob Small cable cars are a vital lifeline for many families and alpine farms in central Switzerland – one of these is the Bärchibahn near Isenthal which has been in operation since 1979. Photo: Heidi Eberli These two “harbingers of good fortune” opened the world’s first detachable chairlift on 16 December 1945 in Flims. Photo: Danuser private archive This system represents a remarkable piece of inno- vation. The world’s first aerial cable car on three cables has been travelling up the mountain in Saas Fee since 1991. Photo: Martin Arnold ‘Luft Seil Bahn Glück’: Gelbes Haus Flims, Nidwaldner Museum Stans and Heimatschutzzentrum Zurich. Until 28 October 2018. www.luftseilbahnglueck.ch