Why do people build mountain cities? It would seem that in the valley there is much easier. In the mountains, colder, the nature of the Surova, the weather conditions are very complex, and and grow something here is often very difficult. But when you look at these cases of human hands, the spirit often captures the spirit of their beauty, and completely forget that such villages seem to be completely uncomfortable. But people challenge nature. Tourists who visit these cities assume that they look like a fairy tale. In this article we will tell about the five most interesting mountain cities of the world located on different continents of the globe. Among them are small settlements, almost villages, and even large megalopolises. Sometimes they look like heaven, sometimes on blood pressure, reflecting the infinite variety of our planet.
Lhasa
One of the most famous mountain cities is the mysterious it is very high. Not everyone can live in such a place. After all, Lhasa is located at a height of three and a half kilometers. Nevertheless, 250 thousand people live here. Lhasa has long been considered the main city of Tibetan Buddhism, and to Chinese conquest, this city was the throne of the spiritual leaders of this religion - Dalai Lam. Now Lhasa has been turned into a real open-air museum. Although the current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India, pilgrims still seek this city. For many centuries, it was closed for Europeans, but now all of his attractions are available for tourists, both temples and palaces, including the residence of Tibet's rulers, Potala. But in order to get into Tibet, including in Lhas, you need to get a special permit, one Chinese visa is not enough for this.
Andorra La Velia
This is one of the most highly mountain capitals of Europe. It arose in the ninth century and is located in the very center of the picturesque valley, surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Pyrenees. Andorra-La Vella is the capital of the tiny principality. Everything is focused on tourists here. Since there are practically no taxes in this country, the goods in it are much cheaper than the neighbors, and therefore come here to shopping. In the summer, you are waiting for walks in the mountains (gorge, waterfalls, tops with panoramic views), and in the winter Andorra-la-Velia turns into a ski resort, and almost all of her hotels have access to lifts. And here there are chic thermal sourcesallowing to relax perfectly.
Ronda
This amazing city in the mountains is located in the Spanish province of Andalusia. It is built on El-Tahoe Gorge, at an altitude of 750 meters above sea level, even during the time of the ancient Phoenicians. The Guadalevin River cut the deep canyon, which divided the city in two. They owned them and the Romans, and the Celts, and Maurians, and every people left their mark here in stone. In this city, terrific attractions are literally at every step, and landscapes that are opening with every street, just fantastic. He is built up with famous Andalusian white houses under the tiled roofs and became famous for both the birthplace of the Borda. Tourists tend to admire the built right above the gorge, at an altitude of almost one hundred meters, a new bridge. It was mixed here centuries and cultures, and literally every building has his own mystical aura, especially when you look at their fragile, clinging around the cliffs architecture. The city is extremely colorful. You can get here on both your own car and bus from Malaga.
La Rinconada
Magazine "Neishenal Geographic" officially recognized this Peruvian city the most highly mountainous in the world. There are 30 thousand people who are engaged in gold mining. La Rinconada is located on a stunning height - 5100 meters above sea level. It is located in the Andes, next to the Golden Rudnik, almost in the eternal Merzlot. In many people who live here, there is a lack of oxygen in the blood. But new gold miners continue to arrive here in the hope of earning money. Previously, there was a small village where local tribes lived. But after discovering the golden veins, many people rushed here. The temperature even rarely rises at such a height above zero. Because of the production process, many toxic substances are emitted here, including mercury, glacial floods and very strong ice winds are. In the city itself there is no infrastructure, municipal, police or any state institutions, only a small school. Even electricity there appeared only in 2012. There are money from workers, but wasting them nothing. People live in metal shacks, nobody removes garbage. Therefore, among local, very high level of alcoholism and crime.
Serro de Pasco
Another city of this kind is also located in Andes. It is slightly lower than La Rinconade, at an altitude of 4380 meters. It is an administrative center of a whole region, and here are mainly engaged in mining. Here is still being done from the 16th century, but there lived a few exhausted. Therefore, the main purpose of production is zinc and lead. The field is historical, because at the beginning of silver, the inches were mined here, then conquistadors, and then it became belonging to the Spanish crown. But the development here is conducted by civilized, they manage american companyThe representative offices of foreign states was opened, the railway was laid. Such a mountain town like Serro de Pasco has even a sports (football) club. 70 thousand people live here.
