For an acrophobic thrill safely within the confines of a tempered glass box, check out the new Chamonix Skywalk suspended 1,000 meters above a valley of the French Alps. Visitors must take two cable cars to reach the summit of Aiguille du Midi mountain peak, donning protective slippers to avoid scratching the glass before stepping into the void. The five-sided transparent box is enforced with three layers of just 12 mm thick tempered glass bonded with a transparent film that allows clear viewing of the snowy precipice below. Designed by Pierre-Yves Chays, the structure is a marvel of modern engineering able to withstand wind speeds of up to 220 kph and can support a load of 1.5 tons. From the platform viewers can revel in the sights of Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, peaks in Italy and Switzerland, as well as the biggest glaciers in Europe.
For more information, visit Chamonix Mont-Blanc.