The Gaia Cable Car, or ''Teleférico de Gaia'', is a monocable

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate suppo ...

located in

Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; ), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a populati ...

, across the

Douro river The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern part of the Meseta ...

from the Portuguese city of

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

. The upper station is located next to Jardim do Morro station of the

Porto Metro The Porto Metro () is a light rail network in Porto, Portugal and a key part of the city's public transport system. Having a semi-metro alignment, it runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs while using low-fl ...

, the upper level of the

Dom Luís I Bridge The Dom Luís I Bridge (), or Luís I Bridge, is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its span was the longest of its type in the world. ...

, and the

Serra do Pilar Monastery The Monastery of Serra do Pilar is a former monastery located in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, on the opposite side of the Douro River from Porto. The monastery is situated on an outcrop overlooking the Dom Luís I Bridge and the historic centre of ...

. The lower station is on the riverside promenade of Cais de Gaia, with several nearby

Port wine Port wine (, ; ), or simply port, is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often served with dessert wine, ...

cellars, along with restaurants, cafes and a departure point for Douro river cruises. The line was built by Doppelmayr at a cost of

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...

12 million, and is operated by the company Telef - Transportes por Cabo e Concessões, SA. Construction commenced in March 2009, and the line entered service in April 2011. , the line runs every day except

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

, with services starting at 10:00 and ending between 18:00 and 20:00 depending on the season. Tickets can be bought at either station or online, but Andante tickets cannot be used. The line runs roughly parallel to Gaia bank of the Douro, but there is a significant difference in height between its upper and lower stations, which are respectively some and above

mean sea level A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...

. The line is some long and is supported on 3 pylons. The longest span between the support towers is and the average incline is 9.1%. There are 12 cars, each of which can carry up to 8 passengers. The line has a maximum speed of , but normally operates at just in order to allow passengers to enjoy the views of Vila Nova de Gaia, the Douro river, and Porto. Travel time is 3 minutes 45 seconds, and the line can carry up to 850 passengers per hour. File:Portweinkellerein.jpg, The upper station seen from Serra do Pilar, with the line and lower station in distance File:Teleférico de Gaia 20150508.jpg, The upper station seen from below, with the Serra do Pilar church above it File:Teleférico de Gaia 20111010 2.jpg, The lower station seen the Douro waterfront

References

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Gondola lifts in Portugal Transport infrastructure in Porto Vila Nova de Gaia 2011 establishments in Portugal

See also

References