The actual capital of Bolivia
But La Paz relates to a completely different kind of cities located in the mountains South America. Its full name in translated means "Mother of the World". Although it is officially an administrative district of the country, in fact he is the capital of the state. Here is the president's residence and meets parliament. The city is located at an altitude of 3650 meters, but it is built in a classic colonial style: cathedrals, squares, beautiful buildings. Most residents wear bright national Bolivian clothes. There is a famous witch market where different accessories for real witchcraft are sold. Despite cool weather - the temperature here does not exceed 20 degrees - there is a university in the city, and cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs, and museums. One of them is dedicated to a plant coke - 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 the weather in the city is most comfortable.
On our planet there are amazing cities and settlements located high above the ground. During the summer vacation, you can visit these unforgettable places.
1. La Rinconada (Peru, 5100 m)
The city of La Rinconada is the most high mountain city on Earth, it is located in Andes, in the area, bordering Bolivia. Despite the harsh conditions for living, the population of this city is rapidly increasing. Especially rapid growth was observed in the last fifty years. According to statistical agencies, in 2009 the population of La Rinconada amounted to more than thirty thousand people. The cause of the rapid development of the city and the rapid increase in the number of its inhabitants is associated with the development of gold deposits. The conditions of residence in this city are quite complex. During the daytime, the air temperature is barely rises above the zero mark, but at night the thermometer column falls below twenty - twenty-five degrees. Constantly wind winds low temperatures, as well as oxygen starvation In terms of high mountains, contribute to high population migration. After people stop working on mines, they tend to move into more comfortable conditions on the plain, and only not most of Forever fixes in the highland city of La Rinconade.
2. El Alto (Bolivia, 4150 m)
El Alto in translation means "height", and, indeed, a huge city with a population of more than six hundred and fifty thousand people is located at an altitude of more than four thousand meters above the world's ocean. The city has a fairly well-developed tourist infrastructure. A large number of Architectural monuments and other attractions attract many tourists here. Getting to the city is not difficult, since there is a Bolivian capital airport. The location of the city is the highest point of Bolivia.
3. Potosi (Bolivia, 4090 m)
With its rapid growth and development, the city is obliged by silver deposits. In the seventeenth century, the city was considered the largest in all of America, currently a hundred and sixty thousand people live in the city. Potosy has good transport links, availability railway Significantly facilitates not only the movement of industrial goods and silver, but also the delivery of tourists here. AT lately The development of tourist infrastructure brings significant dividends in the city, along with silver mining.
4. Lhasa (Tibet, 3650 m)
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet, the population of the city is two hundred fifty thousand people. The city is not the most highly located city, but the most famous among the highland human settlements in the world. Being the capital of Tibet, Lhasa for a long time He was a residence of the Dalai Lama. After coming to the city of the communist regime, the residence had to be transferred not to the territory of India. Located under the protection of UNESCO, it has a huge number of attractions, the main of which is, of course, Potala Palace. The largest museum of the world - Potala - attracts a huge number of believers and ordinary tourists who want to enjoy the magnificence of the ancient palace. In 2010, the population of the city was two hundred fifty thousand people.
5. Narche-Bazaar (Nepal, 3450 m)
The Number Bazaar was formed at the site of intersection of trade routes. Currently, the village is widely known to tourists and climbers who wish to climb Everest. In the village there is everything you need to prepare tourist, climbing expeditions to climb. Not far from the village there is a helicopter station that organizes helicopter tours According to the picturesque mountainous surroundings. If necessary, helicopters belonging to the stations take part in rescue operations. Thanks to the dedicated work of helicopters, not one climbing group, ending disaster, was saved.
6. Kurush (Dagestan, 2600 m)
Dagestan village Kurush numbered eight hundred and thirty in its composition in 2010. It is considered the most highly high settlement of the Caucasus and Europe. The conditions for residence in this village are extremely heavy, but the locals are not in a hurry to leave the spaces havenes. For them this is the most the best place on the ground. They live in the village predominantly those who were born here and grew. A person from the plain practically does not have a chance to adapt to permanent residence at such a height. Residents are proud of their own strong character and ancient traditions that are transmitted from generation to generation. Tourists do not like here, it is necessary to earn the location of the elders, so that the stranger was allowed to live for some time and familiarize themselves with their harsh life and ancient traditions.
