New study reveals world’s most physically demanding landmarks

New research by PureGym has analysed some of the world’s most famous landmarks to discover which iconic tourist attractions are the most physically challenging to see and experience in their entirety.

The research analysed over 70 different tourist attractions that all require a good level of physical fitness to see, for example due to the landmark only offering towering staircases or steep hills to climb. The number of steps needed to experience the attraction to its fullest were calculated, as well as the total elevation change and the average daytime temperature, before the three were calculated to give the attraction an overall ‘exertion’ score.

The study found that the Flørli Stairs, which can be found in Norway, is the world’s most physically demanding landmark to visit, with an exertion score of 76/100. Requiring visitors to climb a dizzying 4,444 steps, it’s the world’s longest wooden staircase and climbs a huge 740m (about 2,427 ft) above sea level, to give visitors dramatic views of the glistening Lysefjord and its surrounding mountains.

Following behind with a score of 63/100, is the Manitou Incline, a popular hiking trail in Colorado, America. With visitors to the destination climbing over 600 metres in just under a mile, this steep and challenging ascent is popular with fitness enthusiasts looking to push themselves for a spectacular view.

Completing the world’s top three most challenging landmarks to visit is Poenari Castle in Romania, with an overall score of 58/100. Famously associated with both Vlad the Impaler and Count Dracula, the castle is perched high on a cliff roughly 800 metres above sea level. Tourists wanting to access the castle must climb a monstrous 1,480 concrete steps, before being rewarded with jaw dropping panoramic views of the surrounding Carpathian Mountains.

The 20 Most Physically Demanding Tourist Attractions in the World

Rank	Tourist Attraction	Location	“Exertion” Score /100
1	Flørli Stairs	Norway	76
2	Manitou Incline	United States of America	63
3	Poenari Castle	Romania	58
4	Konpira-san Shrine	Japan	50
5	Arthur’s Seat	Scotland	48
6	Sigiriya	Sri Lanka	46
7	Park Guell	Spain	43
8	Petra Monastery	Jordan	41
9	Castle of the Moors	Portugal	41
10	Batu Caves	Malaysia	40
11	Vindhyagiri Steps	India	39
12	Sydney Harbour Bridge	Australia	39
13	Guatapé Rock	Colombia	38
14	Seville Cathedral	Spain	35
15	Heaven’s Gate	China	34
16	Monolithos Castle	Greece	34
17	Christ the Redeemer	Brazil	31
18	St. Augustine Lighthouse	United States of America	30
19	Dubrovnik City Walls	Croatia	30
20	Florence Cathedral	Italy	28

European attractions dominate the top 20, with nine different tourist landmarks ranking among the most demanding worldwide. From Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh which takes around an hour to reach, but requires a strenuous uphill climb, to the Monolithos Castle in Greece, situated on a 240m (about 787 ft) high rock on the west coast of Rhodes, that asks tourists to climb around 120 steps to reach.

Other notable attractions that made the top 20 span across the globe, from the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, a demanding bridge climb that gives tourists epic views over Sydney Harbour, to Heaven’s Gate in China, a beautiful natural arch found at the top of 999 steep steps.

According to Leeds based Personal Trainer Shiv O’Connor, the easiest way to prepare for an active holiday is to increase your daily movement in the weeks and months leading up to your trip. You can also add some exercises to build stability, strength, and endurance, particularly in the ankles and knees which can be most affected when walking or climbing a lot. Squats, calf raises, leg extensions, and hamstring curls will help to strengthen the muscles supporting the knees and ankles, while cardio exercises like incline walking and the StairMaster will help to build cardio endurance while conditioning the body for uphill walking and lots of steps.

Stephen Rowe, Chief Marketing Officer at PureGym comments: “For many holiday-goers, some well needed R&R on a beach or by a pool is exactly what the doctor ordered. But for other tourists, a holiday is also a chance to challenge themselves to try something new or get out of their comfort zone.

“There are so many impressive tourist landmarks around the world that we’re lucky to be able to visit, but with amazing views usually comes a hard climb! We were keen to find out which of these landmarks require the most effort to experience, and we’re pleased to see such a variety of wonderful attractions from around the globe in the top rankings. If you’re planning your next high-intensity adventure, we hope this list has given you some inspiration for where to visit soon.”

To find out more about the research, the landmarks and how to prepare for a holiday packed with steep steps and stunning viewpoints, visit: puregym.com/blog/physically-demanding-landmarks