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Perched on the very summit of the Rock of Gibraltar,
with the sheer cliffs of the east face of the Rock to
one side of the building and steep slopes leading to the
City of Gibraltar on the west on the other is the Top
Station of the Cable Car.
From this spot one has uninterrupted views southwards
across the Straits of Gibraltar to Africa; westwards,
of the City of Gibraltar and across the Bay to Algeciras;
a birds eye view of Gibraltar airport and Spain to the
north; and the blue expanse of the Mediterranean and the
beaches and cities of the Costa del Sol to the east.
Every corner of the Rock oozes with history and it is
worthwhile to take the time to find out a little about
what you are looking at by either listening to a commentary
on multilingual tapes available at the Top Station or
by combining your trip on the Cable Car with a tour of
the Rock.
You might learn for example about the spot where Admiral
Nelson's body was brought ashore after his victory at
the Battle of Trafalgar, or of the many tunnels inside
the Rock from where General Eisenhower masterminded the
invasion of North Africa in World War II, or of the fact
that parts of the first Cable Car to be built in Gibraltar
can still be seen (although it took the form of a basket
into which a man or some ammunition might by transported
to the gun emplacements which used to be located close
to the site of the existing Top Station).
The present Cable Car was originally constructed in April
1966 by Von Roll of Switzerland, and was extensively refurbished
by the manufacturers in 1986. Within the Top Station complex
there is a Self Service Restaurant, English Pub and Souvenir
Shop where you can have a meal or a drink whilst enjoying
the views on one of the many panoramic terraces.
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