VIDEO GUIDE PORTUGAL (Inglês) - Discover the Santa Justa elevator in Portugal

Elevator de Santa Justa, 45 meters high, also known as Elevador do Carmo, is a public transport system located in the center of Lisbon, Portugal.
It connects Rua de Santa Justa to Largo do Carmo and is one of the most interesting and visited monuments in downtown Lisbon. It receives about 1 million visitors a year.

It consists of a metal tower through which two cabins circulate and a walkway that connects the upper floor to the Carmo area.
The elevator structure is made of cast iron, and uses a Neo-Gothic-inspired scheme laden with filigree art.
It was built under the management of engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, known for having done other projects in the same style.
This elevator has been planned since the 1890s, but the project was only approved by the Lisbon City Council in 1900, the year in which the works began.

The Santa Justa Elevator has been in operation since June 10, 1902. During the first 5 years it operated only on steam. It was only in 1907 that it began to operate with electricity.

The ticket office is located behind the tower, under the stairs on Rua do Carmo. Passengers can take the elevator up or down inside two elegant wooden cabins with brass fittings.

In addition to the trip, visitors can enjoy the viewpoint that provides one of the best views of Lisbon.

It was once capable of carrying 45 people in each of the two cabins. Nowadays it can carry a maximum of 20 people on the way up and 15 on the way back to Rua do Ouro. The ticket price is around 5 euros.
It has been classified as a National Monument since 2002, the year of its centenary.

It is said, even without proof, that the Portuguese engineer (of French origin) Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard was a disciple of Gustave Eiffel, the engineer responsible for the Eiffel Tower in Paris.