10 longest staircases on the planet

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Not all of us like to walk up stairs. Even residents of the second floor sometimes use the elevator, and the owners of apartments in multi-storey buildings think with horror that someday the elevator will break down and have to walk more than a dozen floors upstairs.

But there are other people for whom even walking up to the 45th floor is not a challenge. They are the ones who travel to other countries to climb at least one of the stairs, which will be discussed in this article – the longest stairs in the world.

Ranking of the longest stairs on the planet

Nomination	a place	name	price
An overview of the longest stairs on the planet	1	Staircase on Mount Nizen, Switzerland	11 674 STEPS
	2	Fleurli Stairs, Norway	444 STEPS
	3	Haiku Staircase, USA	3,992 STEPS
	4	Stairway to Heavenly Gate, China	999 STEPS
	5	Jacob's Ladder in Jamestown, Saint Helena	699 STEPS
	6	Staircase to Machu Picchu, Peru	600 STEPS
	7	Stairs of Milan Cathedral, Italy	500 STEPS
	8	Chkalovskaya Stairs, Russia	442 (560) STEPS
	9	Staircase Half Dome, USA	400 STEPS
	10	Soldier's Ladder, Belgium	374 STEPS

1st place: Staircase on Mount Nizen, Switzerland – 11674 steps

Rating: 5.0

The longest staircase in the world is in Switzerland. Here, in the Bern region, there is Mount Nizen, which is part of the Alps ridge. And on its slopes there is a ladder that got into the Guinness Book of Records for its length. To get to the top, you have to climb 11674 steps – or 3.4 kilometers. And the difference in elevation – from beginning to end – is 1699 meters.

The staircase was built at the beginning of the last century. In 1910, the Niesenbahn funicular was built along the side of the mountain (by the way, it still works). And the ladder was required so that workers could get to any part of it in case of breakdown or other problems.

In the Swiss Alps, in the canton of Bern, there is Mount Nizen. This mountain got into the Guinness Book of Records – it is on it that the longest staircase in the world is located. It has 11674 steps, its length is 3.4 kilometers, the ascent height is 1699 meters from the lowest point. Back in 1910, the Niesenbahn funicular was launched here, which is still in operation. The staircase was built to provide maintenance for the funicular – workers must be able to get to any section of the road.

Climbing to the very top opens a panoramic view of the mountain peaks and ancient cities such as Spitz, Interlaken and Kandersteg. Upstairs is the restaurant-hotel Berghaus Niesen Kulm. Here you can dine while at the very top of the mountain and admire the surrounding landscape.

True, tourists can walk along these stairs only once a year. In June, the Niesen Staircase Race is held here in walking speed. It first took place in 1990. The only 'but' is that only 500 people are allowed to the competition, so competitors have to sign up in advance – often several years before the competition.

2nd place: Fleurli Staircase, Norway – 4444 steps

Rating: 4.9

The village of Flørli in Norway has the longest wooden staircase in the world. It consists of 4444 steps, the length is 1600 meters, the height difference is 740 meters. The staircase is not fenced in any way. It leads to a power plant, built back in 1920, and follows the pipes that used to supply water.

Trees are planted on both sides of the stairs. And where their strip is pumped, a view of the Lysefjord and Preikestolen cliff opens up. It is best to visit Fleurly in summer or spring – during these seasons, green trees form a tunnel along the path. Fresh air and shade from spreading crowns make it easy to climb.

Those who are not ready to climb the 4444 steps, and those who have climbed and do not want to take this path again, can use the funicular. It was previously used to deliver equipment for the construction of a power plant. Construction lasted from 1918 to 1920.

3rd place: Haiku Staircase, USA – 3992 steps

Rating: 4.8

The mountainous terrain of the island of Oahu in Hawaii is the third largest staircase in the world. It is called Haiku and rises to a height of 859 meters above sea level. The toponym has nothing to do with the genre of Japanese poetry – it comes from the name of the local kahili flower. The trail was built in 1942. Previously, it was wooden and was used to lay cables for the American military base. In the 50s, it was replaced by a metal one.

