The terrifying European tourist attraction that people say they ‘wouldn’t try for millions of pounds’
THERE’S a tourist attraction in Europe that holidaymakers wouldn’t try – even if they were offered millions of pounds.
While most tourists plan to unwind on holiday, some take on terrifying challenges.
One of those places is the Ladder to Heaven, which is also known as the Sky Ladder or the Stairway to Heaven, in Gosau at Dachstein, Austria.
Part of the challenging via Ferrata (the iron way) climbing route, the Ladder to Heaven is typically reserved for hardened hikers and thrill-seekers.
The route is equipped with steel cables and ladders, which aid climbers in reaching Donnerkogel’s 400m-high peak.
Climbers will face the Ladder to Heaven after completing 75 per cent of the route.
At this point, holidaymakers can expect to find a 40m-long metal ladder that connects a giant gorge from one side to the next.
According to travel blogger Jess Wandering, the ladder isn’t the most difficult part of the climb.
She wrote: “Although the ladder is only rated a ‘B’ and is not considered difficult relative to other sections of the climb, the exposure is intense and should not be underestimated.”
The travel blogger, who has successfully climbed the hiking route, explained that heavy winds and movement on the ladder can be “quite unnerving”.
Meanwhile, Instagram user Mountain Planet also posted a video climbing the metal ladder.
In the video, he can be seen climbing the metal-wired ladder step-by-step over the gorge.
Other users on Instagram were shocked by the terrifying climb, with one person writing: “Even if you give me ten million dollars no one can get me there.”
It’ll come as no surprise to most holidaymakers, that the route shouldn’t be undertaken by amateur hikers.
Guided tours of the Via Ferrata route are actively encouraged.
Several local tour operators run guided hiking tours along the Via Ferrante, with prices starting from €540 (£462) per person.
For example, one of the tours is a two-day tour from Vienna, and it covers a basic climb in the Austrian capital, where tourists learn and practice climbing techniques.
In the afternoon, tourists travel to Salzkammergut before undertaking the challenging Sky Ladder climb the following day.
Ryanair and Wizz Air operate direct flights from UK cities like London, Manchester and Edinburgh, with prices starting from £15 for a one-way ticket.
From Vienna, it’s roughly a four-hour drive to the start of the hiking route, and it’s also a 2-hour and 45-minute drive from Innsbruck.
For those Brit holidaymakers who aren’t keen on taking on the climb, there are plenty of other things to do in Austria.
Some of Vienna’s top attractions include the Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Museum, St, Stephen’s Cathedral and The Hofburg.
This isn’t the only terrifying tourist attraction that’s attracting holidaymakers across the globe, as another landmark in New York City allows visitors to dangle 70 floors high.
The new attraction on Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock lifts visitors up on a beam above the safety glass around the edge of the building.
Called ‘The Beam Experience’, the attraction recreates the iconic 1932 black and white photograph ‘Lunch atop a skyscraper’.
A souvenir photograph gives tourists a memorable image of their time in The Big Apple with a vista of the city uninterrupted behind them.
During the two-minute ride, people are only held to the beam by a small seatbelt, leaving people watching “scared” of falling to their deaths.
Here are some of the most terrifying tourist hotspots in the world.
And here are some of the spookiest experiences, according to TripAdvisor.
