JANUARY 2026

Wuppertal has a very special way of transport through the city, connecting it to surrounding villages: the Schwebebahn. This is a sort of monorail that hangs under the rail, which glides above the Wupper river. I had seen interesting pictures of the Schwebebahn and this is how Wuppertal came on my radar. In December 2025 I was able to visit for an afternoon, combining a ride in the Schwebebahn with a visit to the Christmas markets. 

Schwebebahn Wuppertal

The Schwebebahn stretches 13 kilometers and connects the outskirts of Wuppertal to the city center. It is a way of public transport, but a tourist attraction as well. If  you want to take a ride you can buy a ticket at the ticket machines which are located in the stations. I was able to buy a ticket that was valid for 90 minutes for a few euros. This gives you plenty of time to discover the Schwebebahn and the area. Besides riding the Schwebebahn I also loved walking next to the rail, to catch a glimpse of it gliding by and looking for nice angels to photograph it. Fun fact: In 1950 an Elephant was transported with the Schwebebahn and jumped out of it. Luckily the elephant survived!

Wuppertal Christmas markets

Wuppertal doesn’t have the largest Christmas markets in the Ruhr area, but we did like how they scattered throughout town. We parked our car near the Neumarkt and found a cute market with a few attractions for kids. This square also had a Panorama lift, with little gondolas going up in the sky, this seems to always be there. 

The real festive activities turned out to be on the Wuppertaler Winterzauber on the Laurentiusplatz. This market included an ice skating rink, where you could rent skates and play eisstockschiessen. There also was a large covered area where you could have drinks in a wintery surroundings. We took the Schwebebahn to this Christmas market, just to enjoy it. 

Some Christmas markets are located a bit further out of town. Schloss Luntenbeck offers a market with the castle as a backdrop. Please research the specific dates, as it is only held on certain dates.