The Wuppertal Suspension Railway offers a clearly defined activity: a complete journey between Oberbarmen and Vohwinkel takes around 30 minutes. There are also trails, parks and museums for other interests. You can therefore combine your accommodation search with the question of whether you would rather focus on a ride, getting active on trails or cultural history.
The Suspension Railway: Route and History
The Suspension Railway runs for 13.3 kilometres between its terminal stations, Oberbarmen and Vohwinkel, and has 20 stations. It connects the east and west of Wuppertal. You can allow around 30 minutes for the complete journey. The route is also a distinctive part of Wuppertal’s history: the railway officially began operating in March 1901. You can thus consider the ride, route length and history together when planning your stay.
Trails for Different Activities
The Sambatrasse, around ten kilometres long, runs from Elberfeld to Cronenberg and is now used as a walking and cycling trail. It is suitable for walkers, Nordic walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users. This makes it a practical option for anyone who would like to include a trail in their plans instead of a ride on the Suspension Railway.
The Nordbahntrasse offers a different experience. Its gentle gradients give way to wide trail bends and ravines, as well as tunnels, bridges and viaducts. The paved route can be used by mountain bikes, skateboards, inline skates and scooters. Blue signs along the trail provide information about Wuppertal’s industrial history. This lets you combine the route with a look at the city’s industrial past without having to explore it exclusively on foot.
Experience Industrial and Cultural History
The Wuppertal Museum of Industrial Culture presents the city’s industrial heritage at several historically authentic locations. Its offerings include guided city tours, industrial heritage routes and maps, as well as events, lectures and workshops. You can include different ways of exploring the subject in your travel plans rather than limiting industrial heritage to a single museum visit.
The Schwebodrom tells the story of the Suspension Railway: across three stations, visitors can experience the railway’s history. It opened on 21 October 2023. The Engels House focuses on Friedrich Engels, introducing visitors to his life and work. Engels is considered Wuppertal’s most famous son.
The Visiodrom in the Wuppertal gasometer offers another perspective. It houses Europe’s largest 360-degree screen across five floors. As the programme may change, it is a good idea to check the current selection before your visit.
Landscape Park and Viewpoints
The Wuppertal Green Zoo is both a landscape park and a zoological garden. It opened in 1881, making it one of Germany’s oldest zoos. In Nordpark, meanwhile, the Panorama Trail links various highlights and viewpoints in an east-to-west sequence: Ehrenhain and the Skywalk are in the east, while Kakao-Platz is in the west.
Which options best suit your stay depends on which of these perspectives you would like to focus on.
Discover more destinations: Duisburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Herne, Oberhausen, Solingen, Gelsenkirchen, Bonn, Mönchengladbach.
Return to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
