Water-balanced Cliff Railway
The Centre's amazing water-balanced cliff railway is one of the steepest cliff railways in the world, with a gradient of 35 degrees. A pioneering project in itself and a unique feature in Europe, it is an excellent introduction to the realms of sustainable technology.
There are two carriages linked together with a steel cable, so that when one carriage goes down the other is pulled up. When people need to go up or down water flows into a tank in the top carriage until it is heavy enough to pull the lower carriage up, the brakes are released and gravity does the rest!
As the carriage ascends, the trees give way to a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The lake at the top not only supplies the railway with water, but creates an attractive landscape feature, stocked with native species of plants and fish. The cliff railway operates from Easter through to the end of October.





