What was I thinking? Below me a 100 meter abyss!
Well, but let's take it one step at a time. It started out quite innocently. With a trip to
Wuppertal, in Berg county, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Wuppertal was the centre of the textile industry in Germany, a working-class city.
If you're planning a city trip in Germany, you probably think of Munich, Berlin or Hamburg.
But Wuppertal? I don't think that many people out there know about the city. And to be honest,
neither do I. So let's just discover Wuppertal together!
The city has something very special: a suspension railway.
It has been the number one means of transport here for 120 years.
The construction of the suspension railway has to do with industrialization. The traffic
increased fast at that time. In order to relieve the streets, people had to move in the air.
A large part of the route follows the river Wupper. Only once did someone take an involuntary
bath here! And that was on July 21, 1950. Back then a little elephant was supposed to
take the overhead train for an advertising campaign. But Tuffi, the name of the elephant,
didn't like that at all and jumped out of the train into the Wupper river. Fortunately
nothing happened to the elephant and it became very, very famous, and today there's even a monument.
This is crazy! So close to the houses.
And this is really worth seeing: the turning maneuver at the Vohwinkel terminus!
There are 20 stops, each one is different: I like this one best. The "Völklinger Straße",
looks like a small castle. Art Nouveau.
When it comes to architecture, Wuppertal is
extremely diverse. There are so many cool places to discover. Old ones with tradition
but also some that are brought back to life with good ideas.
Beate Hassler is a city guide and has promised me insights into the history of Wuppertal.
And great views. Here we start: The Visiodrom – a decommissioned
gas boiler that is used inside as an exhibition space.
With precisely composed projections. There's a great feeling of space in here.
One floor up you'll find the Skywalk. It was not until 1930 that the individual
industrial places along the Wupper merged into ONE city. And they named themselves after
the river that connects them: Wuppertal.
Why did the textile industry choose to set up shop here?
Due to the water of the Wupper river.
And the bleaching of the yarn, which was already practised here back in the 16th century.
The textile industry developed out of that. The bleaching required sun and rain, and Wuppertal
was the perfect place for that.
Wuppertal grew into one of the largest industrial sites in Europe.
This is one of the last remaining places where
textiles were once produced. Up there they made ribbon, and down here the straps.
Everything's still as it was.
In the 1970s, automation and competition from
low-wage countries led to the decline of the textile industry.
You can walk through history here. And you can even touch it!
Kind of spooky! As if the workers had just gone home. All the machines stopped.
The glory and misery of the industrial revolution was experienced in Wuppertal, by this gentleman
first hand: Friedrich Engels: textile entrepreneur, philosopher, revolutionary and mastermind
of the workers' movement.
Why is the text here in German and Chinese, instead of English, for instance?
This statue is a gift from the People's Republic of China.
Engels is of great importance to the Chinese due to his communist ideas.
They come here in big groups: to visit Engels statue and take home a bit of this state's industrial culture.
Let's take a look at Engels house. Come on, Lukas!
The grandfather's house, where Engels grew up, is now a museum.
Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto together with Karl Marx. He's famous for that. Engels
found his first inspiration in the family's textile factory, which he later took over.
The rich Engels family still lived in the immediate vicinity of their factories and workers.
It was not until the beginning of the 20th century
that the rich moved away from the dirt of the city, up into the hills of Wuppertal.
Here they built their villas.
So: Wuppertal is really a city full of contrasts.
New York has got the High Line, and Wuppertal
has got the Nordbahntrasse: A former railway line across the city.
At 22 kilometers, the Nordbahntrasse was the longest inner-city train route. The people
here fought for years to turn it into a bike path. Now the route is theirs.
There are over 500 stairs in Wuppertal. More than in any other German city. Each one has
its own name. And some are designed by artists.
Like the Hollstein stairs.
If the people of Wuppertal want to leave the
city and see some nature, they can go to Bergisches Land or Berg County. It lies at the gates
of the city and it's just half an hour away.
On weekends, not just the Wuppertalers but
also people from Cologne and Düsseldorf head for the hills and forests of the Bergisches Land.
This region of North-Rhine Westphalia offers a wide variety of recreational activities.
And in the middle of the countryside: a steel colossus. The Müngsten Bridge.
It spans the Wupper river near Solingen. And it is the highest railway bridge in Germany.
107 meters high. The crazy thing is, you can climb up!
I want to try that too.
Philipp do you copy?
A final security check – and off we go!
15 minutes ascent through the forest.
We're not even at the bridge, and my heart is already beating faster.
Once you hook on right up here where I'm standing, you'll only exit this securing system once you reach the end.
It was actually clear to me that this would happen:
my fear of heights kicks in.
My mouth is dry. I'm starting to stutter.
I'm not enjoying this at all!
The group is almost at the top.
But Søren stays with me.
I want to go up too. And the group is already taking pictures!
If you want to -- and dare to you can look over here and I'll take a picture of you.
Every step is a fight!
The others are already on their way back.
And me? Well, I'm done with it.
I almost made it, but then I was just too afraid. Anyway, I'm proud of myself.
And I think I need a break now.
Here's to you! Gloria und memoria!
What's that mean?
Just that you performed a glorious feat, went
above and beyond, and almost reached the top.
I'll drink to that!
Though honestly, I'm glad to be down here again.
Do you have many clients?
We're very surprised how many people have contacted us and said they want to climb it.
We promised ourselves that if we sold a thousand tickets between the press conference and the
opening, we'd fly to Las Vegas and celebrate. And then we suddenly noticed we'd sold 7,000 tickets!
We had to open up many more time slots, so people buying a voucher wouldn't
have to wait until March 2025 to use it. So there's lots of work ahead. On good days we
can guide 200 people across the bridge. We have our hands full and are really happy about that.
Do your guests mostly come from Germany or also from abroad?
It's one of a kind in Germany and Europe, too.
Globally, its comparable to Sydney's Harbour Bridge. But for those whom Sydney
is too far away, there's Müngsten Bridge.
So, this day today, I will not forget in all my life.
I'm in Wuppertal again. In the Hardt facilities.
This is one of the oldest city parks in Germany.
In Café Elise, a specialty of the region is waiting for me.
Take a look at this! The Berg coffee table.
Waffles, rice pudding, black bread, cold meats, raisin bread, scrambled eggs, cheese, cherries,
whipped cream and liquor.
Okay: I need support. Sabine from Café Elise keeps me company.
So then: get to the waffle.
So that the waffle slides down smoothly, you definitely have to drink something. What's that?
A delicious coffee, of course.
Next round. A coffee table like this is meant for sitting
together with friends and family for hours. We can do that too!
What do you call that? Is there a name for it?
– I'd say: Sinful! – Very fitting! Delicious!
I'm just getting into it, the appetite is coming. Fun comes with the game.
– That's true! – Well then.
– Prösterchen!
– Thanks, Sabine!
I would say this is like a grand finale for
my day in Wuppertal. The city may still be an insider tip, but it shouldn't stay that way.
So, if you want to get away from the usual tourist routes, you should consider
a trip to Wuppertal. Bye-bye. See you next time!