Aleksotas Funicular ( lt, Aleksoto funikulierius) is a
funicular railway
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
located in
Aleksotas
The Aleksotas elderate ( lt, Aleksoto Seniunija) is an elderate in the southern section of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, bordering the left bank of the Nemunas River. Its population in 2006 was 21,694. The elderate borders Vilijampolė and Centr ...
elderate of
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
,
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. The
funicular
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
constructed on the right bank of the
Nemunas River
The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
was officially opened on 6 December 1935. The track of the Aleksotas funicular remained unchanged. The track has a separation in the centre of the track for carriages to pass. Special automatic brakes were installed in carriages not to let them run down in case of cable damage. The length of funicular is ,
gradient
In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function of several variables is the vector field (or vector-valued function) \nabla f whose value at a point p is the "direction and rate of fastest increase". If the gradi ...
- 18 degrees. Authentic traction equipment, including the genuine pre-war wagons, wooden seats, and stop platforms of the funicular are still used.
The funicular climbs from the end of the
Vytautas the Great Bridge
Vytautas the Great Bridge, also known as Aleksotas Bridge before 1930 and from 1940 until 23 February 2008, crosses the Nemunas River to connect Aleksotas and Old Town in Kaunas, Lithuania. Its length exceeds 256 meters, and its width is of 16 ...
to the Aleksotas hill from where the panorama of the
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
of Kaunas can be experienced. It was included in the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Lithuania in 1996.
Periodic KVT tickets can be used here.
In 2015, the funicular was one of 44 objects in Kaunas to receive the
European Heritage Label
The European Heritage Label is a recognition awarded by the European Union to buildings, documents, museums, archives, monuments or events which are seen as milestones in the creation of today's Europe. The program is managed by the European Commis ...
.
Image gallery
Image:Aleksoto funikulierius.2010-06-05.jpg, Aleksotas Funicular Railway at the top
Image:Aleksotas, Kaunas, Lithuania - panoramio (4).jpg, One of the wagons
Image:Aleksotas, Kaunas, Lithuania - panoramio (5).jpg, One of the wagons
See also
*
List of funicular railways
This is a list of funicular railways, organised by place within country and continent. The funiculars range from short urban lines to significant multi-section mountain railways.
A funicular railway is distinguished from the similar incline eleva ...
*
Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway
Žaliakalnis (literally, "the green hill") is an elderate in Lithuania's second largest city, Kaunas. Žaliakalnis is located north of the old town and the city center area, between the Neris and Girstupis valleys. It is one of the largest resid ...
completed in Kaunas in 1931
References
{{coord, 54, 53, 28, N, 23, 53, 13, E, type:landmark, display=title
1935 establishments in Lithuania
Transport in Kaunas
Buildings and structures in Kaunas
Funicular railways in Lithuania
Tourist attractions in Kaunas
Objects listed in Lithuanian Registry of Cultural Property