ON THE EDGE: WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUSLY PLACED TOURIST LOCATIONS

 

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On the edge: World’s most dangerously placed tourist locations

If you fear heights, then these daring spots might scare you a bit. This is because these are some of the world’s most dangerously places structures – temples, monasteries, houses, and castles perched on cliff edges, and rocky mountains. While some are these will be accessible by those with exemplary mountain climbing skills, others can be accessed via road. Here are some of our top picks. Check them out.

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Sant’Agata de’ Goti, Italy

The very first sight of this place will make a magical impression. It has all the charms that you would expect from a medieval town. However, there will be an unexpected twist waiting for you Perched on delicately on top of a steep, sheer bluff above a river gorge, this historical gem will give you a feeling that it is cut off from the rest of the world.

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Katskhi pillar, Georgia

Perched on top of the 130 ft high Katskhi Pillar in Georgia, is probably the world’s most sacred, and isolated church. Located around 200 km west of Georgia's capital city Tbilisi, this amazing landmark is famed for being notoriously difficult to reach. Reportedly, locals could only look up at the mysterious ruins at its summit for centuries. However, in 1944, mountaineer Alexander Japaridze led a group to the spot and made the first documented ascent of the pillar. Till now, only those who are invited to scale the rock are allowed to reach the scared spot.

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The Swallow’s Nest, Ukraine

The Shallow’s Nest or the Love Nest is a decorative castle located at Gaspra, and stands as a curious remnant of Imperial Russia. Nestled on the edge of the Crimean Sea, it is likely the most unlikely place where one would expect to find such a beautiful castle. Built in 1911, it has even managed to survive an earthquake. Now, it is open to tourists and even boasts of an Italian restaurant.

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China’s Hanging Temple

Built more than 1500 years ago, China’s Hanging Temple is truly an architectural wonder. It is a temple built into the side of a cliff near Mount Heng in Shanxi Province, China, which was actually constructed without any wooden pillars that now seem to support it. It has 40 rooms that re linked by a maze of passageways. It was originally constructed by drilling holes into the cliff that hold up the temples.

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Castellfollit de la Roca, Spain

This picturesque medieval village is built on a basalt column in north eastern Spain. Most of the streets and houses are built of the dark, volcanic rock. The town once had a normal shape, which got stretched out over a kilometre-long basalt formation due to some incredible force. The main street of this spot winds across the entire town that are pressed between houses on both sides, thereby pulling it to remain on the cliff face.

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Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, France

The chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe in southern France is more than thousand years old that stands on a volcanic plug 280 ft tall. To reach the chapel, one has to climb 268 steps that have been carved into the rock. It is a fascinating little pilgrimage chapel that is nestled on top of a rocky needle formation that gives you a sense that you are dramatically climbing high into the sky.

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Meteora, Greece

It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, and has been an official holy place from Greece since 1995. It’s a vast complex comprising of giant rock pillars on which monasteries have been built on top sandstone cliffs centuries ago. This truly creates a surreal landscape that can’t be found anywhere else in the world!