most precarious places on earth

Also known as the Preachers Pulpit, visiting this 600 meter high cliff is not recommended in winter or spring when the path to the top is paved with ice. In summer though the view of the valley below is breathtaking.

The surreal Meteora monasteries of Greece were originally built by monks to be a refuge from Turkish invaders and until 100 years ago there wasnt any way to get to them except for rope ladders. Today, however, you can take a cable car or walk up the perilous staircase cut into the stone.

These cliffs found not far from the legislative capital of South Africa surround a calm bay and are often used by thrill seekers as a diving platform.

The Atlantic Ocean Road (Atlanterhavsveien) in Norway is just as precarious as the other places on this list albeit for a different reason. Winding its way across the surface of the waves motorists have to be extremely cautious as harsh winds and crashing surf easily make this one of the more dangerous stretches of pavement in the world.

Formed by a glacier over thousands of years, this headwall on Mount Washington is only accessible by one steep, winding trail. In recent years hikers have been killed by everything from avalanches to icefalls so ascend at your own risk.

Legend has it that the hanging temple in Chinas Shanxi Province was built by one man. 1500 years later it still stands, or hangs, off the edge of a cliff almost 300 feet above the riverbed below.

This world famous rock is precariously locked between two cliffs on Mount Kjerag in Norway. Every year it attracts thousands of visitors bold enough to get their picture taken standing (or crawling) on it. Just dont look down.

This mountain in Frances Savoie region is certainly worth the climb. As beautiful as the view can be, however, dont get too close to the edge. Falling over would not end well.

There is no way we could get through this list without mentioning one of the worlds most famous canyons and at over a mile deep dangling your feet off the edge is sure give you a rush.

When you think of precariously positioned places probably one of the last things to come to mind would be a castle. The Swallows Nest in Ukraine, however, was built directly over the edge of a cliff overlooking the Black Sea.