The Hammetschwand Lift is the highest exterior elevator

Elevator

An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...

 of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and is located in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. It connects a spectacular rock path with the lookout point Hammetschwand on the Bürgenstock

Bürgenstock

The Bürgenstock is a mountain above the Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. It is a very famous viewpoint because the mountain is almost completely surrounded by the lake and the summit is accessible by the Hammetschwand Elevator.- External links :*...

 plateau overlooking Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² , an elevation of 434 m , and a maximum depth of 214 m . Its volume is 11.8...

.

History

The hotel resort Buergenstock located at 847 meters a.s.l. has been a popular vacation spot since 1872. Its attractiveness was enhanced by the spectacular path along the vertical rock face and by an outdoor open lift. To this day the lift and the path have lost none of their attraction. The new lift was built and opened by the Schindler Group

Schindler Group

thumb|200px|Schindler Test Tower in Ebikon, Lucerne, SwitzerlandSchindler was founded in Switzerland in 1874 and is the largest manufacturer of escalators and the second largest manufacturer of elevators world wide. Schindler produces, installs, maintains and modernizes elevators and escalators in...

. It whisks passengers 153 meters up to the summit of the Hammetschwand in less than one minute. It was regarded as a pioneering feat in those days and is still a record holder, since the Hammetschwand lift is holding the number one position as Europe's highest exterior lift.

Design specifications

At its time it had a speed of one meter per second and one could enjoy nearly three minutes of travel. Its cab consisted of wood fitted with a zinc sheet and could carry 8 passengers. During the upgrade of 1935 the speed was increased to 2.7 meters per second and the cab was replaced with one of a light metal construction. It was not only the highest public external elevator of Europe, but also the fastest elevator of the world. The filigrain, metal lattice tower has a surface area of 2×2 meters, is 118 meters high and is located on a 44 meter high rock pit. The elevator entrance, the engine room and the first 14 meters of this pit are completely on the inside of the mountain, while during the next 30 meters it elevates with a full view of the Lake of Lucerne. The whole trip lasts approximately 50 seconds. At the top station of Hammetschwand (1132 meters a.s.l.), there are breathtaking views of the Lake of Lucerne and the Alps.

External links

• http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=47238