The Highest Cities in the World

The BootsnAll Travel site has a great article up listing the highest cities in the world. Amsterdam doesn’t make this list however, as we’re talking the cities that fall at the highest altitude. These mountain communities will have you gasping for air as soon as you step off the plane, both with their thin air and stunning mountain scenery.

Topping the list as the highest city in the world is La Rinoconada in Peru. This city of 30,000 is known as the highest permanent human habitiation” and rightly so. Located in the Andes, La Rinoconada sits at 16,728 feet, more than 3100 feet above the next highest city, El Alto, Bolivia at 13,615 feet.

The only city from the U.S. to make the list is Leadville, Colorado which, with 3000 permanent residents, is the highest incorporated city in the country. Leadville falls at 10,152 and is famous for the Leadville 100, a 100 mile long mountain bike race held annually that notoriously punishes endurance athletes.

A couple of the other cities on the list are famous amongst adventure travelers. Lhasa, Tibet at 12,002 feet and Namche Bazaar in Nepal, at 11,482 feet are both stops for trekkers and mountaineers on their way to Mt. Everest. And Cuzco, Peru, which sits at 10,800 feet is a popular starting point for backpackers hiking the Andes and visiting Machu Picchu.

There are some amazing cities on this list, and if you have the opportunity to visit any of them, be sure to bring your camera. And bottled oxygen.

Gadling + BootsnAll – Picks of the Week (3.13.09)

Welcome back to Gadling’s weekly “Picks of the Week” from our friends over at travel site, BootsnAll. Every Friday we’ll be bringing you some of our favorite stories this week from the site. Take a look below and click on through if you find something that catches your interest:

  • Weird Philippines – the Philippines is already an “out there” destination for many travelers, so it goes without saying that those who visit are privileged with some amazing sights and strange local customs. Marseille Markham tells us about her Top 5 Weirdest Philipines sights. Remember that Filipino prison where they dance to Thriller? You can go see it LIVE. Get me a ticket to Cebu immediately…
  • Spanish Lessons in Central America – my first experience abroad was staying with a family in Costa Rica during High School. It was an amazing introduction to the culture and also a great way to wok on my Spanish. Rebecca Brych give us the lowdown on how to study Spanish in Central America for anyone who might be inerested. It’s very comprehensive guide of everything from finding a school to picking classes to figuring out where to stay.
  • High in the Sky – I always associate mountains with travel. But for many people, mountains mean they’re home. Julie Blakley takes a look at the Highest Cities in the World in her latest post. Let me tell you, I’m out of breath just looking the elevations for some of these places. Think Cusco is high? How about La Rinconada, Peru at over 16,000 feet!
  • Feisty Female Travelers – you might know Christine Amanpour, the Chief International Correspondent of CNN, as one woman that’s really set the bar high for solo female travelers, including trips to Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan. This week Lucy Corne takes a look at six of history’s most famous and well-known female travelers, a tribute to all they’ve done to set a “traveling example” for women everywhere.
  • Gondola Gallery – you pretty much know if you visit Venice, one of Italy’s most famous cities, you’re going to see some gondolas. The iconic boats are pretty much the town’s unofficial symbol at this point. BootsnAll’s Italy blog features some of their favorite gondola photography in this week’s feature.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s Gadling and BootsnAll “Picks of the Week.” We’ll be back next Friday with another week’s worth of great content. Stay tuned.