Glass cube has tourists stepping into alpine void
PARIS – THIS one’s not for people with a fear of heights: A French tourism company has suspended a glass cube with a see-through bottom from a peak in the Alps, offering a breathtaking view a kilometre down.
Billed as the tallest attraction in Europe, the structure was three years in the making. It includes five transparent sides made of three layers of tempered glass, fixed with metal to a big support structure.
Tourists will get a stunning view from the Aiguille du Midi mountain of the landscape, including Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain.
The construction has taken three years to build and it is now finally open to the public. The novelty is commonly referred to as Step Into the Void.
The experience of standing on the top of the mountain with 1km of empty space below your feet is simply astonishing and breathtaking (quite literally).
But there is nothing much to be afraid of as the five walls of the box are made of three tempered glass layers 12mm thick.
To be able to visit the brand new attraction (which, by the way, was inspired by the Grand Canyon’s glass skywalk), the tourists must start their journey from Chamonix and take two cable cars that would bring them straight to the top. The return fare is ß55 (about R800).
Step into the Void opened to the public on Saturday.
The cube is sponsored by Compagnie du Mont Blanc, which manages transportation in the mountains