Have you ever been to the Alps? This beautiful mountain system is the largest in Europe. It is among these fabulous mountains that magnificent Switzerland is located. It contains many contenders for records in the Guinness book. One of them is the longest staircase in the world - Niesenban. Tourists can climb it to Mount Nizen. If we look at the Alps on the map, then this place falls on the canton of Bern. In our article, you will learn about this Swiss landmark, as well as other long stairs in the world.
A little bit about Mount Nizen
There are many amazing tourist destinations around the world that testify to the creativity and perseverance of the human mind. It is on Mount Niesen that the longest staircase in the world is built. Next to it is the path for the funicular. The longest staircase in the world is 3.5 km long.
Mount Nizen has an almost regular pyramidal shape. Next to it is the picturesque alpine lake Thun. In height, Nizen rises to 2,362 meters. In German, "nizen" means "sneeze". For its clear shape, the mountain was called the "Swiss pyramid". But it was not the appearance and location that caused the mountain to get into the Guinness Book of Records. This is related to the world's longest staircase with 11,674 steps.
What was the staircase built for?
In 1906, it was decided to build a funicular road on Mount Niesen. The construction went on for four years and was completed in 1910. This is how the Niesenbahn funicular appeared. Every day, thousands of tourists who come here ride it to the top of the mountain to admire the beauty of the Swiss Alps.
Parallel to the funicular line, we decided to build a staircase. To begin with, it was designed for technical work. Workers could use it to reach any part of the Niesenbahn.
How does the staircase serve today?
Today, the Niesenbahn funicular is very popular with tourists. And the staircase on Mount Niesen in Switzerland has already become part of it. The staircase is only open to the public once a year. And on the funicular in 30 minutes you can climb the mountain at least every day.
But what about those who want to walk up the stairs? This is possible only by pre-registration for participation in the annual high-speed ascent (competition) to the top of Nizen.
Such an original competition was decided to be held hereannually since 1990. It is usually held in June. Five hundred people are allowed to register. Sometimes not everyone can get the opportunity to climb. Many sign up a year in advance.
The fact that the stairs can only be climbed once a year, and then by appointment, makes it even more mysterious. The record for overcoming 11,674 steps was a time of 52 minutes. And so all year round the stairs are closed for the safety of tourists.
Panorama from above
Why should a tourist climb Mount Nisen at least by funicular? From there you can admire the panorama of the most magnificent peaks of Switzerland, ancient historical cities. Among them are Spitz, Interlaken, Kandersteg. At the very top of the stairs is the Berghaus Niesen building. Going there, you can plunge into a century ago. There is a restaurant inside this house. Prices are high there, but the view from the windows is simply mesmerizing. Green valleys and Lake Thun are visible from above. The restaurant will delight you with delicious traditional Swiss cuisine.
Flerley Stairs in Norway
There are a lot of unusual stairs in the world. In Norway, for example, you can walk along the longest wooden ladder. This attraction is located in the small town of Fleurley. In length, the wooden staircase stretches for 1,600 m. It consists of 4,400 steps. It was built to rise to an important object - a power plant. Construction began at the beginning of the 20th century. In the photo above you can see this staircase, which has no railings. She passesnext to the pipeline.
A traveler who decides to walk along a wooden ladder sees beautiful historical buildings in the Art Nouveau style. Huge pipes running along the stairs supply water to the power plant. Those who are afraid of climbing stairs can take a cable car along the historical site.
The pipeline and the stairs are in a very beautiful mountainous area. In late spring and summer, many tourists come to the town of Fleurley. At this time of the year, a kind of tunnel of green leaves forms above the stairs. The nature around is simply mesmerizing. It is not easy to climb the stairs to the very top, and not all travelers can do it.
Heaven's Gate in China
China is a huge country that conquers many travelers. It is rich in majestic mountains and endless plains, which are legendary. Have you ever heard of a staircase leading not just to mountains, but to caves? What could be more beautiful than a natural arch in the rocks? Such a huge arch, like a giant hole, formed in Tianmen Mountain. The well-known name of this natural masterpiece is "Heaven's Gate".
This place is located in the northwest of China's Hunan province. It is there that the Tianmen Park of the same name is located. You can see a photo of the attraction a little higher. Others prefer to call the huge hole in the mountains "Gate of Heaven", "Gate to Heaven", "Tenmen Cave".
The opening in the mountain was formed long ago due to erosion of rocks and washing out of rockswater. The emergence of the "Heaven's Gate" falls on 263 AD. It was then that a massive earthquake occurred. After strong tremors, a large piece of rock broke off. Thus, a kind of arch to the sky was formed.
This opening in the rock is very large. The height of the mountain with a hole is 1519 m. The depth of the arch is 60 m, the height is 131.5 m, the width is 57 m.
Fairy gate in the mountain looks just unreal. Many want to see them. Local residents attribute supernatural properties to them. On the way to the "Paradise Gates" the traveler is accompanied by an aura of mysticism. 999 steps of a special staircase lead to the opening.
The fastest way to get to the arch is by cable car, which is 7,455 m long. Lazier travelers take this route. By the way, this cable car is also listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest alpine cable car on Earth. At the end of this road is a Buddhist temple built by the Tang Dynasty. Many try to climb the stairs to the "Heaven's Gate". They say that after passing these 999 steps, a person brightens his soul and becomes closer to God.
