Hammetschwand Lift
**Dear Jon Snow fans**, we are sorry to disappoint you. The Hammetschwand Lift is nothing more and nothing less than an elevator located at 1,132 meters above sea level in the swiss mountains Burgenstock.
If you have an adventurous spirit and lack vertigo, there is no better option than this to enjoy an incredible view of the lake lucerne . The views and the climb are one of the main attractions of the Bürgenstock.
View of the Hammetschwand Lift from the Felsenweg trail
The elevator travels 152 meters of ascent in less than a minute long enough to feel a burst of adrenaline , which is enhanced by the feeling of being flush with the sky.
Reaching a speed of 3.15 meters per second, it is the fastest and highest outdoor elevator in Europe Until now. Its glass cabin has a capacity for 12 people and is wheelchair accessible.
Advertising poster for the opening of the Hammetschwand Lift
Built between 1903 and 1905, It is considered one of the most avant-garde tourist attractions in the Belle Époque. The lift tower is an iron frame similar to that of the Eiffel Tower.
The hotels in the Bürgenstock have always been very popular with tourists, who to get to the lift have to follow the path that the pioneer of Swiss tourism Bucher–Durrer began to build on the north side of Bürgenstock Mountain in the year 1900. As a result he got an impressive circuit, with galleries, tunnels and spectacular views.
The Bürgenstock and the lake of the Four Cantons
First impressions were magnificent. **Sophia Loren, Konrad Adenauer, Audrey Hepburn, Indira Gandhi, Charles Chaplin, Jimmy Carter ** and many other celebrities from the worlds of politics, culture, industry and entertainment found the trail and lift amazing.
The task was not easy: experienced miners from Austria and Italy worked in extremely dangerous conditions, and with their hands as the main tool until they built the Felsenweg trail and the hole where the elevator is housed.
There was no geological obstacle that the builders could not overcome. Nevertheless, the route had to be closed in 1971 for security reasons.
Later, there were other restorations after sudden rock falls in 2001, 2009 and 2013. The construction of this skyscraper was a challenge for the time , just as its maintenance continues to be today.
The elevator is located at 1,132 meters above sea level
The route starts at the Honegg , on the southeast side of the Bürgenstock. From there it goes up to the Chänzeli , and a little further up begins the eastern section of the path that passes through several bridges and a tunnel, reaching to the bottom of the Hammetschwand Lift.
the tour Bürgenstock-Hammetschwand Lift-Chänzeli-Honegg-Bürgenstock it's about 5 kilometers long, but worth walking.
The Hammetschwand Lift carries over 40,000 passengers a year and is usually open from May to October , months in which the weather and snow conditions are more favourable.
We advise you to visit it in summer as the elevator tower lights up at night and it is seen to shine on high from the city of Lucerne . Quite a show!