They are just as much as part of Lisboa as the trams. Whilst they may look similar to the trams in Lisboa, funiculars work very differently and it is such a great word to say. Go on say it – funicular! The Portuguese call them Ascensor or Elevador. Funiculars can be found all around the world and date back to the early 16th century. Lisboa’s are from the late 19th century. Designed to work on the steepest of inclines; the two cars are connected by a cable, and they counterbalance each other as one ascends and the other descends.
There remain three working funiculars in Lisboa, plus an elevator which many guides include in their funicular railway descriptions. Let’s start with the oldest first – Ascensor do Lavra, you may recall it from my ‘Off the beaten track‘. It connects Câmara Pestana with Largo da Anunciada. It opened 1884 and like many funiculars was originally water-powered. No longer water-powered but still great fun to ride on as it is steepest with an average gradient of nearly 23%.
The next one – Ascensor da Glória – is almost as steep at 18% and opened within a year of Lavra. It takes you to the top of Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. We haven’t travelled on this one, but did climb the hill one evening on our way to a procession in the Bairro Alto. It isn’t a climb for the fainthearted!
The third funicular – Ascensor da Bica – I think is my favourite because of the view whilst you wait for it and the station at the bottom.
The final mode of transport is probably the most unusual, is photographed even more than Ascensor da Bica and the queues to board can be 30minutes or more.
For a fun day in Lisboa why not go on a funicular expedition. Where you begin of course depends on where you are staying.
One suggestion we’ve come across is to start by catching the 25E tram to the only funicular station and then ascend Ascensor da Bica. Once at the top you can catch the no28 towards the Santa Justa or if you prefer stroll as there is lots to see and plenty of shops and cafes to go in.