I can see everything from above: what are the viewing platforms

Throughout history, humanity has been striving upward: the legends of Icarus, the Tower of Babel; the wonders of the world: the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes. Someone wanted to rise to the sun, and someone wanted to see the Earth from a height. To this day, some of the most visited attractions around the world are observation decks. We thought about what they are like.

Viewing platforms in temples 

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior-the cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow) is an external recreation of the temple created in the XIX century. The viewing platforms of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (40 meters) can only be climbed as part of an excursion. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Sagrada Familia Church (Barcelona) is a 170-meter-high church, built on private donations since 1882, designed by Antonio Gaudi. Presumably, the construction will be completed in 2026-100 years after the death of the architect. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

St. Peter's Cathedral (Vatican City) is the largest Vatican temple and one of the largest in the world by area, with a height of 136.4 m.The dome of the cathedral, created by Michelangelo, is located at an altitude of 133 meters. It is in it that there is a small observation deck accessible to tourists. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Riverside Church (Manhattan) - an interfaith church, the construction of which was financed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1930. At the top of the bell tower — 120 meters above the ground-there is an observation deck. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Cologne Cathedral (Cologne) is included in the list of the highest churches in the world (157 meters), is a World Cultural Heritage Site. The construction was carried out in two stages: 1248-1437 and 1842-1880. During the Second World War, it became one of the few remaining buildings of the city, because it served as an unofficial landmark for pilots in Cologne. Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / flickr

St. Isaac's Cathedral (St. Petersburg) is the largest Orthodox church in St. Petersburg. It was built in 1818-1858 according to the project of Auguste Montferrand under the supervision of Emperor Nicholas I. The height of the cathedral is 101.5 meters. The observation deck in the colonnade of the cathedral is visited annually by about 500,000 people. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Observation decks in skyscrapers

The Empire Tower in Moscow City (Moscow) — the observation deck opened in 2014 at the height of the 58th floor (238 meters). You can get to the site accompanied by a guide. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

"Burj Khalifa" (Dubai) — the highest observation deck in the tallest building in the world is located on the 148th floor (555 meters), the second observation deck in the building is located on the 124th floor (452 meters). Photo: Hafsteinn Robertsson / flickr

"Taipei 101" (Taipei) — the height of the skyscraper is 509.2 meters along with the spire. The internal observation deck is located on the 89th floor (383.4 meters), the external one is on the 91st (391.8 meters). Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Empire State Building (New York)-from 1931 to 1970 was the tallest building in the world. The height with a spire is 443.2 meters. The observation decks are located on the 86th and 102nd floors. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Shard (London) is the second tallest building in Europe. The top mark of 309 meters was reached in 2012. On the top floor there is an observation deck and a gallery. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

"Lakhta Center" (St. Petersburg) - the year of completion of construction — 2018, was named the most anticipated skyscraper, which will become the tallest in Europe (462 meters). The observation deck will be located at an altitude of 378 meters. It is assumed that it will be available for visiting during the day and at night. Photo: "Lakhta center"

Viewing platforms in TV towers

Ostankino Tower (Moscow) - observation decks are located at an altitude of 337 meters (closed) and 340 meters (open). The visit is carried out as part of an excursion group. For more than 40 years, the site has been visited by more than 10 million people. Photo: Pavel Kazachkov / flickr

"Pearl of the East" (Shanghai) - the height of the tower is 468 meters. One of the main attractions of Shanghai was built in the shortest possible time — 1991-1995. At an altitude of 271 meters there is a rotating restaurant and bar, at a 360-meter height there is a second platform "Space Module". Photo: kanegen / flickr

The TV Tower (St. Petersburg) is closed to regular visitors and is considered inaccessible to tourists, but adventurers sometimes get there illegally with the help of private guides. The height is more than 300 meters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

TV tower Tower Park Praha (Prague) - the height of the tower is 216 meters. It was built in 1992 and is still the subject of controversy due to its appearance. The observation deck is located at an altitude of 93 meters. Photo: Jan Fidler / flickr

The Guangzhou TV Tower (Guangzhou) is the second tallest TV tower in the world (610 meters). It was built in 2005-2010 for the 2010 Asian Games. The hyperboloid design of the mesh shell of the Guangzhou TV tower corresponds to the patent of 1899 by the Russian engineer V. G. Shukhov. An open observation deck is located at an altitude of 488 meters. Air trams (cabins) move along the perimeter of the tower. Photo: jun j / flickr

Viewing platforms in nature

Vorobyovy Gory (Moscow) - an observation deck at an altitude of 80 meters above the ground in front of the main building of the Lomonosov Moscow State University was equipped in 1953. One of the most popular attractions among citizens and tourists. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The observation deck Glacier Skywalk (Jasper National Park, Canada) is made in the form of a glass arc on the Hunerkogel rock at an altitude of 280 meters. Photo: Marc Roy / flickr

Illawarra Fly (Robertson, Australia) is a 500 — meter metal path at an altitude of 25 meters with a view of the coast, laid along the treetops in a tropical forest. Photo: hto2008 / flickr

Sky Bridge (Malaysia) - a bridge over the abyss at 700 meters above sea level. The bridge has a length of 125 meters and a width of 1.8 meters with two triangular branches of 3.2 meters each. Photo: Dani Ihtatho / flickr

Skywalk (USA) - a platform in the Grand Canyon at an altitude of 1200 meters protrudes 20 meters above the abyss. The walls and floor are made of durable glass with a thickness of 10 cm, and visitors are given socks so as not to scratch the surface. Photo: Jonas K / flickr

Ferris wheel as an observation deck

The London Eye (London) is one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world (135 meters). One revolution of the wheel takes about 30 minutes. Photo: Trey Ratcliff / flickr

Ferris Wheel (Vienna) - built in 1897 by Walter Basset. The height is 64.75 meters. Photo: Lacy / flickr

The Ferris Wheel (Paris) is one of the largest mobile Ferris wheels (60 meters). It was mounted in Paris on the eve of the millennium celebration. After being in Birmingham and Manchester in 2005, it was mounted in Amsterdam (pictured), in 2007 it visited Bangkok, then in Antwerp in 2008 and in Rimini in 2013. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

High Roller (Las Vegas) — the highest Ferris wheel in the world (167 meters) was opened to the public in March 2014. Photo: Don McCullough / flickr

Viewing platforms in historical buildings

Fortress Wall (Gwalior Fort) - Gwalior Fort is the second in India by area, the length of its fortress walls exceeds 14 kilometers. It is located on a hill and rises almost 100 meters. The fort acquired its modern appearance in the XIV-XV centuries, but the fortress itself has been known since the VI-VIII century. Photo: Parth Joshi / flickr

Maiden Tower (Istanbul) is located in the Asian part of Istanbul on a small island of the Bosphorus Strait in the Uskyudar district. The exact history of the appearance of the tower is unknown. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Reichstag (Berlin) — in 1894-1933, the meeting place of the state body of Germany — the Reichstag of the German Empire and the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic, since 1999, the Bundestag — the Federal Assembly, the body of the people's representation of Germany-has been located there. An open observation deck on the roof is located at an altitude of 24 meters, closed under the dome demonstrates the panorama of the city. Photo: Wolfgang Staudt / flickr

The Statue of Liberty (New York) - the height from the ground to the top of the torch is 93 meters. The construction was completed in 1886. Photo: John O'Sullivan / flickr