September 26, 2025, 7:59 am | Read time: 4 minutes

The Saxon state capital of Dresden is worth a visit for its picturesque location on the Elbe River and significant buildings such as the Frauenkirche and the Zwinger. But did you know that in the Dresden district of Loschwitz, you can also find a true world record holder? We’re talking about a very special means of transportation, namely the world’s oldest mountain suspension railway. For more than 120 years, it has connected the upscale villa district of Loschwitz with the adjoining district of Oberloschwitz.

Admittedly, a ride on the mountain suspension railway is rather a short pleasure: According to the official website of the Dresden Transport Authority, which operates the railway today, it takes only four and a half minutes. Nevertheless, the route of just under 274 meters is quite something, as it overcomes a gradient of nearly 40 percent at its steepest point. Due to this, the railway moves forward at just over one meter per second. Its two cars still hang on two tracks supported by a total of 33 steel pillars.

“I called the thing a suspension railway.”

The mountain suspension railway moves over a 380-meter-long and 38-millimeter-thick steel cable. At the inauguration of the vehicle on May 6, 1901, the system was still operated by a steam engine, but since 1909 it has functioned more or less unchanged with an electric motor. This made it possible to easily overcome the previously arduous 84-meter ascent from Loschwitz to Oberloschwitz. This even caused property prices in the area to rise significantly. Since 1895, a funicular railway, which still exists today, has been operating in the same location, making the area an even more attractive location.

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All of this probably would not have been imagined by the Cologne engineer and sugar manufacturer Eugen Langen when he first dealt with the idea of a mountain suspension railway at the end of the 19th century. As early as 1892, he wrote in a letter to the industrialist Wilhelm von Siemens: “I called the thing a suspension railway.” These vehicles were in vogue at the time, as the now world-famous suspension railway in Wuppertal went online just two months before the Dresden model. However, the fact that the world’s oldest mountain suspension railway could be built is mainly thanks to a man who had a considerable personal interest in it.

A Speculator as Financier

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For the royal court bookseller Edmund Warnatz had observed how the construction of the funicular railway between Loschwitz and Oberloschwitz drove up property prices. As a result, he wanted to become even richer as a speculator with the mountain suspension railway and therefore invested significantly in the means of transportation. The railway’s route is still unique today, as it does not run straight but makes a bend to the left downhill. This is because one of the properties there could not be acquired at the time of construction. Allegedly, this very imperfection saved the vehicle from being transported away as reparations to the then Soviet Union after World War II.

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Since 1975, the mountain suspension railway in Dresden has been a protected monument. In its more than 120 years of operation, only minor technical adjustments have been necessary to ensure continued operation. After a more extensive reconstruction from 2001 to 2002, visitors can now take a glass elevator to the tower of the engine room and an observation platform. The view enjoyed here is colloquially called “Beautiful View.” There is a dining option at the mountain station.

The fact that the Dresden Transport Authority is keeping up with the times with the oldest mountain suspension railway is demonstrated by a geocaching treasure hunt available in the vicinity of the railway, which can be downloaded from the official site. Also available is a flyer for a “Cultural Tour.” Between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., you can ride the charming means of transportation to Oberloschwitz daily. A single ride currently costs five euros, reduced to three euros. A round trip costs seven euros, with a reduced fare of four euros. Please refer to the official website for all prices.