All aboard the Zagreb Funicular!

Probably thanks to perceptions created by movies like Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, I’ve always thought that funiculars were somehow a uniquely European mode of transportation. Although that’s not actually the case, they definitely have a certain Old World, vaguely steampunk vibe — reinforced by the fact that many of them were first built in the 19th century. Croatian builder Sven Franic has lovingly recreated the Zagreb Funicular, a tram that takes passengers up a relatively short incline in his hometown.

Uspinjaca Funicular

The stations on each end of the line have wonderful curved roofs, and the funicular is surrounded by beautiful buildings with red tile roofs. A stairway runs alongside, for those with enough energy to climb rather than ride.

Uspinjaca Funicular

Not content to build a truly gorgeous diorama, Sven has motorized the trams so that they each run up and down their tracks.