Information
Landmark: Elevador LacerdaCity: Salvador
Country: Brazil
Continent: South America
Elevador Lacerda, Salvador, Brazil, South America
Overview
In Salvador, Bahia, the Elevador Lacerda rises like a tall, weathered tower, a historic elevator that’s among the city’s most beloved landmarks.It’s a vital way to get around, and it also gives you a rare view-like catching the sun glint off the water as you pass.Let’s take a closer look at the Elevador Lacerda-its steel frame rising above the bay.The Elevador Lacerda opened on October 17, 1873, its iron frame gleaming in the sun, making it one of the world’s oldest urban elevators.Engineer Augusto Lacerda designed it, and the elevator now carries his name.The elevator linked Salvador’s lower city, Cidade Baixa, to the upper city, Cidade Alta, where cobblestone streets wind past old churches and weathered colonial buildings.Built across a jumble of steep hills, Salvador proved tricky to navigate-especially for anyone trying to get from the bustling lower streets up to the quieter heights above.Before the elevator went up, you had to climb steep, narrow streets or ride in a cart behind a sweating horse to get between the upper and lower parts of the city.Number two.The Elevador Lacerda first rose in elegant neoclassical style, its lifts driven by hissing hydraulic pumps, before switching to electric power in the 1920s.The elevator’s a tall steel frame holding two cabins that glide up and down, giving riders sweeping views-like rooftops and treetops shrinking beneath them.Over the years, workers have replaced panels, tightened cables, even polished the brass buttons, yet the elevator’s old-world charm and historic significance have stayed untouched.Made of steel, the structure rises about 72 meters-roughly 236 feet-and towers over Salvador’s skyline like a gleaming marker against the sky.Three.The Elevador Lacerda connects Salvador’s Upper City-the historic heart lined with pastel colonial facades, echoing church bells, and landmarks like Pelourinho, Praça da Sé, and the Church of Bonfim-to the Lower City, serving as a vital link between these two essential parts of the city.Cidade Baixa, or the Lower City, hums with life, stretching from the glittering Baía de Todos os Santos to the bustling Mercado Modelo, where stalls overflow with bright beadwork, and on to the busy docks of the Porto de Salvador.Down in the lower city, you’ll find the base of the Lacerda Elevator and the busy terminals where passengers step off into the street.The elevator lets locals and visitors zip between the two halves of the city, sparing them the long climb up steep hills or the slow drive along twisting roads.Number four.Beyond getting people from one level of the city to another, the Elevador Lacerda draws crowds for its sweeping bay views and striking Art Deco design.Step off the elevator’s top level and you’re greeted with sweeping views of Salvador-the blue shimmer of the Bay of All Saints, the colorful Lower City, and the buzz of the busy waterfront below.From the elevator’s top terminal, you can snap striking shots of the bay, making it a stop you can’t miss when wandering Salvador’s historic district.Around here, you’ll find cozy restaurants, colorful little shops, and street vendors sizzling food on hot griddles, all inviting you to soak up the local culture as you take in the view.Number five sits right in the middle, like the tick of a clock at half past.The Elevador Lacerda isn’t just a way to get from one level of Salvador to the other-it’s a proud landmark, carrying the weight of the city’s history and the sweep of its cliffs and harbor in every ride.Over the years, it’s watched the city rise and sprawl, and you’ll still spot it on postcards, in bright brushstrokes on canvas, and splashed across local headlines.It also reflects the city’s long-standing social and economic divide-where, in the past, the wealthy looked out from the high terraces of Cidade Alta while working families lived down in the bustling streets of Cidade Baixa.You can still see the divide today, even though the city has changed a great deal-new glass towers now rise where old warehouses once stood.Number six.Though it’s still one of the oldest elevators in the world, the Elevador Lacerda has been renovated many times over the years-fresh steel cables, polished brass rails-to keep it running smoothly and safely.Back in the 1990s, the elevator cabins got an upgrade to run more efficiently, and in the 21st century, crews launched a full modernization to protect the structure and make it easier for everyone to use.Today, the elevator still runs, its brass buttons worn smooth, serving both the daily grind and a quiet reminder of the past.Seven.The Elevador Lacerda runs every day, carrying locals and tourists alike, and it’s one of the city’s most affordable ways to travel-just a few coins will get you from the lower streets to the upper skyline.Both locals on foot and curious tourists can easily reach it, whether they’re strolling past cafés or snapping photos along the way.The city runs the elevator, and anyone can ride it for a small fee-usually under R$1, enough to buy a cup of strong coffee.It comes by every few minutes, so you can zip between the upper and lower parts of the city in no time-sometimes before your coffee even cools.The elevator’s wheelchair accessible, so people with disabilities can get around easily and take in Salvador’s sweeping ocean views.It’s also easier on your wallet than getting around by taxi or hopping on a crowded bus.The number eight sat in bold black ink, simple and steady.The Elevador Lacerda sits close to some of Salvador’s most treasured spots, like Pelourinho-the city’s historic heart, where pastel-colored colonial buildings line narrow cobblestone streets alive with the beat of drums and the scent of street food.Mercado Modelo bursts with life, packed with stalls selling hand-carved figurines, colorful souvenirs, and the scent of sizzling street food.Igreja de São Francisco: a breathtaking baroque church, its interior glowing with intricate gold that catches the light like warm sunlight on polished metal.Praça da Sé sits at the heart of the city, just steps from the church and surrounded by weathered historic buildings.Right in the heart of the city, it’s the perfect place to begin exploring Salvador, from the cobbled streets to the colorful markets.The Elevador Lacerda, a cherished landmark in Salvador, links the city’s upper and lower districts, giving locals and visitors alike a quick, scenic ride between the two.More than just useful, it stands as a living emblem of Salvador’s history and culture, offering sweeping views of the bay and anchoring the rhythm of everyday life in the city.
