This was published 6 years ago
World's 11 most amazing pedestrian walkways
1 EUROPABRUECKE, SWITZERLAND
Fear of heights? Don't look down from the Europabruecke. The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge (494 metres) opened recently in Randa, Switzerland. It hangs 85 metres above the Grabengufer ravine, at the foot of one of the highest mountains in Switzerland, the Dom (4545 metres). The bridge is situated on the Europaweg, a high-altitude hiking trail that connects the villages of Zermatt and Graechen.
2 CAMINITO DEL REY, SPAIN
Pinned to the sheer walls of El Chorro Gorge in Malaga, the "Little Path of the King" is not for faint hearts. Running for three kilometres and just one metre wide, the timber-floored walkway is bolted to the cliff walls above a 100m drop to the gorge floor. Scary as it is, this is a pale shadow of the Caminito of olden days, a pitted concrete walkway with narrow, rusted beams and no guardrail, subtitled "world's most dangerous path".
See: The world's scariest path
3 TIANMEN MOUNTAIN SKYWALK, CHINA
The Coiling Dragon Path in Hunan's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is 100 metres of sheer terror, a glass-floored walkway above a 300m drop. So gut-churning is the sensation that many trembling walkers can negotiate the walkway only by hugging the cliff face, and even crawling on all fours. This is the latest addition to the park's other glass walkways, feeding a fascination among locals for the virtual air-walk experience.
See: China's terrifying glass skywalk
4 WALKWAYS, IGUAZU FALLS, ARGENTINA/BRAZIL
On the border between Argentina and Brazil, stretching for 2.7 kilometres and higher than Niagara Falls, Iguazu Falls is the mother of all waterfalls and the walkways take you over the water and right to the belly of the beast. Soakings are more likely on the Argentinian walkways, where most of the falls lie, and where the cascading water is almost within arm's length. Highlight is the one kilometre walkway to Garganta del Diablo, the Devil's Throat.
See: Iguazu Falls presents wonders at every turn
5 SKYBRIDGE, RUSSIA
Stretching 439 metres above the forested Krasnaya Polyana valley near the Black Sea summer resort city of Sochi, this is the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge and an engineering miracle. The walkway is suspended from eight 52mm steel cables, and so strong it can handle up to 30,000 walkers at a time. One of the highlights is watching bungee jumpers hurl themselves from the pod in the centre of the bridge, a 207-metre free-fall.
6 PONT DES ARTS, PARIS, FRANCE
This pedestrian bridge linking the Louvre with the Institut de France has been shorn of the lovelocks that had disfigured it for years, restoring its antique glory. It's one of the finest walks in the City of Love, the prow of the Ile de la Cite with the towers of Notre Dame to one side and in the other, the linden trees along the riverbanks drawing the eye toward the spike of the Eiffel Tower. A favourite spot for painters and photographers, and occasional art exhibitions.
7 ZHANGJIAJIE GRAND CANYON GLASS BRIDGE, CHINA
This pedestrian suspension bridge across the 300-metre deep trough of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in Hunan province ramps up the fear factor with a solid glass floor. Stretching for 430 metres and plated with triple-layer glass that defies even determined sledgehammer assaults, the bridge was designed to hold up to 800 walkers at a time yet so strong was the demand that the bridge was forced to close for several weeks shortly after it opened in 2016.
See: China's dizzying glass canyon bridge
8 HIGH LINE, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
Running above Manhattan's West Side, this 2.3-kilometre aerial greenway was repurposed from a disused elevated freight rail line, and it gets better each year. Today, planted with wildflowers, it's a backdrop for tai chi and meditation classes, stargazing sessions, outdoor art, opera and Latin dance parties. The latest addition is The High Line at the Rail Yards, wrapping the West Side Rail Yards in a fishhook and bringing a post-industrial element to the walk.
See: Can Sydney's version of the High Line measure up to New York's?
9 CESANA CLAVIERE BRIDGE, PIEDMONT, ITALY
It's narrow, it sways, the ground is almost 100 metres below your feet in parts and the floor of the bridge is not a solid platform but individual footplates spaced well apart. Suspended above the Gorge of San Gervasio on the border between Italy and France, the 478-metre Cesana Claviere Bridge is the longest Tibetan-style suspended bridge in the world. For safety reasons, walkers must wear an abseiling harness and clip into an overhead cable with carabiners.
10 TAMAN NEGARA CANOPY WALK, MALAYSIA
At the heart of Peninsular Malaysia, Taman Negara National Park is 4300 square kilometres of tropical forest and one of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet, home to the Asian elephant, Malayan tiger and clouded leopard. Originally built for scientists to study the park's biota, Taman Negara's 530-metre Canopy Walk lifts you up to treetop level for a bird's eye view of the flora and fauna, including primates, eagles, hornbills and, if you're lucky, the Bongao tree frog.
11 BRIDGE OF PEACE, GEORGIA
Beneath an arching honeycomb of white steel, this glass-sided suspension bridge is implanted with thousands of LEDs that blink in unison at night, ushering pedestrians across Tbilisi's Mtkvari River in a wave-like crescendo of light. The bridge is the creation of Italian architect Michele de Lucchi, who installed an egg-shaped glass dome on the roof of the city's neo-classical Presidential Palace, another project that left the capital's citizens scratching their heads.
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