 From Karlsruhe's former center Durlach, the line climbs the Turmberg, which on a clear day provides a lookout point with views of the Rhine Valley, the Palatinate forest and the adjacent parts of Alsace.The line first opened in 1888 by the "Turmbergbahn Durlach AG", and its original form used the water ballast system of propulsion, similar to that still used by the Nerobergbahn in Wiesbaden.Operation of the funicular was interrupted twice during World War II, once near the beginning, and again from 1945 to 1946.