Santa Justa Street Elevator - BWFC in Lisbon 13 March 2008

Elevador de Santa Justa/ Santa Justa Street Elevator. The Santa Justa Elevator opened in 1902 and rises vertically some 45 metres from the Rua de Santa Justa in the Baixa area of central Lisbon to the Chiado district. The structure was designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, from Oporto. The structure houses two staffed lifts which normally allow direct access to the Carmo square and its monastery ruins, which are now an archaeological museum. From 1999 access at the top was limited to the elevator viewing deck only, due to building works. This meant that if it is quiet, you were at the mercy of the lift operator regarding the timing of your descent. But by January 2006, the 25 metre walkway to the Chiado was reported to be open once again. However, an alternative, less interesting but free route from the Baixa to the Chiado district is to use the escalators in the nearby Baixa-Chiado Metro station.
The vertical column of the elevator measures some 7m x 7.5m and the lift was originally powered by a steam engine mounted on its summit. Since 6 November, 1907 it has been electrically powered. On exiting the lift at the top, the area, below, to the left of the walkway was largely destroyed by a major fire in 1988 but has now been rebuilt. Alternatively passengers may linger in the viewing area which looks over Rossio to the north east and the Baixa district to the south. To the east are fine views across to the Castle and Graça. There is also a café at the summit but a small restaurant on the walkway is now closed. The walkway runs alongside the ruins of the Carmo monastery which has been left unrepaired since the catastrophic earthquake of 1 November, 1755. Carris trams formerly ran to the end of the walkway and the track stub still remains intact (2007). Nowadays there is no tram service nearby, the #24 service from Carmo to Alfândega having been withdrawn in the 1990s and, despite its promised reinstatement, has not yet reopened. At the foot of the elevator is a Carris office selling passes and from which route maps and timetables may be obtained.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Bolton
• Wanderers
• Lisbon
• Santa
• Justa
• Street
• Elevator

[madridaway]

top place hidden away at the top of that spiral staircase. we were up there about 2pm for a couple of beers. could hear the wanderers fans down in the square from up there above the noise of the traffic.

white army!