Long before we invented a way to vertically transport people and goods using a complicated system of cables and counter-weights, everyone had to do it the hard way – walk up and down the stairs.
Over thousands of years humans have figured out the right angle, the height and width of each step, and of course, the fact that you don’t have to make boring staircases and instead have fun with the design! That’s definitely not a prerequisite for getting on this list, as you will soon see for yourself.
So watch your step, as we journey to visit 15 most astonishing staircases in the world!
1. Lion Rock, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
1500-year-old Lion Rock is 660 ft tall and counts 1200 steps.
2. Sprinkenhof Spiral Staircase, Germany
This is one of the most photographed staircases in the world!
3.
Chinese Great Wall stairs, Huairou, China
Almost
all of the Great Wall of China is just a huge staircase.
4. Stepwells, Rajasthan, India
This is Chand Baori – world’s largest step well with 3,500 steps!
5. Red Staircase at Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal
This fantastic crimson staircase looks a lot like two rivers combining into one
6. 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, California
With over 77,000 hand-crafted tiles, this mosaic staircase is the longest in the world.
7. Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy
If you’re ever in Rome, make sure to see the Spanish Steps. All 135 of them!
8. Batu Caves, Malaysia
This might be the literal stairway to heaven, as it leads to a Hindu temple inside a cave.
9. Momo Staircase, Vatican
There are actually two sets of stairs here: one going up, the other leading down.
10. Umschreibung, Germany
These stairs will get you nowhere, but they look cool AF!
11. Musical Piano Stairs on Wulin Plaza, Hangzhou, China
You can actually play your favorite songs on this staircase. Neat!
12. Atmos Studio, London, UK
I’m not sure if it’s the beer or are these stairs really starting to look weird?
13.
Stairs in Baron’s Palace Heliopolis, Egypt
The
whole house along with this staircase was built on a rotating base,
allowing its inhabitants to spin around 360 degrees and see amazing
landscapes.
14. Stairs in Design Plaza, Seoul, South Korea
These
are the most well-designed stairs I’ve seen so far. Plenty of angular
goodness with some light tubes
15. The Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, Sicily, Italy
This 142-step breathtaking staircase from 1608 twice a year is used as a backdrop for light and flower festival.
