A year-round cable car in the Silesian Park in Chorzów, opened in 1967 and rebuilt from 2013.
The “Elka” cable car carries passengers over the Silesian Park in Chorzów. Opened in 1967, it was then the longest lowland cable car in Europe, and today it runs on newly built lines.
The original “Elka” (the name is an abbreviation of “Elektryczne Linowe Koleje”, Electric Cable Railways) was opened on 7 September 1967 as a chairlift 5,539 metres long. Three sections formed a triangle around the park, and a ride along the whole route took about an hour. In the 1970s the cable car carried more than 240,000 people a year, and an estimated 15.5 million passengers in total. Because of the poor technical condition of the supports it was closed in 2007, and the supports and stations were dismantled in 2012.
Construction of the new cable car began in 2013. The first section, from the Silesian Stadium station to the Funfair station, opened on 8 September 2013. It is about 2.2 km long, and the ride takes under 9 minutes. The supports are taller than before, at 17 to 21 metres. The second section, from the Funfair to a new station by the Silesian Planetarium, opened on 8 December 2023. According to the park's website it is 1,840 metres long, and a one-way ride takes about 15 minutes.
On the second line you can ride in an open four-seat chair or in an enclosed eight-person gondola. According to the operator, it is the only cable car of this mixed type in Poland. The cable car is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
From the cabins you can see the park from above, including the enclosures of the Silesian Zoological Garden and the Dinosaur Valley. The interchange station is by the Funfair, and the second line ends at the Silesian Planetarium.
Be the first! Add a comment.
You need to log in to add a comment.
Log in