Santa Justa Lift, Lisbon, Portugal

The Santa Justa Lift is an elevator, or lift, in the civil parish of Santa Justa, in the historical city of Lisbon. Situated at the end of Rua de Santa Justa, it connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square).

Since its construction, the Lift has become a tourist attraction for Lisbon as, among the urban lifts in the city, Santa Justa is the only remaining vertical (conventional) one. Others, including Elevador da Glória and Elevador da Bica, are actually funicular railways, and the other lift constructed around the same time, the Elevator of São Julião, has since been demolished.

The hills of Lisbon have always presented a problem for travel between the lower streets of the main Baixa and the higher Largo do Carmo. In order to facilitate the movement between the two, the civil and military engineer Roberto Arménio presented a project to the Lisbon municipal council in 1874.

In 1900, the formal contract was signed on which the working group was obligated to present a project for an elevator in a period of six months. On 31 August 1901, King Carlos inaugurates the metal bridge and awning. Yet, its operation would wait until 1902. Originally powered by steam, it was converted to electrical operation in 1907. After remodelling and renovation, on February 2006, the Elevator walkway was reopened for the general public and tourists.

References:

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User Reviews

藍海婷Hai Ting (15 months ago)
Its it one if the must do when you are in Lisbon. It's very easily accessed as it's bang in the middle of the main shopping street. It connects the lower level to the upper tier ( visit the church on the upper floor) if you are like us and didn't buy any tourist pass which includes this ...then you must get yourself herself a metro day pass (~€6 of you are planning on going about Lisbon ..take the tram and enjoy the view) as this pass includes the lift- buying tickets just for the lift is ~€5 so definitely worth buying the pass. Watch out for queues as there was A very long wait when I was there..it opens late so I would recommend coming back when it's slightly less busy

Maha El Nasser (15 months ago)
Loved this structure despite being fairly afeared of heights. Just about made it up the windy staircase to the top. Don't look down! Beautiful metal work. Also it's included on the 24 public transport pass, so definitely worth the €6.40 if you're planning on taking a bus at any point in the day as well.

nick cef (16 months ago)
Not sure I would bother waiting in line for a half hour or more, but the views are worthwhile. Architecturally unique. Be advised that once you exit the elevator at the top, you still need to go up a good number of steps to get to the lookout. Also, if you have a Via Viagem public transport card/pass, you can use it to ride the elevator. There is another small fee to access the rooftop lookout, though.

Eetu Pesonen (16 months ago)
Nice lift that gets you to an awesome view. Visited during evening and captured beautifully lighted Lisbon central. Lift ride itself takes maybe 35 seconds and it requires some walking through narrow stairs to get top of the lift for the views.

Michael Ewart (16 months ago)
Definitely worth a visit for the incredible view at the top. Pro tip: the ride up is included in your all-day public transportation pass. But you do need to pay an additional 1.50 euro to go up to the observation deck. Well worth it!

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The original Cochem Castle, perched prominently on a hill above the Moselle River, served to collect tolls from passing ships. Modern research dates its origins to around 1100. Before its destruction by the French in 1689, the castle had a long and fascinating history. It changed hands numerous times and, like most castles, also changed its form over the centuries.

In 1151 King Konrad III ended a dispute over who should inherit Cochem Castle by laying siege to it and taking possession of it himself. That same year it became an official Imperial Castle (Reichsburg) subject to imperial authority. In 1282 it was Habsburg King Rudolf’s turn, when he conquered the Reichsburg Cochem and took it over. But just 12 years later, in 1294, the newest owner, King Adolf of Nassau pawned the castle, the town of Cochem and the surrounding region in order to finance his coronation. Adolf’s successor, Albrecht I, was unable to redeem the pledge and was forced to grant the castle to the archbishop in nearby Trier and the Electorate of Trier, which then administered the Reichsburg continuously, except for a brief interruption when Trier’s Archbishop Balduin of Luxembourg had to pawn the castle to a countess. But he got it back a year later.

The Electorate of Trier and its nobility became wealthy and powerful in large part due to the income from Cochem Castle and the rights to shipping tolls on the Moselle. Not until 1419 did the castle and its tolls come under the administration of civil bailiffs (Amtsmänner). While under the control of the bishops and electors in Trier from the 14th to the 16th century, the castle was expanded several times.

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Louis Jacques Ravené (1823-1879) did not live to see the completion of his renovated castle, but it was completed by his son Louis Auguste Ravené (1866-1944). Louis Auguste was only two years old when construction work at the old ruins above Cochem began in 1868, but most of the new castle took shape from 1874 to 1877, based on designs by Berlin architects. After the death of his father in 1879, Louis Auguste supervised the final stages of construction, mostly involving work on the castle’s interior. The castle was finally completed in 1890. Louis Auguste, like his father, a lover of art, filled the castle with an extensive art collection, most of which was lost during the Second World War.

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