Wuppertal

OK, 'll be honest ... Wuppertal is an ugly city.  It is certainly no Muenchen, and no Greensboro!  It didn't help that it was a gray day, but the city really is nothing to write home about.  So, why am I writing about it?  Great question.  One word answer: schwebebahn!

It is a bahn that runs "upside down" over the city, and over (and along) the Wupper River.  Heck, even that "river" is more like a wide, shallow stream.

Here's our bahn coming into the elevated station.

A view out the back looking at another bahn going in the opposite direction.  Pretty cool!  We loved riding the schwebebahn!

Here we are over the Wupper ... those massive steel beams are anchored along the river and even into buildings along the river.  This bahn was built almost 100 years ago and the circus in town was having a hard time attracting business.  The owner decided for a stunt to allow a baby elephant named Tuffi to ride this bahn to promote the circus.  Once over the river, Tuffi pried the door open with his trunk and jumped into the Wupper ... and lived!

With their passion for warnings, our German friends remind us that the bahn rocks when it stops, so use care when getting off!

:)