Why do people build mountain cities? It would seem that living in the valley is much easier. It is colder in the mountains, nature is harsh, weather conditions are very difficult, and it is often very difficult to grow anything here. But when you look at these works of human hands, their beauty often takes your breath away, and completely forget that such villages seem to be completely uncomfortable. But people challenge nature. Tourists who visit these cities claim that they look like a fairy tale. In this article we will talk about the five most interesting mountain cities in the world, located on different continents of the globe. Among them there are small settlements, almost villages, and even large megacities. Sometimes they look like paradise, sometimes like hell, reflecting the infinite diversity of our planet.
Lhasa
One of the most famous mountain cities is the mysterious capital of Tibet. She is very high. Not everyone can live in such a place. After all, Lhasa is located at an altitude of three and a half kilometers. Nevertheless, 250 thousand people constantly live here. Lhasa has long been considered the main city of Tibetan Buddhism, and before the Chinese conquest, this city was the throne of the spiritual leaders of this religion - the Dalai Lamas. Now Lhasa has been turned into a real open-air museum. Although the current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India, pilgrims still aspire to this city. For many centuries it was closed to Europeans, but now all its attractions are accessible to tourists, both temples and palaces, including the residence of the rulers of Tibet, Potala. But to get to Tibet, including Lhasa, you need to obtain special permission, a Chinese visa is not enough for this.
Andorra la Vella
This is one of the highest mountain capitals in Europe. It originated in the ninth century and is located in the very center of a picturesque valley surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Pyrenees. Andorra la Vella is the capital of a tiny principality. Everything here is focused on tourists. Since there are practically no taxes in this country, the goods in it are much cheaper than those of neighbors, which means they come here for shopping. In summer, mountain walks await you (gorges, waterfalls, peaks with panoramic views), and in winter Andorra la Vella turns into a ski resort, and almost all of its hotels have access to the ski lifts. And here there are chic thermal springs that allow you to relax perfectly.
Ronda
This amazing mountain town is located in the Spanish province of Andalusia. It was built over the El Tahoe Gorge, at an altitude of 750 meters above sea level, back in the days of the ancient Phoenicians. The Guadalevin River cut through a deep canyon that divided the city in two. The Romans, the Celts, and the Moors owned it, and each nation left its mark here in stone. In this city, sights of stunning beauty are literally at every step, and the landscapes that open from every street are simply fantastic. It is built up with the famous Andalusian white houses under tiled roofs and became famous as the birthplace of bullfighting. Tourists, as a rule, admire the New Bridge, built right above the gorge, at an altitude of almost a hundred meters. Centuries and cultures have mixed here, and literally every building has its own mystical aura, especially when you look at their fragile, clinging to rocks architecture. The city is extremely colorful. You can get here both by your own car, and by bus from Malaga.
La rinconada
National Geographic magazine officially recognized this Peruvian city as the highest mountain in the world. Here live 30 thousand people who are engaged in gold mining. La Rinconada is located at an amazing height - 5100 meters above sea level. It is located in the Andes, near the gold mine, almost in permafrost. Many people who live here lack oxygen in their blood. But new gold miners continue to arrive here in the hope of making money. Previously, there was a small village where local tribes lived. But after the discovery of the gold mine, many people rushed here. Temperature rarely even rises above zero at such altitude. Due to the production process, a lot of toxic substances are released here, including mercury, there are glacial floods and very strong ice winds. In the city itself there is no infrastructure, municipal authority, police or any state institutions, only a small school. Even electricity appeared there only in 2012. Workers have money, but there’s nothing to spend it on. People live in metal shacks, nobody removes garbage. Therefore, among the local there is a very high level of alcoholism and crime.
Cerro de Pasco
Another city of this kind is also located in the Andes. It is located slightly lower than La Rinconada, at an altitude of 4380 meters. It is the administrative center of the whole region, and here they are mainly engaged in mining. Silver mining has been going on here since the 16th century, but the vein was somewhat depleted. Therefore, the main goal of production is zinc and lead. This deposit has a historical character, since at first the Incas mined silver here, then the conquistadors, and then it began to belong to the Spanish crown. But the developments here are conducted in a civilized manner, they are led by an American company, representative offices of foreign countries are opened, and a railway is laid. Such a mountain city, like Cerro de Pasco, even has a sports (football) club. 70 thousand people live here.
The actual capital of Bolivia
But La Paz refers to a completely different kind of cities located in the mountains of South America. Its full name in translation means "Our Lady of the World." Although officially it is the administrative region of the country, in fact it is the capital of the state. Here is the residence of the president and the parliament sits. The city is located at an altitude of 3650 meters, but it was built in the classical colonial style: cathedrals, squares, beautiful buildings. Most residents wear vibrant national Bolivian clothing. Here is the famous Witch Market, where various accessories for real witchcraft are sold. Despite the cool weather - the temperature here does not exceed 20 degrees - the city has a university, cafes, restaurants, night clubs and museums. One of them is dedicated to the coca plant - this is a unique institution that has no equal in the world. The most tourist season in La Paz is August; it is at such a time that the weather in the city is most comfortable.