Elevador do Bom Jesus do Monte

The funicular takes passengers from the city of Braga up to the pilgrimage site on the slopes of Mount Espinho, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. The entire complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The route runs parallel to the monumental baroque staircase to the sanctuary over 274 m with a gradient of 42 degrees. Construction began in 1880 to replace a horse-drawn wagon that carried visitors up the mountain. It was designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, who led the construction of several funiculars in Portugal. The yellow wooden cars with large windows run on two parallel standard-gauge tracks. It is one of the earliest of several funiculars built in the late 19th century and is moved by the weight of water in tanks beneath the cars. The tank of the car waiting at the mountain station is filled with water and, as it goes down, pulls up the car that is standing below with an empty tank.

Even if you like to walk, it's definitely worth a ride - it's an experience

If you don’t want to climb stairs you can drive