Alpine Wonderland Holds the Highest Outdoor Elevator in Europe

by Sophie Goodwin

Europe’s highest outdoor elevator is just a hop, catamaran and funicular away from Switzerland’s picturesque alpine landscape. Two thousand ft above sea level sits the historic Bürgenstock Resort, which first opened in 1873 on Lake Lucerne in Obbürgen, Switzerland. The resort might seem familiar, which being featured as a filming location for arguably one of the best James Bond films, Goldfinger, will do. Once visitors make it to the already high-altitude resort, the Hammetschwand Lift is waiting to take them even higher. Built in 1905, the outdoor attraction lifts visitors 500 ft in the air in under a minute to the highest point at the resort where a breath-taking, one-of-a-kind view and dinner awaits.

While the Hammetschwand Lift is 120 years old, it still brings locals and tourists to the resort, mainly because it’s the way to the small Swiss chalet restaurant, Taverne 1879. Once visitors arrive at the base of the resort, the lift is waiting a mile down the Felsenweg path where a small station is built into the mountainside. Here, visitors can purchase tickets and board the record-breaking elevator. After the minute long ascent, visitors are greeted with the sweet smells of hearty rösti and fondue wafting from Taverne 1879, where they can have dinner outside surrounded by grazing cows. With the option to ride the elevator or hike down the mountain, the historic Hammetschwand Lift is most likely the preferred choice after a filling meal of cheese and wine.