Gondelbahn Fréjus - Erste gebaute Eier-Kabinenbahn in Serre Chevalier! (1968-2023)

The Fréjus gondola lift, built in 1968 by Poma, was the oldest gondola lift in France until its final day of operation on December 31, 2023. The base station is located in the village of Villeneuve at an altitude of 1,395 meters. Surrounding the station are distinctive buildings with numerous holiday apartments and some hotels, all completed in 1968 alongside the gondola lift. At the time, the gondola lift was designed to serve as a feeder to the newly opened Fréjus Plateau, where additional ski lifts were also built. Part of the garage for the 80 gondola cabins was housed in the base station. These cabins were stored every evening in the Serre Chevalier area, an uncommon practice in France. Each garage could hold about 40 cabins and operated almost fully automatically, which was advanced technology for its time. Other facilities in the base station included ticket offices, waiting areas, and staff offices, which were relocated to a new complex after the old buildings were demolished. The entire installation was operated from the base station, a typical feature of Poma lifts from the 1960s and 70s. The gondola's route was remarkable for its age. It featured several compression towers and a fascinating layout. In the upper third of the line, the route initially descended slightly before climbing steeply again. This section was particularly notable for its unique design. After running flat over the village, the route climbed a steep slope, crossed a ridge, and then gently descended again. Due to the ridge’s steep incline, a rescue line was installed at this point. Following the special compression tower, the line climbed further to the top station on the Fréjus Plateau. When the gondola lift was first operational, the cabins were blue, lacked full glazing, and were later painted yellow. The top station was situated at an altitude of 2,057 meters and reflected the architectural style of the time: a simple station with a corrugated metal roof. Nearby are the Fréjus mountain restaurant and several button lifts, including the Crêtes button lift, built in 1978 by Montaz Mautino to ease the load on the Barres ski lift. The Barres ski lift was constructed simultaneously with the gondola and played a vital role in the development of this area. Over the years, additional installations were added. The top station also housed the gondola cabins, with room for 40 in total. This station had two levels: the lower level contained workshops for repairs and a small staff lounge. In the summer of 2024, the old gondola lift was dismantled. It was replaced by a new, modern gondola lift that combines several installations, including the former DMC. This new lift, also built by Poma, is now the longest 10-person gondola lift in France and features a captivating layout. It can reach speeds of up to 7 m/s. - - Subscribe to our channel to never miss any updates! - This channel presents cable cars from all over Europe. In almost every video we show technical footage of the stations. - Follow me on Instagram and Youtube to never miss anything! Youtube:    / seilbahn77   Instagram (Seilbahn77):   / seilbahn77   Instagram (seilbahn_technik):   / seilbahn_technik   - - Procedure 00:00 Start / facts and figures 00:25 Valley station (outside) 07:05 Valley station (inside) 10:05 Station technology (valley station) 13:40 Route 21:19 Top station (inside) 24:27 Top station (outside) 29:33 End - - #GondolaFrejus #Poma #Gondola #FréjusPlateau #Ski area #Mountain station #Valley station #Ski village #Skilift #SerreChevalier #Gondolas #SkiliftRelief #Mountain lifts #Winter vacation #OldGondola #Gondola #France #PomaBuildings #MountainRestaurantFrejus #Skilifts #FrenchAlps #gondola #uphill #alpineskiing #gondolahistory #fascinatingtrip #skiinginFrance #pomatechnology #skilifthistory #feederlift #polelift #skiliftdevelopment #gondolaliftsinFrance #farewelltothegondola #winter2024 #skiareadevelopment