Funicular Monte Igueldo

This guide to the Monte Igueldo funicular in San Sebastian follows the two wooden cabins that have shared one track for over a century, passing each other at a loop halfway up the hill. It opens in 1912, when Queen Maria Cristina rode it up for its debut, built not for the sea view but for the casino, tower and restaurant a group of local businessmen had raised at the summit. From there it follows the funicular through the decades under Franco, when gambling was outlawed across Spain. Ride up front in the leading cabin for the clearest view of the passing loop halfway up.