A person, like microorganisms, learned to adapt and survive in the most extreme places, from a sewing desert to the frozen Siberian tundra. Millennium people live even in the conditions of non-sensitive highly sprinkled air. In the Himalayas, Andes and in the mountains of Ethiopia at altitudes from 2500 to 8,200 meters above sea level, there are a total of 140 million people, and many of them are residents of rapidly growing cities. Below we will tell about seven high-altitude settlements, each of which lies at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters above sea level. La Rinconada
Peruvian city of La Rinconada, located in one of the remote corners of the Andes, once was the camp of gold miners, but gradually scolded to the size of a major city. This mountain settlement with a population of more than 50 thousand people, located at an altitude of 5100 m, claims the title of "the most high mountain city of the world." Despite the fact that the economy life of the city is concentrated around the gold mining mine, the infrastructure of the settlement is in an unsatisfactory condition. There is no water supply or sewage in the city, and the backward methods of ore mining led to serious pollution of the Mercury terrain. Most residents of La Rinconada are workers who migrated here in the hope of stable earnings and share in a profitable gold business. Their work is paid by the cunning system called "Kachorreo" (sachorreo). For thirty days, they work at the mine for free, and on the 31st day they are allowed to pick up so much ore from slaughter as they are able to wear. Them wage - All they will be able to independently extract from this ore. Despite the fact that local gold mining companies pay for the labor of miners in such a strange way, people continue to finish here from the entire region. The population of La Rinconads over the past ten years has increased by 230%. 
El Alto
El Alto city is one of the largest and most growing in Bolivia. It has a population of more than 1.1 million people, located at an altitude of 4150 m above sea level and is one of the most highly mountain settlements of the world. Once El Alto was just the outskirts located on the Altiplano city of La Paz, however, in the 1950s, intensive migration from the rural areas of Bolivia to the La Paz region led to the fact that after 40 years his suburbs found the status of an independent city. The area where El Alto is located is distinguished by a harsh and arid climate and was not populated until 1903, when railway branches appeared connecting it with the Titicaca Lake and the city of Arica. Railway Station, depot and residential buildings for railway workers were built at the edge of the canyon in La Paz, in 1925, a flight field appeared, around which quarters also gradually grew. In 1939, the first one opened in El Alto primary SchoolAnd in the 1950s, a rapid growth began, caused by the connection of El Alto to the La Paz plumbing network (until this point, all the water in El Alto was covered from La Paz in tanks). In 1985, El Alto district acquired administrative independence from the city of La Paz, and in 1987 he was given the status of the city. 
Potosi
Another candidate from Bolivia, Potosi, is located at an altitude of 4090 m above sea level. It was founded in 1545 as a mining settlement. Soon the population of Potosi exceeded 240 thousand people, and he himself became a source of fabulous wealth and the largest city of his time in America and all over the world. Potosi is located at the foot of the Morro-Rico de Potosi mountain of 4824 m, which, according to local residents, consists almost entirely of silver ore. Serro Rico Muses and brought world fame to the city, becoming the main source of silver for the Spanish kingdom of the time of the Conquists. It is from Potosi that the Spanish conquerors were taken out most of the silver. From 1556 to 1783, 45 thousand tons of pure silver were produced in the Serro Rico mines, of which 9 thousand tons received the Spanish monarchy. Due to such intensive production, the height of the mountain decreased by several hundred meters. In 1672 in Potosi, a mint for chasing was established silver coins and built tanks for supplying the population with water. In the same period, 86 churches were built in the city, and the population of Potosi increased to 200 thousand people, turning it into one of the largest and most rich cities in the world. After 1800, when the stocks of silver began to dry out and the world switched to the production of tin, the slow economic extinction of the city began. Nevertheless, silver in the minor rico mines are produced in our day. Due to heavy working conditions, the lack of means of protection and constant inhalation of dust life expectancy of miners is very small - almost all of them are sickness and die at age about 40 years. 
Shigadze
Shigadze - the second largest city of the Tibetan autonomous region, which is part of the PRC. His population is 100 thousand people, and he is one of the largest settlements in Tibet. Shigadze is located in Western Tibet at an altitude of 3840 m above sea level at the merger of the Yarong Tsangpo River (she's also Brahmaputra) and Nyanchu. The city, which lies on the plateau surrounded by high peaks, was the ancient capital of the province of Cangu, and is currently the administrative center of the Prefecture of Shigadze Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. 
