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11 Heart-Stopping Skywalks Around the World 

August 17, 2023

From Austria to Alberta, these paralyzing plunges aren’t for those afraid of heights 

By Katherine McLaughlin
Though a well-designed structure can be beautiful when crafted in any style, perhaps architecture is at its best when it frames and honors its natural surroundings. After all, some of the most iconic and admired buildings—like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater or the Taj Mahal—do just that. Skywalks, or cantilevered viewing platforms, do this too. By offering unparalleled views of some of the world’s most stunning natural wonders, these man-made structures represent the best of human innovation. Below, AD surveys 11 impressive skywalks, offering a once-in-a-lifetime perspective to those brave enough to step foot onto them. 

Columbia Icefield Skywalk (Alberta, Canada)

Photo: Arterra/Universal Images/Getty Images

Located in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Cananda, the Columbia Icefield Skywalk looks out over the Sunwapta Valley, which sits 918 feet below. The glass-bottomed bridge was designed by PLC Construction and completed in 2014. The designers completed detailed blasting and rock excavation along the cliff’s edge in order to build the jaw-dropping experience, and the furthest point projects about 115 feet out from the base. 

The Stegastein Viewing Platform (Aurland, Norway)

Photo: Morten Falch Sortland/Getty Images
Built from steel, pine, concrete, and glass, the Stegastein Viewing Platform is located near the top of Aurland Mountain. The attraction is part of the Norweigan Scenic Route, which is a collection of 18 different roads that wind through the country’s most beautiful nature. From the tip—which sits 2,132 feet in the air—you’ll be able to see panoramic views of the fjord, mountains, and the Flåm River. 

Grand Canyon Skywalk (Peach Springs Arizona, Arizona) 

Photo: Piotr Surowiec/Getty Images
There may not be a better view of the Grand Canyon than the Grand Canyon Skywalk, designed by MRJ Architects. The only of the Seven Natural Wonders located in the United States, the layered bands of red rock can be viewed in near perfect precision from this lookout. The U-shaped cantilevered bridge hangs 4,000 feet above the canyon and features a glass bottom for 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. The bridge was commissioned and is owned by the Hualapai Tribe.

Gulong Gorge Skywalk (Qingyuan, China) 

Photo: Zeng Linghua/VCG/Getty Images
There are multiple impressive—and perhaps heart-stopping—ways to view the Gulong Gorge in Qingyuan, China. Located near the Nine Waterfall, visitors can walk across the 1,079-foot glass bridge, watch the water cascade down the tropical forest from the half-lotus-shaped glass walkway, or step out onto the circular “UFO” platform. Most trips to the site are organized through local tourism groups. 

Dachstein Skywalk (Obertraun, Austria) 

Photo: Dominic Jones/Loop Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Though it may not look it in photographs, you don’t have to be an experienced mountaineer to get to the Dachstein Skywalk. Sometimes called the “stairway to nothingness,” the overlook is located near the Dachstein lift station, and offers incredible views of the surrounding alpine landscape. Though you won’t have to climb the cliff to get here, it is recommended to wear stable shoes and warm clothes. 

Longgang National Geologic Park (Chongqing, China) 

Photo: Visual China Group/Getty Images
In China, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism grades tourist attractions on a numbered A scale—with five As (5A) being the highest score. Each year, the government adds a new batch of spots worthy of the 5A rating, and in 2017, Longgang Geological Park made the cut. Karst caves, stalagmites, and grasslands make the area particularly scenic, and there is perhaps no better place to take in the landscape than the skywalk. Stretching 84 feet into the canyon, the attraction was also the longest of its kind when it opened in 2015. 

Biokovo Skywalk (Dalmatia, Croatia)

Photo: Getty Images
The Biokovo Skywalk sits 4029 feet above sea level, stretching over Mount Biokovo. From this vantage point, views extend far into the Adriatic sea and Croatian islands. Most spectacularly, on sunny days it’s even possible to sea Italy in the distance. 

Skybridge at Tianmenshan Mountain (Zhanjiajie, China)

Zhanjiajie. China – December 18, 2016: A group of tourists on a glass sky bridge walk at Tianmenshan Mountain in China.
One of the scariest rides in the worldPhoto: Getty Images
Traversing the Tianmen Skywalk is certainly not for the faint of heart. Hugging the side of cliff, the glass-bottomed skywalk slithers around the rocky mountain 4,700 feet in the air. At only 3 feet wide and 2.5 inches thick, its easiest to travel in a single file line for the duration of the 200-foot journey. 

Langkawi Skybridge (Langkawi, Malaysia) 

Photo: Peter Bischoff/Getty Images
Spanning 410 feet, the Langkawi Skybridge is among the world’s longest curved suspension bridges. Though walking the hanging overpass will surely offer exquisite views, there is also a dedicated lookout point that juts out over the jungle below. Sitting 2,170 feet above sea level, a helicopter was used to bring all pieces of the bridge to the top of the mountain, which were later put together. 

Messner Mountain Museum Corones (Mount Kronplatz, Italy) 

Photo: Hufton+Crow/View Pictures/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Designed by Zaha Hadid, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones is one of a series of museums designed to honor and teach about the world’s most spectacular summits. Started by Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner in 2006, the Corones outpost is dedicated specifically to mountaineering. According to the establishment’s website, guests will be able to see South Tyrol, the Lienz Dolomites, Ortler Mountain, Marmolada Mountain, and the Zillertal Alps from the museum’s perch at the top of the Kronplatz peak. 

Skywalk Fortica (Mostar, Bosnia) 

Photo: Getty Images
One of the newest attractions on this list, the Fortica Skywalk in Bosnia was only completed in 2020. The project was spearheaded by the the Mountaineering and Cycling Association MTBA from Mostar, who shared in Sarajevo Times that the goal of the construction was to give tourists a new destination and perspective on Mostar. 
This article is originally available at www.architecturaldigest.com