GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL - SWITZERLAND

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world. It has a length of 35.47 miles and depth of 8,040 feet, comparable to that of the deepest mines on Earth. The tunnel cost more than $12 billion to build and took 17 years to complete. It opened in 2016 and provides a high speed-rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe. At the opening of the tunnel, a lavish show was performed with dancers, acrobats, singers and musicians celebrating Alpine culture and history. (See below).

CHARLES KUONEN SUSPENSION BRIDGE - SWITZERLAND

At 494 meters long and 86 meters above the ground at its highest point, the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge, near the village of Randa in the Swiss Alps, is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world.

Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge

WORLD'S LONGEST STAIRWAY - MT. NIESEN SWITZERLAND

The world’s longest stairway is located at Niesenbahn funicular on the face of Mt. Niesen in Switzerland has 11,674 steps.

Nicknamed the ‘Swiss Pyramid’ for its triangular shape, the 3.4 km staircase goes up the side of the mountain with 11,674 steps, ranging from an altitude of 700 m at the bottom (from the side of the Kander river in Mülenen) to 2363 m at the top (the terminus near the summit of the mountain). Its average gradient is a monumental 55%, with a maximum of 65%. For safety reasons, the staircase is normally closed to the general public. But one day a year, in June, it is opened up for the world’s longest single-staircase race – the ‘Niesen Treppenlauf’, otherwise known as the ‘Niesenlauf’. During the course of this race, up to 500 participants get to climb the monster staircase at record-breaking speeds. The record for the event is 1 hour and 2 minutes for men, and 1 hour and 9 minutes for women – which is really quite remarkable, considering that reaching the top is the equivalent of climbing the Empire State Building more than 7 times.