History of the Salève cable car
By the end of the 19th century, it was possible to reach the summit of Mont Salève thanks to a cog railway line. That said, the trip from Geneva, however close, took two good hours.
Some directors of the railway company and some innovative minds were looking to set up a faster way to go up there ...
After presentation of various projects more or less reliable, that of a cable transport wins the adhesion and the cable car is born officially in August 1932. The success is at the rendezvous and the travelers are numerous all the more thanks to him , it takes only 8 minutes to reach the summits. The advent of the automobile and the construction of roads but also the Second World War will put an end to a splendid period and the cable car will stop working in 1975.
It was not until 1984 that the cantons and agglomerations of Geneva, Annemasse and Monnetier-Mornex united to revive the exploitation. A good idea if we refer to an attendance approaching 300,000 travelers in 2018.
From 2017, the Salève cable car - managed by the Ratp groups, Transports Publics Genevois and Comag - has welcomed its two millionth passenger.
Access to Mont Salève by cable car
From Etrembières in the Genevois, it takes only 4 minutes to the cable car guided by its cables to reach the summit of Salève at 1 097m above sea level. With a departure every 12 minutes, we can consider this getaway at any time ...
A few hundred meters from the finish, we admire the breathtaking views of the entire Geneva basin and Lake Geneva and even see the foothills of the Mont Blanc massif to the east. Nearby trails are great for hiking (with good mountain boots, of course) and picnic areas have been set up to avoid "wild barbecues".
At the highest point of Salève, at 1390m, stands the tower of the Pitons. Built in the 1820s instead of an old watchtower from the 14th century, renovated by the town of Beaumont in 1984, it was visited by Lamartine and Lord Byron whose names were carved in stone ... To be verified on square. The surrounding pastures are protected by the local will to preserve the pastoral culture and the castle of Ermitage, property of the Dukes of Savoy, overhangs the plain since five centuries. Intrepids will fly with Salève Airlines, better than an airline ... a paragliding school. For an even more sensational panorama of the valley.
Rates and schedules
Compulsory maintenance work is currently underway and the cable car will not resume travel until January 25, 2020. New schedules will be broadcast at the reopening and the purchase of tickets online will be operational at the same time on the site https: // www.telepherique-du-saleve.com.
Rates in euro per person
- Free for children under 3 years
- Adult: one-way 7.70 / round trip 11.90
- Child (3 to 16 years old): one-way 4.50 / round trip 6.50
- Eco rate * (young 17-25 years old & seniors 65 years old and over): one way 5.70 / round trip 8.70
- Family Pass (1/2 parents or grandparents + children): one way 4.50 / round trip 6.50
- Youth group (from 10 people aged 17 to 25): one-way 4.50 / round trip 6.50
- Adults groups (from 10 people from 26 years old): one-way 5.50 / round trip 8.50
- Group Children (from 10 people aged 3 to 16): one-way 3.50 / round trip 4.50
- Monthly or annual passes and 10-pass Grand Air passes are also available.
