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Portugal - staircase at Lello Bookshop. - This
interesting grand staircase in a bookshop in Portugal looks quite
intimidating to climb,
but it has a great view of the book store. The steps are
like two channels of red wine pouring and swirling down to a single point.
Belgium-- Buren Mountain- altho this is not a real mountain, it's the name of the
stairs, probably because it just looks like a mountain to climb.
It is located in the city of Liege and
has 374 stone stairs. The staircase was built in 1881 but the handrails
were added later. It was first
built to allow soldiers to have access to
the city center.
Hawaii - Haiku Stairs, also known as the 'stairway to
heaven'. It is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oahu. The
trail starts as a wooden
staircase leading to the cliff on the
south side of the Valley of Haiku . The staircase was installed in 1942 to
stretch a cable from one side
of the hill to the other side. This was
necessary in order to provide a continuous link to the naval station during
the war. In 2003, the staircase
was restored at a cost of $875,000. , but
due to current legal issues of land use, the city and county of Honolulu said
there is no current plan
to open the stairs for public use.
Switzerland -- Bridge
staircase over one of the deep gorges at the Via Mala. Engineers solved the
problem of connecting two
different heights of this gorge by creating a hanging,
ladder bridge. This staircase replaces a rope bridge for travelers to get
across the river
because the old one was destroyed by a landslide. This new
pedestrian bridge covers a distance of 56 meters in height with a
vertical drop of 22 meters between the two slopes.
Quite an engineering feat, but a little scary to cross when it's windy.
India -- Chand Baori Well, This unusual
staircase at Chand Baori structure is located in a village near Jaipur
Abaneri, India. The well
was built in the year 800, with 3500 steps descending 13
floors and 20 meters to the bottom. Shand Baori structure was designed to
save
as much water as possible. At the bottom of the well the
air is 6.5 degrees cooler than at the surface. This place was used as a
resting
place for local residents during heat waves. The top
structures look like Roman architecture with all the arches.
Scotland - Cascade universe, located on the hillside along
the gardens of Dumfries in Scotland, consists of a series of many steep
steps.
Large areas with viewing benches were installed on each
flight. You can simply enjoy the beauty of nature, or relax while
climbing.
The
. Staircase begins at the pond and leads to a beautiful pavilion upstairs.
Although the gardens are private, they open to the public several
times a year. Notice there are no hand
rails.
Greece --- Stairs Santorini - In 1715 the island
residents built a steep staircase on the hillside so they
could get from the sea to the summit
and back. They had to use donkeys to help carry cargo and
passengers from ships up to the city. In 1930, the stairs were improved,
but donkeys were still the most reliable carriers. Finally,
in 1979, a ropeway was installed to automate the process, but for tourists,
the most interesting trip to the top, is still the
donkeys. There are a total of 657 carved, stone steps to climb to the
large town on the top.
Japan --- Awaji Yumebutai (Ladder of Dreams) is a complex
area of buildings and other structures located on
the
island of Awaji. There are
many different tier gardens, consisting of 100 beds of plants and stairs. The
complex
was built as a memorial to the Great Hanshin Earthquake in
1995. Construction was carried out on the side
of the mountain, which was half demolished in the early
90'.
Germany -- Tiger Turtle Stairs --This unusual sculpture is
21 meters tall and was named Tiger Turtle. It is located on
a hillside
in Duisburg, Germany. Steps meander along the steel
frame in a spiral structure, which includes a full loop. Visitors can climb
through
this staircase, but are not allowed to enter the center
loop where the steps go upside down .
Ukraine -- Potemkin Stairs in Odessa - It is the
formal entrance into the city from the sea and the most famous symbol of
Odessa .
It was originally known as the ladder Richelieu . The top
step is 12.5 meters wide, and the lowest step widens to 21.7 meters.
Because of the different widths above and below, the
stairs create the illusion of greater length. The beautiful landscaping
along
the sides provides a little shade for the challenging
climb.
Germany -- Steel Sculpture Art - This interesting
piece of art merges art and architecture in a 9 meter-high walk that is a
double
spiral of steel at the entrance of the KPMG office
building (a global accounting firm) in Munic, Germany . The staircase was
added
to the front of their building in 2004 and is quite the
conversation piece since the stairs end up where they start..
New Mexico -- a Miraculous Staircase located
in Saint Joseph church at Loretto Chapel in Santa Fé ,. 136 years
after it was built in 1878, it
still confounds architects, engineers, and master craftsmen in the physics of
its construction and remains inexplicable in view of its baffling design. The
unusual helix shaped spiral staircase has two complete 360° turns, stands 20
feet high up to the choir loft and has no center pole to support it as most
circular stairways have. Its entire weight rests solely on its base and
against the choir loft - a mystery that defies all laws of gravity, it should
have crashed to the floor the moment anyone stepped on it. Yet it is
still in daily use for over a hundred years. The risers of the 33 steps are
all of the same height. Made of an apparently extinct wood species, it
was constructed with only square wooden pegs without glue or nails.
At the time it was built, the stairway had no banisters. These were added 10
years later in 1888 by Phillip A. Hesch at the Sisters' request for safety
sake.
Nederland -- Moses Bridge - In the early 17th
century, Fort de Ruver was surrounded by a moat and was originally
built withouta bridge, which was added later. But during
a restoration program centuries later, it necessitated the construction
of a new bridge. The original sunken bridge literally
merged with the water line, so the new construction became an almost
invisible
bridge from a distance, with a staircase down to a
partially submerged walkway.
China - Spiral Stairs-- this staircase was installed along
the mountainside in Tyayhan Linchzhou, China. At 91 meters tall ,
it offers the thrill of climbing without any ropes. You
will feel the full force of the wind, birds will fly past, and steps will
creak. It's much more interesting than taking the elevator to the
top. However, due to safety and health issues, you must agree to a
number of conditions first
if you climb. Climbers must be under 60 years of age
and complete a form confirming that they have no heart or lung
problems. Notice
that once you get off the spiral staircase, there's more
stairs.
Austria-- Schlossberg - The main attraction in
Schlossberg is the Clock Tower. It has
stood proudly for many years and is visible
from all points in the city. People climb to the top
to enjoy the incredible views of the surrounding area. This impressive
staircase carved
into the rock leads to the top of the hill where the clock
tower is located. 260 steps to climb is not considered difficult by
locals, but
anyone can use the elevator "lift"
instead. Beautiful, but challenging.
California -- The 16th Avenue Steps, in San Francisco - At
the corner of Moraga Street and 16th Avenue, in the Golden Gate Heights
neighborhood of San Fran is the base of the most beautiful
staircase in this city. A brightly-tiled panel covers the front of each
of the 163 steps, and as the stairs stretch up the hill
toward 15th Avenue, the individual panels blend together to form a massive,
mosaic picture. Stunning in its entirety, yet intricate
and detailed enough to be captivating when viewed up close. More
beautiful
when seen in person.
Ecuador
-- Steps in a Canyon - This
famous staircase in the canyon is located near the waterfall Pailon del
Diablo in Ecuador.
It is quite a large waterfall and just 30 minutes from the
city of Banos. This is one of the most popular attractions in the area when
visiting that country. It's quite the
challenge since the stairs are so steep.
Australia ------ Spiral Staircase in Sydney - This amazing
spiral staircase is located at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in
Sydney. It is five stories high and makes your
body turn about 6.5 revolutions when you climb to the top, but there's an
exit on
each floor.
France --- Museum Musée Gustave Moreau, in
Paris - This is
how you make a spectacular entrance to an art museum.
It is named after the famous painter Docteur
Moreau. Gorgeous to see, exhilarating to climb.
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