1897

The enterprising entrepreneur, Franz Josef Bucher-Durrer, decided to lay out footpaths on Mount Bürgen, one of which followed its northern flank. Begun in 1897, this was to become the Rock-face Path. It took five years to create the small tunnel, cut into the rock face and build the six to seven-metre-tall supporting walls.

1903

Barely was the path to the Känzeli finished when Bucher-Durrer came up with a new idea: why not use the Rock-face Path to access the highest point of Mount Bürgen, the alt. 1128 m Hammetschwand, by means of a lift? Work on the lift began in 1903. Back then the wooden, zinc-clad cabin could take eight passengers and travelled at 1 m/s.

1936

The Schindler lift company in Lucerne overhauled the lift in collaboration with hotel staff. After Berlin’s Olympia Tower had threatened to usurp its crown as Europe’s fastest lift by offering a speed of 2.3 m/s, the Hammetschwand Lift’s speed was increased to 2.7 m/s. The new light metal cabin could now accommodate 12 passengers. The tower, guide rails and motor were all strengthened accordingly.

1959/1960

The tower was again overhauled and strengthened, and a modern motor was installed offering gentler stops and starts and a speed of 4 m/s. The lift remained a major attraction. From its opening in 1905 to the break in service in 1990, the lift had carried some four million passengers.

1990

The authorities required a major overhaul to be carried out, without which the lift would have to be taken out of service. The then owner did not have the financial means – CHF 1.5 million – to have the work done. He therefore joined forces with the Schindler lift company to establish Hammetschwand Lift AG, and the overhaul took place. The cabin now features condensation-proof glazing on three sides for panoramic views. The lift can be operated by an attendant or by passengers themselves. To allow time for the wonderful views to sink in, its speed was dropped back to 3.15 m/s.