Juluck
Juliaca is the capital of the province of San Roman, located in the Puno region in the south-east of Peru. This is the largest city in the region with a population of more than 225 thousand people (according to 2007), which is located at a height of 3825 m above sea level on the Altiplano Plateau and being the largest center of trade and commerce and the transport node of the Puno region. In addition, the city of Juliac is closely connected with southern cities of Peru, such Arequipa, Puno, Takna, Cusco, Ilo and the Bolivian Republic. 
Rig
At first, the city of Orura, founded on November 1, 1606, was the center of silver mining of the Bolivian region Urus. Today, Orro is one of the largest cities of Bolivia with a population of more than 235 thousand people (according to the 2010 census). It is located at an altitude of 3706 m above sea level. At the end of the 19th century, after the deposits of silver were exhausted, the mining enterprises of the Orno switched to the extraction of tin. For a while, located in the organizer of the mine "La Salvador" was the largest world source of tin. Gradually, this resource also began to dry out, and the time of decline came to Oruro again. Nevertheless, the main employer of the city is still the mining enterprises. 
Lhasa
Located in the center of Tibetan Plateau in a small valley surrounded by the Himalayan mountains of five thousandths, Lhasa lies at an altitude of 3600 m above sea level. Through southern part The city flows the Kolya-Chu river, the influx of brahmaputra. The length of Ki-Chu, the name of which is translated from Tibetan "fun blue waves," is 315 km; It flows from the snow-covered peaks and passes of the Nienchen-tangla ridge and flows into Brahmaputra in the Chysuya area, creating landscapes of unearthly beauty on his way. Lhasa - the second population city on the Tibetan plateau: more than 550 thousand people live there. The city is replete with Buddhist attractions that have great cultural and historical importance and located, mainly in the Chengguan district. Among them, Potala Palace, the Temple of Jokang and the Palace Complex of Narbulinkka. 
Thanks for the translation of Ksenia Churmatyeva
SAMI high mountain Europe - Elbrus. Climbing it is associated with great risk and mountain sickness. The weather conditions of Elbrus can be called extreme. At the same time, there are several cities in the world, located at a height of commensurate with Elbrus. These are the highest cities of the planet - La Rinkonad in Peru at an altitude of more than 5000 meters, a dense market, at an altitude of more than 4000 m. At the same time, the city of Street city is not only above the mountains, but also below the sea. What depth can you dive? 2-5 meters? And the Golantsy build cities at greater depth - the lowest cities of the world. The lowest city in the world can be called Rotterdam, located 7 meters below sea level. Read more about the highest and lowest cities of the world, read the article "The highest and low cities of the world."
The highest cities of the world - La Rinkonada, Peru
The most alleged city in the world is in the Andes not far from the bond with Bolivia, at an altitude of more than 5100 meters above sea level. The population of the highest town is 30 thousand people. How doctors say, such a height is the limit for a human body.
The highest city was based on a mine where most residents work. Despite the very harsh climate: the day the temperature rises a few degrees above zero, at night frost, people are in no hurry to leave their homes in search of best conditions Life. Even the lack of oxygen did not stop the population population. In the 21st century it increased by 231%.
And all because of the rich stocks of golden ore. There are residents in difficult conditions. Some of them even work for free for a whole month, so that on his last day to be able to take ores as much as they can carry themselves. In the highest city can only be reached by one narrow mountain road.
The highest cities of the world - a dense market, Nepal
The highland city of the Number Bazaar is a favorite place for tourists and climbers from around the world, because it is on the way to Everest, and his height is 4150 meters above sea level. The high town serves as the main transshipment point for people going to climb further to the hill camp. This is the last refinement of civilization before high mountain World.
Initially, the alpine city was built as a trading zone, where shepherds, laying high in the mountains of the herd of Yakov, could exchange oil and cheese produced from milk of these animals to agricultural products grown in lower areas of Nepal. Number Bazaar is still the main shopping center region Khumba.
