Funivia Colle Eletto, Gubbio

The Funivia Colle Eletto is one of Gubbio's most memorable experiences, an unusual open cable car that carries visitors from the eastern edge of the old town up the steep flank of Monte Ingino to the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo near the summit. Rather than enclosed cabins, the lift uses small open metal baskets, often nicknamed 'birdcages', each holding two standing passengers, that are scooped up from the moving cable at the valley station; an attendant helps riders step in. The ride takes only a few minutes but is exhilarating, swinging up the hillside with the medieval town spreading out below and the Umbrian plain stretching to the horizon. At the top, the Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo houses the body of Gubbio's patron saint and, more strikingly for many, the three towering wooden 'Ceri', the great pillars carried at a run through the town and up the mountain during the famous Festa dei Ceri each 15 May. From the summit terraces and a short walk above the basilica, the views over Gubbio, the Apennine ridges and the valley are the widest in the area. A visit, including the ride both ways and time at the top, takes about an hour to ninety minutes. The basket lift is not suitable for those who are very nervous of heights or unsteady on their feet, and it does not carry pushchairs or large bags. The valley station is on Via San Gerolamo at the edge of the old town, and clear afternoons give the finest views from the top, in north-eastern Umbria.