San Salvatore funicular to close all winter for renovation

The San Salvatore funicular, above Lugano, will close from next Sunday for the entire winter period, until mid-March. The reason is renovation work planned at the summit. It is the first time in several years that the line, in the Lugano district, has not operated during winter.

The closure comes at the end of a season the company describes as very positive. In 2026, more than 253,000 passengers reached the summit of San Salvatore, with almost 14,000 funicular runs.

Renovation work

Stephan Römer, director of the Monte San Salvatore funicular, speaks of «un bilancio assolutamente positivo» (an absolutely positive result) and notes that the previous year had already been a record year. According to Römer, the line has usually stayed open in winter for many years, but this year it will be «eccezionalmente» (exceptionally) closed for modernisation and renovation work on the summit restaurant and its veranda.

The director also points to the financial weight of the decision: «Chiaramente tenere chiuso nei mesi invernali comporta dei costi» (Clearly, staying closed in the winter months involves costs). On one hand there is the investment for the work, entirely financed by the company; on the other, the loss of seasonal revenue, while staff still have to be paid. Despite this, Römer says, the company is «sana» (healthy) and can cover the expense with its own liquidity, thanks to good results in recent years.

The winter break will be used both for the usual maintenance carried out every year and for additional, extraordinary work. Among these, according to Römer, is the renovation of the entrance hall where visitors arrive.

The current season will end next Sunday; from then until reopening in mid-March, the summit will only be reachable on foot. Among the many visitors who climbed to the summit for the view in recent days, some chose to walk up rather than take the funicular. Among them was a tourist from Ireland, travelling from Milan, who said he had come up to see Switzerland: «Posti stupendi, bella gente, fantastico» (Wonderful places, great people, fantastic).