Humans have conquered nearly all of the world’s most desolate and challenging landscapes, and these remote buildings offer a glimpse of these feats.
From ancient times to now, we have strived to travel to the tallest mountain peaks, through the harshest desert landscapes, and to the furthest corners of the ocean. These buildings are just a few of the marks we have left behind.
Whether for scientific research or as a pilgrimage in the search for God, humans have pushed the limits of what’s possible.
Their remoteness is marked by extreme weather conditions, isolation from civilization, and how hard they are to reach. Each of these buildings is a feat of its own.
9. Monastery at Katskhi Pillar, Georgia
This incredibly remote monastery is found deep in the Imereti region in the central-west of Georgia. But it’s not a regular monastery. This one was built on the highest point of a giant monolith.
Jutting out of the ground and rising to 40 meters, the limestone monolith has become a daring pilgrimage that monks take on in the hope of feeling closer to God.
Incredibly, many monks actually lived on the top of the Katskhi Pillar for centuries. Built between the 6th and 8th century, the church is only reachable via a rope hanging ladder!
8. Elliðaey House, Iceland
Famed as “the loneliest house in the world”, the Ellioaey House in Iceland tests the limits of isolation.
Built on a remote island in the Atlantic off the south of Iceland’s Vestmann archipelago, it is the only house on the island. Just 4.5 square kilometers, the island is no longer inhabited.
The house has been the subject of many tales. Some say it was built by a millionaire survivalist in anticipation of a zombie apocalypse, whilst others claim it once belonged to the Icelandic singer Bjork.
In reality, the house was built in the 1950s as a hunting lodge. The island is home to a thriving puffin population that used to be a popular hunting game.
7. Bishop Rock Lighthouse, United Kingdom
Built in 1858, the Bishop Rock Lighthouse is found four miles off the south coast of the Isles of Scilly. It stands at 49 meters tall and sits on a rock ledge that is just 46 meters long and 16 meters wide.
Many ships were wrecked by the protruding rocks around the Isles of Scilly, so the lighthouse was designed to tackle this. One of the most famous incidents was the death of 2,000 men on board Sir Cloudesley Shovel’s squadron of the British Fleet in 1707.
Commissioned by the Trinity House and designed by James Walker, the original lighthouse was swept away in 1950, and then rebuilt and strengthened over the years.
6. Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan
Built on the banks of the Tash-Rabat River in the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan, the Tash Rabat is an integral part of the local heritage.
It was once a bustling caravanserai, the name given to buildings that served as inns along the Silk Road. Now, the stone inn is desolate and hard to reach.
The Tash Rabat was built on the site of a 9th-century monastery, but wasn’t constructed until the 15th century.
Whilst you can’t stay in the ancient caravanserai anymore, there are a number of traditional yurt camps dotted around the site you can stay in.
5. Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
This remote seed bank was designed as the ultimate backup for the world’s food supply. It stores seeds from all over the world.
Whilst it is amongst more than 1,700 seed vaults, it is thought to be the safest for a number of reasons.
Thanks to its location on the northern tip of Norway, it is surrounded by an icy landscape. This ensures that even if the power went out, the seeds would be kept at -18 degrees Celsius.
Currently, the vault is home to over 1.3 million seed varieties. Incredibly, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is home to the most diverse collection of food crop seeds in the world!
4. Earhart Lighthouse, Howland Island
Situated on the uninhabited Howland Island in a remote corner of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia. The lighthouse was built in 1937 when a landing strip was cleared on the island.
What for? The island was intended as a mid-way refueling point on Amelia Earhart’s transpacific flight. But, she never actually landed there.
It’s thought that her plane crashed in the waters to the north of Howland Island as her radio broadcasts were briefly picked up on Howland.
The lighthouse had a short life and is now barely standing. Now, only the local wildlife visit this remote landmark.
3. Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica
The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is the southernmost research station that is open year-round in the world! It is a hotspot for scientific research, as well as serving as a logistical access point into East Antarctica.
It sits atop the Antarctic ice sheet. Incredibly, because of the significant ice movements in this remote part of the world, it drifts about 10 meters each year.
It was opened in 1956 and named after Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole. He arrived in 1911, more than a hundred years ago!
2. Sphinx Observatory, Switzerland
The observatory towers high above the alpine landscape in the Grindelwald region of Switzerland. It stands at an elevation of 3,571 meters and was first opened in 1937.
Incredibly, whilst the observatory is mostly used for scientific research it can actually be reached by the Jungfraujoch railway station. That means you can combine one of the most spectacular alpine railway journeys in Europe with a visit to the Sphinx Observatory.
Within the observatory, there are laboratories, a weather station, astronomical domes, and giant telescopes!
Did you know it has also starred in famous Hollywood movies like The Grand Budapest Hotel?
1. ESO Hotel, Chile
This incredibly isolated hotel was built in 2002 in the heart of the hostile Atacama Desert in Chile. It was nicknamed the “Residencia”, which means the residence, as it is used as accommodation by the scientists who work at the Paranal Observatory.
The observatory is famous as it houses the Very Large Telescope, which has produced the most captivating pictures of space shot to this day.
Because of the rustorange desert landscape that stretches out before the hotel in every direction, it has also been called the “boarding house on Mars”.
The ESO Hotel also featured in Bond’s Quantum of Solace!
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