Pfander Cable Car

The Pfander rises directly behind Bregenz, and the cable car from the edge of town reaches the top in about six minutes. The summit sits a little over a thousand metres up, with Lake Constance spread out below and, when the air is clear, a long line of alpine peaks to the south and east. Around the top station a fenced wildlife park lets you walk among red deer, wild boar and ibex on the way downhill, and a bird of prey display runs through the warmer months. Many people ride up and walk back down through pasture and woodland to Bregenz, which takes roughly two hours on a graded track.

History

A cog railway was first considered, but a cable car was chosen as cheaper and easier to run in heavy snow. Adolf Bleichert & Co. of Leipzig built it from July 1926 to February 1927, to station designs by the Bregenz architect Willibald Braun, and President Michael Hainisch opened it on 20 March 1927; Doppelmayr overhauled it in October 1994 with fully glazed cabins for up to 80 people and the removal of two pylons, and a Pfänderbahn museum opened in 1998 (Wikipedia, Pfänderbahn).

What you'll find

• The lake panorama - Lake Constance from above, with the Rhine delta, the shoreline towns and the water changing colour with the light.
• The alpine wildlife park - fenced woodland below the summit with red deer, wild boar, ibex and marmots along a marked path.
• The bird of prey display - flying demonstrations with eagles, vultures and owls during the warmer months.
• The walk down - a two hour descent through pasture and beech woods back into Bregenz, avoiding a second ticket.

When to go

Clear cold days from autumn to early spring give the sharpest distance views, sometimes above a sea of valley fog. Summer haze often reduces the mountains to a smudge. The wildlife park and the bird display run through the warmer half of the year. Evening rides are quiet, with the lake catching low light.

What to expect

The distance view depends entirely on air clarity, and haze is common in summer. The summit is developed rather than wild: restaurant, car park and paths. The wildlife park animals often stay out of sight in the trees. The fare is high for a very short ride, so the walk down is the sensible half of the deal.

Nearby

Bregenz and its lakefront lie below, and the Bregenzerwald valleys start a short drive inland.

Key facts