In the 1940s, a naval radio station was located on one of the mountain peaks on the island, to which a staircase led, transmitting low-frequency signals over long distances – from Tokyo Bay to India. They were received by US submarines. After the base was decommissioned in the 50s, the Omega navigation system was located here. She worked until the project was closed in 1997. In 1987, the trail was closed to visitors, prohibition signs were installed, and a $ 1,000 fine was imposed on violators. However, there were daredevils who still climbed it. Now local authorities are thinking about turning the trail into a tourist attraction. For this, it was renovated in 2003, but has not yet been opened for visiting.

Climbing here is not only illegal but dangerous. However, this does not stop everyone – after all, those who climbed have a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and the green surroundings.

4th place: Staircase to the “Heavenly Gate”, China – 999 steps

Rating: 4.7

A short distance from the city of Zhangjiajie in the Hunan province of China is Mount Tianmen. There are many attractions here of interest to tourists: one of the longest cable cars on the planet, trails, including a glass trail, a road with 99 turns, and, finally, the Heavenly Gate – a large cave, the opening of which looks like a huge doorway in the rock. The opening width is 30 meters. A staircase leads to the Heavenly Gate, the length of which is 999 steps.

Tianmen Mountain is well known to tourists. As a rule, before going up to the gates, people prefer to see other sights: take the cable car to the lower peak of the mountain, walk along the paths, climb the tower on the top of the mountain and see the panorama that opens from there, drive along the Tongtian road (“heavenly highway “, or road 99 turns). After climbing the stairs, breathtaking views do not open – the symbol of the Heavenly Gate, to which people still managed to get, is more important.

5th place: Jacob's Ladder in Jamestown, St. Helena – 699 steps

Rating: 4.6

Jacob's Staircase at Jamestown is what remains of a funicular, built in the early 19th century. After the funicular stopped functioning, the stairs were left in place, and they still connect Jamestown and the Half Three Hollow area at the top of the hill.

In 1829, the Saint Helena Railroad Company built a 282 meter long slope track along which two carriages moved. The purpose of the route was to carry cargo from Jamestown to the fortress at the top of the hill and back. The carriages moved on wooden rails covered with iron, which lay on sleepers anchored in the stone of the slope. The sleepers were separated by steps for pedestrians, there were 700 of them. The ascent angle varied between 39 and 41 degrees. The carriages were moved by three donkeys at the top of the hill, which turned a lifting gate connected to the cars by an iron chain.

In the last century, the sleepers were seriously damaged, so the cars, rails and driving mechanisms were removed, leaving only the stairs. As a result of road works, it became one step shorter – now it has 699 steps. In 2000, lanterns were installed along the ascent path, in 2006 the steps were repaired. Every year, a festival is held on the island, where people compete who will climb faster up the path, which is now called Jacob's ladder. In 2016, the record climb time was 5 minutes 16.78 seconds.

6th place: Staircase to Machu Picchu, Peru – 600 steps

Rating: 4.5

Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city located in Peru, on top of a mountain range at an altitude of 2,400 meters. Below is the valley of the Urubamba River. The surviving structures are mainly temples, residences and other public buildings of antiquity. The place is attractive for tourists – there was even a need to limit their number to 2500 people a day. On the territory of the city there are many stairs that you can walk along, all of them are made of stone. The longest of them, 600 steps long, leads to the Temple of the Moon.

The staircase to the Temple of the Moon was built by the Incas about 500 years ago – the exact date is unknown. The ascent can be difficult and dangerous as the steps are high enough and there are no fences or railings. However, those who have climbed will be able to touch the unusual antique building, as well as admire the view that opens at the foot of the temple.

