Cantón de la Soledad - Escalators to The Past
written by disdis
on July 13th, 2009
, 3 comments
(3 votes)
The old town of Vitoria-Gasteiz is place on a hill. Not too high, but high enough for old people and disable people. That is a problem when 60% of the population in that place is above 60 years old. In 2007, the council built 2 escalators from both sides of the hill to the top. It was good for the people living there, for visitors and tourists. In 4 minutes you can get to the top of the hill from San Peter’s Church to the Montehermoso palace.
The escalators, which are covered with glass, were designed by the arquitects Roberto Ercilla and Miguel Angel Campo and have 4 different stages. The speed is more or less 0,5 meters/second
On the east side of the hill, you can go from the Artium (Basque Museum of contemporary art to the top in 3 minutes.
I like this place of the city because I live just down the hill and my favorite shops and pubs are on the top. The problem is that if you live in a medieval city, some people won’t ever agree with this construction. Once a month, on sunday mornings, the glasses of the escalators are broken by vandals who want to stay in the niddle age. I know some people that just decide to use the traditional steps in order not to use those “symbols of progress”. This matter couldn’t be understood in other parts of the world.
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