Revealed: The world’s most physically demanding landmarks
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City break step tallies tend to be in the thousands whatever the itinerary, but certain landmark climbs promise that tourists will work up a sweat.
According to a new study, hikes up to viewpoints and liftless vistas are among the world’s most exhausting landmarks to experience this summer.
The research by PureGym compiled the list of landmarks using the number of steps required to climb, the average temperature in the area, and the total elevation change during the ascent to create an ‘exertion score’.
Norway’s Florli Stairs – all 4,444 – were revealed as the most physically demanding tourist attraction with an exertion score of 76.
The site of the world’s longest wooden staircase has a total ascent of 740m and it takes around four hours to complete the hydroelectric hike for views of Lysefjord.
Tourists will also need top-notch physical fitness to summit the Manitou Incline hiking trail in Colorado followed by the dizzying panorama of Romania’s Poenari Castle, the site of centuries of vampire lore, in third place.
Accessible by climbing 1,480 concrete steps, ‘Dracula’s Castle’ scored an exertion score of 58 for tourists visiting the citadel in the Carpathian Mountains.
In the UK, the hour-long uphill climb to Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh rounded off the top five, with nine European landmarks also making the top 20 most demanding attractions.
Elsewhere, bucket list climbs of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and trips to the top of Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer could be troubling for unfit tourists.
Stephen Rowe, chief marketing officer at PureGym said: “For many holiday-goers, some well-needed R&R on a beach or by a pool is exactly what the doctor ordered. But for other tourists, a holiday is also a chance to challenge themselves to try something new or get out of their comfort zone.
“There are so many impressive tourist landmarks around the world that we’re lucky to be able to visit, but with amazing views usually comes a hard climb!”
The 10 most physically demanding tourist attractions in the world
- Flørli Stairs, Norway – 76 exertion score
- Manitou Incline, United States of America – 63 exertion score
- Poenari Castle, Romania – 58 exertion score
- Konpira-san Shrine, Japan – 50 exertion score
- Arthur’s Seat, Scotland – 48 exertion score
- Sigiriya, Sri Lanka – 46 exertion score
- Park Guell, Spain – 43 exertion score
- Petra Monastery, Jordan – 41 exertion score
- Castle of the Moors, Portugal – 41 exertion score
- Batu Caves, Malaysia – 40 exertion score
For more travel news and advice listen to Simon Calder’s podcast.
