* Unusual Staircases Around the World.....*
[image: http://keralites.net/]*. * *Portugal - staircase at Lello Bookshop.* - *This interesting grand staircase in a bookshop in Portugal looks quite intimidating to climb,* *but it * *has a great view of the book store. The steps are like two channels of red wine pouring and swirling down to a single point. * [image: http://keralites.net/] *Belgium-- Buren Mountain-* altho this is *not a real mountain, it's the name of the stairs, probably because it just looks like a mountain to climb.* *It is located in the city of Liege and has 374 stone stairs. The staircase was built in 1881 but the handrails were added later. It was first* *built* *to allow soldiers to have access to the city center. * [image: http://keralites.net/] *Hawaii *- *Haiku Stairs, also known as the 'stairway to heaven'. It is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oahu. The trail starts as a wooden * *staircase leading to the cliff on the south side of the Valley of Haiku . The staircase was installed in 1942 to stretch a cable from one side* *of the hill to the other side. This was necessary in order to provide a continuous link to the naval station during the war. In 2003, the* *staircase* *was restored at a cost of $875,000. , but due to current legal issues of land use, the city and county of Honolulu said there is* *no current plan to open the stairs for public use.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Switzerland *-- *Bridge staircase over one of the deep gorges at the Via Mala. Engineers solved the problem of connecting two different heights * *of this gorge by creating a hanging, ladder bridge. This staircase replaces a rope bridge for travelers to get across the riverbecause the old * *one was destroyed by a landslide. This new pedestrian bridge covers a distance of 56 meters in height with a vertical drop of 22 meters between* *the two slopes. Quite an engineering feat, but a little scary to cross when it's windy.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *India -- Chand Baori Well, This unusual staircase at Chand Baori structure is located in a village near Jaipur Abaneri, India. The well* *was built in the year 800, with 3500 steps descending 13 floors and 20 meters to the bottom. Shand Baori structure was designed to save* *as much water as possible. At the bottom of the well the air is 6.5 degrees cooler than at the surface. This place was used as a resting* *place for local residents during heat waves. The top structures look like Roman architecture with all the arches.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Scotland - Cascade universe, located on the hillside along the gardens of Dumfries in Scotland, consists of a series of many steep steps.* *Large areas with viewing benches were installed on each flight. You can simply enjoy the beauty of nature, or relax while climbing. The. * *Staircase begins at the pond and leads to a beautiful pavilion upstairs. Although the gardens are private, they open to the public several * *times a year. Notice there are no hand rails.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Greece --- Stairs Santorini - In 1715 the island residents built a steep staircase on the hillside so they could get from the sea to the summit * *and back. They had to use donkeys to help carry cargo and passengers from ships up to the city. In 1930, the stairs were improved, but* *donkeys were still the most reliable carriers. Finally, in 1979, a ropeway was installed to automate the process, but for tourists, the most* *interesting trip to the top, is still the donkeys. There are a total of 657 carved, stone steps to climb to the large town on the top. * [image: http://keralites.net/] *Japan --- Awaji Yumebutai (Ladder of Dreams) is a complex area of buildings and other structures located on the island of Awaji. There are* *many different tier gardens, consisting of 100 beds of plants and stairs. The complex was built as a memorial to the Great Hanshin* *Earthquake in 1995. Construction was carried out on the side of the mountain, which was half demolished in the early 90'. * [image: http://keralites.net/] *Germany -- Tiger Turtle Stairs --This unusual sculpture is 21 meters tall and was named Tiger Turtle. It is located on a hillside in Duisburg, * *Germany. Steps meander along the steel frame in a spiral structure, which includes a full loop. Visitors can climb through this staircase, * *but are not allowed to enter the center loop where the steps go upside down .* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Ukraine -- Potemkin Stairs in Odessa - It is the formal entrance into the city from the sea and the most famous symbol of Odessa . * *It was originally known as the ladder Richelieu . The top step is 12.5 meters wide, and the lowest step widens to 21.7 meters. Because * *of the different widths above and below, the stairs create the illusion of greater length. The beautiful landscaping along the sides* *provides a little shade for the challenging climb.