7th place: Staircase of the Milan Cathedral, Italy – 500 steps

Rating: 4.4

Milan Cathedral is a cathedral located in the Italian city of Milan. It was founded in 1386, built of marble in a Gothic style atypical for the country. Construction lasted six centuries and was completed only in 1965. The cathedral is an architectural monument, a vivid example of late Gothic. It contains many sculptures, columns and turrets, spiers, soaring pillars. Milan Cathedral is one of the largest in Europe, it can seat 40 thousand people.

A staircase with a length of 500 steps leads to the roof of the cathedral. It is located on the north side of the cathedral and starts on the street. The opening is narrow in some places, and the roof is sloping at the top, so in rainy times, when it can be slippery, the passage is closed. In addition to the stairs, there is also an elevator that takes visitors to the roof. Roof height 108.5 meters. There is a lot of space on it, there are passages, squares, secret corners. There are several viewing platforms on the roof, which offer views of the city.

8th place: Chkalovskaya Stairs, Russia – 442 (560) steps

Rating: 4.3

Chkalovskaya Staircase is the longest staircase in Russia. Located in Nizhny Novgorod, it connects the Verkhne-Volzhskaya and Nizhne-Volzhskaya embankments. It starts at the monument to Valery Chkalov, forms an eight at the top, followed by a direct descent to the river. In order to go down it, passing along the right side of the eight, you need to go through 442 steps. The total number of steps, taking into account the circular spans on the right and left, is 560.

In 1940, two years after the death of a native of Nizhny Novgorod, Valery Chkalov, a famous Soviet pilot, a monument to him was erected on the Verkhnevolzhskaya embankment. Soon after, the idea arose to connect the embankments with a grand staircase. Despite the war, the idea was embodied. Construction began in 1944 and lasted until 1949. Since the construction of the stairs was associated with the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, the first official name was Stalingrad. Then they began to call it the Volzhskaya, but the popular name – Chkalovskaya – became more widespread.

Now the Chkalovskaya Stairs is a place for festivities, competitions, romantic walks. It hosts the Victory Parade, and an air show is held over the monument. The staircase attracts tourists visiting Nizhny Novgorod.

9th place: Staircase Half Dome, USA – 400 steps

Rating: 4.2

A 400-step staircase has been carved into Half Dome, California. The ascent here is almost vertical; instead of the handrails, two metal ropes are stretched. It was built back in 1919 by members of the “Sierra” tourist club. The cliff, however, had been climbed before that – the first was done by George Anderson in 1875.

Half Dome Rock is one of the tallest rock mountains in the United States. Its peak is at 2694 meters above sea level! True, the height of the rock itself – from the foot to the top point – is 1450 meters. This rock is located in the center of the Sierra Nevada ridge, and at the foot is the Yosemite Valley, which is part of the national park of the same name.

Half Dome rock is popular among tourists – both simple travelers and professional climbers. The paved path from the foot to the top is 12 km long. A 400-step staircase takes the last 150 meters of this route.

10th place: Soldier's Ladder, Belgium – 374 steps

Rating: 4.1

One of the landmarks of the Belgian city of Liege is the 374-step staircase. It leads from the Or-Chateau quarter to the top of the hill where the fortress was once located. The stairs were built in 1875 to provide quick access from the castle to the city. She received the name “soldier” later. It appeared due to the fact that there were many drinking establishments on the territory of the current Or-Chato quarter. Soldiers from the fortress descended the stairs to have fun in the city.

The official name of the staircase is Montagne de Bueren. She received it in honor of Vincent de Buren, who defended Liege from the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold in the 15th century. The staircase was built in memory of the 600 soldiers who died here in the battle.

Now the fortress is no longer there, and tourists are walking up the stairs. Climbing it is not difficult – there are benches between the aisles where you can relax. Also, if you take your time, you can admire the ancient buildings on the sides of the stairs. On the site of the fortress, there is a citadel park, where parts of the fortress walls have survived. The hill overlooks the Meuse River and the entire city of Liege.

The best time to arrive is the first Saturday in October. Then a festival is held here, and thousands of burning candles are installed on the steps.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.