Expo Alt Urban Gondola. Image by Flickr user jmig1.
Zaragoza is a historical city in Spain that dates back to Roman times. Located at the center of the Ebro Valley, Zaragoza’s historical influence from a variety of cultures helped differentiate itself from its more well-known neighbours, Madrid and Barcelona.
Zaragoza is a highly prosperous city, which is demonstrated by its wide boulevards, and high-end shopping and dining. In 2008, it hosted the World Fair which attracted 5.6 million visitors.
The main site of the Expo, which housed many of the pavilions, was a 62-acre set of land situated along the Ebro River. Projects such as the 80-meter Water Tower and the fresh water aquarium (Europe’s largest) were constructed in consistency with the Expo’s theme of water preservation and conservation.
Expo Alt. Image by Flickr user Loadmaster.
Adding even more excitement to the Zaragoza Expo was the installation of Expo Alt, a 1.2 km cable car ride that transported passengers to the Expo site. The MDG system built by Leitner Ropeways transported passengers across the Ebro River to the Expo site from one of Zaragoza’s main train stations, Zaragoza-Delicias. The cable car was operated by Aramón Group, a renowned Spanish firm who owns and operates five ski resorts within the Aragonian region.
During the trip, riders would be elevated to a height of 50 meters allowing for some fantastic views of both the beautifully designed Water Tower and Bridge Pavillion. Even at the stations, riders were treated to some splendid architecture. Both stations, designed by the Spanish Architect Ignacio Vicens, capture the intricate structure of an ice crystal.
Expo Alt urban cable car crossing the Ebro River. The Bridge Pavilion can be seen beneath the gondola. Image by Flickr user by jmig1.
At the conclusion of the Expo’s three-month span, the gondola attracted one million passengers — demonstrating the system’s importance in bringing visitors to the Expo site. As ridership slowed down after the Expo, system operations were eventually discontinued.
| Year Opened (closed) | 2008 (2011) |
| Distance (km) | 1.2 |
| Stations | 2 |
| Speed (m/s) | 6.0 |
| Capacity (pphpd) | 2600 |
| Fare round-trip (euros) | 5 |
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