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Germany -- Steel Sculpture Art - This interesting piece of art merges art and architecture in a 9 meter-high walk that is a double spiral of steel at * *the entrance of the KPMG office building (a global accounting firm) in Munic, Germany . The staircase was added to the front of their building in * *2004 and is quite the conversation piece since the stairs end up where they start..* [image: http://keralites.net/] *New Mexico -- a Miraculous Staircase located in Saint Joseph church at Loretto Chapel in Santa F* *�* *,. 136 years after it was built in 1878, it still * *confounds architects, engineers, and master craftsmen in the physics of its construction and remains inexplicable in view of its baffling design. * *The unusual helix shaped spiral staircase has two complete 360* *�* *turns, stands 20 feet high up to the choir loft and has no center pole to support* *it as most circular stairways have. Its entire weight rests solely on its base and against the choir loft - a mystery that defies all laws of gravity, * *it should have crashed to the floor the moment anyone stepped on it. Yet it is still in daily use for over a hundred years. The risers of the 33 steps * *are all of the same height. Made of an apparently extinct wood species, it was constructed with only square wooden pegs without glue or nails. * *At the time it was built, the stairway had no banisters. These were added 10 years later in 1888 by Phillip A. Hesch at the Sisters' * *request for safety sake.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Nederland -- Moses Bridge - In the early 17th century, Fort de Ruver was surrounded by a moat and was originally* *built without* *a bridge, * *which was added later. But during a restoration program centuries later, it necessitated the construction* *of a new bridge. The original * *sunken bridge literally merged with the water line, so the new construction became an almost invisible* *bridge from a distance, with a * *staircase down to a partially submerged walkway. * [image: http://keralites.net/] *China - Spiral Stairs-- this staircase was installed along the mountainside in Tyayhan Linchzhou, China. At 91 meters tall, it offers the thrill * *of climbing without any ropes. You will feel the full force of the wind, birds will fly past, and steps will creak. It's much more interesting than * *taking the elevator to the top. However, due to safety and health issues, you must agree to a number of conditions first* *if you climb. Climbers * *must be under 60 years of age and complete a form confirming that they have no heart or lung problems. Notice that once you get off the spiral * *staircase, there's more stairs. * [image: http://keralites.net/] *Austria-- Schlossberg - The main attraction in Schlossberg is the Clock Tower. It has stood proudly for many years and is visible from all * *points in the city. People climb to the top to enjoy the incredible views of the surrounding area. This impressive staircase carved into the rock * *leads to the top of the hill where the clock tower is located. 260 steps to climb is not considered difficult by locals, but anyone can use the * *elevator "lift" instead. Beautiful, but challenging.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *California -- The 16th Avenue Steps, in San Francisco -* *At the corner of Moraga Street and 16th Avenue, in the Golden Gate Heights* *neighborhood of San Fran is the base of the most beautiful staircase in this city. A brightly-tiled panel covers the front of each* *of the* *163 steps, and as the stairs stretch up the hill toward 15th Avenue, the individual panels blend together to form a massive,mosaic * *picture. Stunning in its entirety, yet intricate and detailed enough to be captivating when viewed up close. More beautiful* *when seen in person.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Ecuador -- Steps in a Canyon - This famous staircase in the canyon is located near the waterfall Pailon del Diablo in Ecuador. * *It is quite a large waterfall and just 30 minutes from the city of Banos. This is one of the most popular attractions in the * *area when* *visiting that* *country. It's quite the challenge since the stairs are so steep.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *Australia ------ Spiral Staircase in Sydney - This amazing spiral staircase is located at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research inSydney. * *It is five stories high and makes your body turn about 6.5 revolutions when you climb to the top, but there's an exit on* *each floor.* [image: http://keralites.net/] *France --- Museum Mus* *�* *e Gustave Moreau, in Paris - This is how you make a spectacular entrance to an art museum.* *It is named after the famous painter Docteur Moreau. Gorgeous to see, exhilarating to climb.* *AND YOU THOUGHT ALL STAIRCASES WERE BORING?* *Hope u liked these...* *K.Raman* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
