RTL Today - 80,000 visitors each season: Vianden chairlift celebrates 70 years as top tourist draw

The Vianden chairlift celebrates its 70th anniversary as a defining feature of the northern Luxembourg town alongside its castle, drawing around 80,000 tourists each season.

From Easter until the weekend of the so-called Nut Market that takes place on the second Sunday in October, the Vianden chairlift operates daily, drawing thousands of visitors each year.

History

The chairlift first opened in summer 1955, adding a new attraction to the town alongside the castle and swimming pool. Costing just over three million francs to build, the installation was completed within six months. Travelling at around five kilometres per hour, it takes visitors from 220 metres up to 440 metres in just six minutes, either ascending or descending.

Gaby Heger, former mayor of Vianden, recalled how the idea was inspired by a visit to the Belgian town of Dinant by former mayor Raymond Frisch, where a similar lift already existed. Local business figures, including Alex Bouvy, embraced the concept, leading to the project's realisation, she stated.

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In 1985, the municipality became the official owner. The original lift remained in service for half a century, until it was dismantled between October 2005 and April 2006. The new, second-generation chairlift opened on 1 May 2006. Heger explained that the replacement required a specialist Swiss Puma helicopter, flown by an experienced pilot, to install the heavy pylons – each weighing around three tonnes – with precise positioning.

When Mick Jagger rode the chairlift

Today, the chairlift welcomes around 80,000 passengers per season, most of them Dutch tourists, but also many Luxembourgish school groups. The attraction remains a highlight for those exploring Vianden's medieval streets and castle.

Over the decades, it has carried numerous notable passengers, from television presenter Frank Elstner all the way to Mick Jagger, the latter of whom rode the chairlift with his son whilst he was on the 1995 Voodoo Lounge Tour. Their iconic photograph still hangs in the lobby of Hotel Petry in Vianden until this day.