Santa Justa Lift (Lisbon Elevator): tips + photos

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Riding the Lisbon Elevator

• Santa Justa Lift price: 5.30€ including lift both ways and access to viewing platform
• Included in the one-day metro ticket, Lisbon card and the Yellow hop on hop off busses - however note that some of the tickets don't include the viewing platform entrance, just the lift, which is not the best part
• Lisbon elevator opening hours: 7am to 9pm - or to 11pm in Summer
• The viewing platform is accessed via a narrow staircase (photos in the article)
• See the best rated accommodations in Lisbon

The Lisbon Elevator from the bottom entrance

The elevator can be reached from the top or the bottom.
The bottom access is in the heart of Lisbon. I missed it on my way from the sea. I don't know how I missed it.... It is quite a structure! 

Anyway, I turned around and spotted it between the buildings.

As you approach the entrance, you can see the details in the iron structure:

Note:
Other transportations are called elevators in Lisbon: Elevador da Gloria and Elevador da Bica. But they are funiculars.
Whereas Santa Justa is vertical. But they all help with the steep hills of Lisbon!

Santa Justa Lift history & facts

Before I show you photos of the amazing views, below are a few facts for those interested:

• Construction started in 1900
• Opened in 1902
• Height of 45m (148ft) (equivalent to 7 stories)
• It was built for public transportation, but is now mostly used by tourists
• It is a National Monument in Portugal
• It connects the lower street of the Baixa neighborhood (from Rua Santa Justa) to the Carmo square where you can find the Carmo Convent
• Its capacity nowadays is 29 people
• The structure is in iron, decorated in Neo-Gothic style 
• It was designed by Raoul Mesnier (a student of Gustave Eiffel - the one from the Eiffel tower...)
• Originally it had a steam engine (installed in 1901). But it was soon changed to an electrical motor (in 1907).

Inside the Santa Justa Elevator cabin

After that you enter inside the cabin of the Santa Justa Lift, which is also called the Carmo lift. Everything is wood.
Most people have to stand up inside for the short ride.

As you exit at the top, the view is blocked by a net. But don't worry!

After the lift, you can climb a few steps to reach the open viewing platform with 36O° views!!!

Panoramas from Elevador de Santa Justa viewpoint

I tried taking a panorama to show you the whole thing, but failed miserably.

Then the view just straight in alignment with the lift.

This is the view towards the Lisbon Castle:

Below is the view towards the Praça Dom Pedro 4 and the National Theater.

And towards the back are the ruins of the Carmo Convent:

And if you zoom you can also see Parque Eduardo in the distance.

Rooftop Views

What I loved most compared to the other viewpoints in Lisbon is that you are in the center and just above the roofs. So, you can get a better feel for the architecture of the buildings. 

And you get great views of the street decorations:

Upper exit of the Carmo Lift 

There is also an upper access to the Lisbon Elevator.
It is just close by the ruins of the Carmo Convent.

A 25m long beautiful corridor with sculpted iron takes you from the ground to the top of the elevator.

This is where you go, if you just want to access the platform without paying for the lift.

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