The Hammetschwand Lift in Switzerland is the highest exterior

elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...

in Europe. It connects a rock path with the lookout point ''Hammetschwand'' on the

Bürgenstock The Bürgenstock () is a mountain in Switzerland with an elevation of above sea level, situated beside Lake Lucerne. Since the late 19th century, the Bürgenstock is the site of a large hotel and conference centre, today known as Bürgenstock R ...

plateau overlooking

Lake Lucerne Lake Lucerne (, literally 'Lake of the four Waldstätte, forested settlements' (in English usually translated as ''forest cantons''), , ) is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country. Geography The lake has a compli ...

History

Built by hotel and railway businessman

Franz Josef Bucher Franz Josef Bucher (17 January 1834 – 6 October 1906) was a Swiss business magnate, politician and patron who built his wealth in hotels and railroads. Bucher established the Bürgenstock hotel complex and was the owner and patron of Europe's ...

, it was the first of its type in Switzerland when first opened in 1905. The lift carries passengers up to the summit of the Hammetschwand in under a minute, and holds the record for the highest exterior lift in Europe. The current lift was built and opened by the

Schindler Group Schindler Holding Ltd. is a Swiss multinational company which manufactures escalators, moving walkways, and elevators worldwide, founded in Switzerland in 1874. Schindler produces, installs, maintains and modernizes lifts and escalators in man ...

. The original lift operated at a speed of and took nearly three minutes to reach the summit of the Hammetschwand, carrying up to eight people in its wooden and zinc-plated cab. In 1935, the lift's speed was increased to and the cab was replaced with a lighter metal construction. At this time it was not only the highest public external elevator in Europe, but also the fastest elevator in the world. The filigrain, metal lattice tower has a surface area of , is high and is located on a high rock pit. The elevator entrance, the engine room and the first of the pit are within the mountain, while the next of the shaft extend into the open air, offering a view of Lake Lucerne. At the top station of Hammetschwand ( above sea level), there are panoramic views of the lake and the Alps.

External links

* * http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=47238 {{coord, 47, 00, 04, N, 8, 23, 47, E, region:CH-LU_type:landmark, display=title Individual elevators Monuments and memorials in Switzerland