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In a high town there is electricity, there is a nearby airport (more precisely, the helicopter station), but most tourists cannot use them because of the protests of local residents. For mass tourism, the airport of the city of Lukla is used, from which tourists must carry out a daily transition to a dense market (in the case of a very fast walk of six hours). Tourist service on this site provides work and income to local residents.
An official institutions, police control, post office and bank are also in a high-altitude borear. At the top are the barracks of the Nepalese army. On the territory of the high city there are hotels in which special rooms are equipped with helping people adapt to the sparse mountain air.
The highest cities of the world - El Alto, Bolivia
Despite the location of 4150 meters above sea level, the city of El Alto ranks second in the number of residents in Bolivia - 1 million 700 thousand people.
The highest million mark was founded when building a railway connecting La Paz and Lake Titicaca. El Alto applies to the number of fastest growing cities in the world. In 1992, 424 thousand people lived here, in 2001 - 647 thousand people, in 2010 - already 992 thousand, in 2011 the number of citizens El Alto exceeded 1 million.
As residents of the city tell, the placement below the sea level does not interfere with their lives. Although some problems were. For example, when building an urban metro: all the tunnels that the authorities tried to build, in a short time were flooded. And then the output was found - now most of the metro system passes along the overpass or on the surface of the Earth.
Lowest cities - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, and as of January 1, 2012, the population of the municipality of Amsterdam is 790 thousand people.
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Amsterdam is located five meters below sea level. Because of this, the city is completely built on stilts, with the help of huge bets driven into the ground (in our time, many piles are "riding", and at home are curved in one direction or another). But still, environmentalists warn that this city will not save. If, due to global warming, the water level will be very raised, then Amsterdam will be the first city that will go under the water.
Lowest cities - New Orleans, USA
New Orleans - the largest city of Louisiana, is four meters below sea level. Because of this low location, the city is very suffering. Permanent hurricanes, Typhins are trying to erase the new Orleans from the face of the earth. Every year it is increasingly difficult to pump water from the territory that is much lower than the ocean. The authorities can be struggling with this misfortune, but they are powerless before nature.
What was just worth surviving a terrible hurricane Katrina, who collapsed on New Orleans in 2005.
The most famous mountains in Russia - the Caucasus. They inspired the creators of the gold and silver Century. Lermontov's poem is an excellent confirmation of this, and the "Caucasian captive" Pushkin, and the story of Tolstoy. And someone happened to live here, at the most mountain peaks. Travelask will tell about the highest city of Russia.
City in Kabardino-Balkaria
Tyrnyauz is the center of the Elbrus district, which is located in Kabardino-Balkaria. It is located in the south-west of the republic, on the shores of the Baksan River, just 40 kilometers from Elbrus. You just look at what types are open from the windows of the houses.
This is the highest mountain city of Russia: it is located at an altitude of 1307 meters above sea level.
The city is small, its area is only 61 square kilometers. But the landscapes are impressive here, especially against the background of the "killed" panels.
Height differences are huge: 1.5-2 kilometers.
All terrain is cut by ridges and gorges in which the mountain rivers "live".
The city even has a "his own" vertex - the highest point of this settlement is the rocky and climbing toumbashi, its height reaches 2786 meters.
It is said that during the fogs and low clouds, the river surface flies cranes. Probably, for this city and got its name: from Karachay-Balkarian language Tyrnyauz translates as a "caravel gorge".
History of high mountain city
In 1934, a tungsten-molybdenum field was opened on this territory, on which a mining and processing plant was opened. Here and tyrnyauz rose. First, workers were worked here by workers' local gulag, and then in their place they came Wolnonamed. After the collapse of the USSR, the city had to be tight: a plant for the extraction of metal, suffering from periodic villages, slowly bent. People began to move in more big cities. And now this is some kind of city-ghost with dilapidated houses and frightening criminal stories, leaving a terrible impression.
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Of course, it is planned to revive the city and the plant in particular, however it lasts the last 15-20 years.
Today through the city is a road leading to Elbrus, so Tyrnyauses see many tourists.
Who is above Tyrnyowa
But the highest settlement of Russia is the village of Kurush. This is also the southernmost point of the country. It is located in the Duzupack district of Dagestan at an altitude of 2560 meters above sea level.
It is from this aula climbers make ascent to many Caucasian peaks: Bazarduzu, Schalbuzdag and Ezdag.
