These 10 Attractions Are Not for the Faint of Heart

Thrills instead of sightseeing: Excitement is guaranteed when you dive into the world's most thrilling attractions - on the highest swing, the deepest pool, or the longest skywalk in the world. One attraction even had to be dismantled.

Action, adventure, adrenaline: Traveling around the globe, you can not only visit the most beautiful attractions but also the most thrilling ones. It takes a good amount of courage, but the experience is unique and unforgettable. Here are the world's most thrilling attractions - excitement included.

The floor is just glass, with a 1200-meter drop below: The 'Walk of Faith' in the Hunan province in southern China is the longest skywalk in the world - and definitely not for the faint-hearted. The glass platform around Tianmen Mountain is 60 meters long, with a one-meter-wide walkway.

The view of the Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is spectacular, but you must be fearless and have no fear of heights to take on the 'Walk of Faith.' The path leads right along the cliff over a glass floor that exposes all - including the sensation of plummeting over a kilometer below.

Seeing a volcano up close is adventurous on its own. In Iceland, the thrill is taken to the next level: Every summer, the Thrihnukagigur volcano invites adventurous travelers to descend 122 meters into its interior. It's a unique opportunity worldwide to explore a volcanic magma chamber.

First, you travel three kilometers across a lava field, then descend in a converted window-washing lift from Germany: It takes six minutes to reach the depth! Once inside, you experience the spectacular world formed within the volcano.

In the town of Guatapé in Colombia are the most spectacular stairs in the world: The Rock of Guatapé is over 200 meters tall and around 70 million years old. A long fissure on its north side features about 650 steps built into a zigzag staircase for the ultimate thrill.

Anyone who wishes to climb must conquer their fear of heights and ascend step by step. At the summit is a three-story observation tower offering a breathtaking view that can extend up to 500 kilometers. There are also a few small restaurants and souvenir stands.

In Amsterdam, visitors must have strong nerves if they dare the highest swing in Europe: On the roof of the A'DAM tower, on the 22nd floor since 2016, stands the adrenaline attraction 'Over The Edge': two pairs of swings, where you seem to swing into the abyss high above the city.

The name says it all: 'Over The Edge' means going beyond the edge - and indeed, you swing beyond the edge of the roof and float 100 meters high. The thrill is worth it, as the view extends far over Amsterdam's old town, the harbor, and the city's water network.

Since 2020, the swing in Amsterdam has been surpassed by the 'Cloud Rainbow Swing' in Chongqing province in China. Since its opening, it has been considered the largest swing in the world. Built directly on the cliff edge, it promises the ultimate adrenaline kick.

The swing is 108 meters tall, with a maximum arc angle of 90 degrees and an arc diameter of 91.5 meters. Those daring enough can experience a speed of about 130 kilometers per hour at a height of 800 meters!

In July 2021, another superlative record was set in Dubai: Deep Dive Dubai is the deepest pool in the world and has been in the Guinness Book of Records since. You should have no fear of water and depth if you dare to dive here.

Anyone who takes on the adrenaline challenge descends 60 meters into the depth via a tube. Along the way, you encounter a sunken city: The extraordinary construction with a capacity of 14 million liters of water has space for an abandoned apartment, a garage complete with foosball tables, bicycles, and arcade games.

The landmark in the Canadian metropolis of Toronto is the CN Tower, a 553-meter-high television tower that was the tallest in the world from 1975 to 2009. Since 2011, it has offered an adrenaline kick high above the city: The 'EdgeWalk' is the world's highest freehand panoramic walk of its kind and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Venturing upwards, you reach the 116th floor at 356 meters high on a 1.5-meter-wide pathway around the CN Tower. You are secured with a harness that hooks onto two strong cables attached to an overhead rail that moves with you during the spectacular walk.

In the Czech Republic, since 2022, there is a new tourist attraction not for the faint-hearted: About 200 kilometers east of Prague, a 721-meter-long steel structure was installed: The bridge named Sky Bridge 721 leads 95 meters high over a valley at Kłodzko's Śnieżnik in the Dolni Morava ski and hiking area.

Since its opening, it is considered the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is only 1.5 meters wide and hangs from six cables each weighing 360 tons. Even the hardy may feel adrenaline course through their veins when looking through the open floor grids almost 100 meters below.

Norway is famous for its fjords with high cliffs and deep river landscapes. On the western edge of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, Trolltunga (Troll's Tongue) is the destination for a hike with a high thrill factor. One hikes on the spectacular cliff at an elevation of 900 meters.

Trolltunga is surrounded by steep cliffs. Since there are no fences and the rocky paths require sure-footedness, the hike is considered risky. The round trip from Skjeggedal is 27 kilometers long, with the best travel time from mid-June to mid-September.

Officially, the biggest adrenaline rush in Hawaii was no longer allowed for a long time, yet adventure seekers continued to climb the Haiku Stairs on the island of O'ahu. For this reason, local authorities decided in spring 2024 to gradually dismantle the steep hiking trail in the Koolau Mountains. Thus, the approximately 3,920 steps, also referred to as 'Stairways to Heaven,' were removed.

The historical 'Stairway to Heaven' was built during World War II. The strenuous hike was allowed until 2015, when the Haiku Stairs were severely damaged by a storm.

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