The city looks something like Fritz Lang would dream up with it’s high sides covered in greenery and six story blocks of houses whilst the valley floor also has plenty of housing blocks,huge factories & of course the river Wupper…topped off with the magnificent Schwebebahn…
There doesn’t appear to be anywhere to expand for the city.I imagine regulations prohibit much expansion length ways and the hills constrict any sideways drift,like a huge corset only probably more comfortable…the city doesn’t appear overly big yet has a population of over 350,000 and yet apart from the upside down mono rail not many people outside Germany have heard of it…I doubt they are bothered by such things as the place is resolutely working class being a producer of textiles,plastics,metals & drugs.I spoke about the huge Bayer factory and there are other factories dotted about the city…in other cities their factories are usually hidden in some god forsaken industrial park away from prying eyes like some unsightly son stuck in the attic.Luckily for me lack of space means these glorious factories are on full show…like all industrial hubs the local population is quite diverse.
The river Wupper is a pretty unremarkable river.Not very big,not very deep,but it does have one thing no other river has and that’s a hanging monorail straddling it’s entire length of the city and it looks magnificent…it was opened in 1901 so is over 120 years old and it has that look of Victorian confidence too.I think if it was a modern system it wouldn’t attract the attention it does…running the entire length of the city,about eight and half miles it sticks to the middle of the river,only breaking away to follow roads at Sonnborner Straße ( where I am staying)
For those that want to visit & ride The Schwebebahn here are a few things I have noticed.The one sweet spot,prime real estate if you will is the rear of the train.Everyone is wanting that sexy instagram money shot and this is where jumble sale elbows come in handy,it’s easy to yeat the nippers out the way but the parents are more problematic.Don’t try to sit next to the driver they don’t like it…
Whilst the rest of windows offer good views they don’t really offer much by way of photo ops…the seats are not comfortable at all.I think this is deliberate to put off certain people travelling on it all day.Remember it’s a working city and The Schwebebahn is first & foremost a commuter service.People need to get around and they don’t need trainspotters clogging up their route…Wuppertal doesn’t appear to rely on tourist money so doesn’t bother catering for them.Whatever is bought in is just pin money.To be honest a lot of tourism here is half day stuff.Get off the Hbf and Schwebebahn is right there,ride that for a bit,have a bite to eat & a drink then bugger off…still if you’re in the area it’s worth going on it.As it’s only one line getting lost isn’t a problem.There’s only two ways you can go…
Anyway I’m off to grab a coffee and see what the day brings…
Laters alligators…
2 comments:
Do you think your love of old industry,especially the buildings, is born out of imagining how things used to be ??…I passed through our old childhood stomping ground and surrounding area not long ago and remembered quite vividly how I dreamed of escaping one day. The view from town on the bus of all the factories that made up big parts of the Cannock Road used to fill me full of dread…is this it,is this where I’ll always be ?? The view of greenery yonder towards Westcroft and beyond was my rainbow as I alighted at the Scotlands island. Now some 50+ years later 99% of the old factories,shops and pubs have long since gone and it all looked wrong somehow…no history almost, bizarrely that feeling of wanting to escape way back then, was now a sad (ish) yearning for it still to be all the same…guess it was because I did escape..but my head was full of a moving picture of hundreds,if not thousands of folk waiting for the number 11? bus,cycling,or walking home away from The Eveready,Evertidy,Guy Motors etc etc…almost a Lowry print in me noggin…remembering how it used to be. Had things changed for the better ?? Really not sure but it wasn’t the same that’s for sure…no history !!
Have fun mate
There’s no doubt it stems from my childhood.I always remember how enthralled I was every time I went past the old Guys factory and of course Goodyear too…
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