Polyterrasse

This guide to the Polyterrasse in Zurich starts with the Polybahn funicular that carries you up the hill, painted in the colors of a Swiss banking giant. It traces the line back to 1889, when a private company called the Zürichbergbahn opened it under a three-year-old concession, and follows six decades of steady profit hauling professors and sightseers up the slope. You'll hear how the ledgers turned red in 1950 and why the original owners eventually refused to renew their concession. Look at the paintwork on the car as the doors slide open behind you.