The 33,000-seat stadium in Braga was built for Euro 2004. Obviously, the creators' idea is based on the saying that better than the mountains there can only be mountains. The stadium not only stands at the foot of the cliff, but is connected to it. On the mountain there is a scoreboard, cameras, and powerful blow on the gate may result in a small rockfall. This beauty cost $122 million - one of the most expensive Portuguese stadiums.
Marina Bay (Singapore)
Divers serving balls is a real thing if you play football at the Marina Bay Stadium in Singapore. The grandstand is located on the shore, but the field itself is on a special floating platform. So in a storm it may well be carried away somewhere. But it is unlikely that fans will break through onto the lawn - it is surrounded by water on all sides and is connected to land only by a few narrow bridges. By the way, the capacity of the stands is large – 30 thousand spectators.
"Giangito Mulacelli" (Brazil)
The stadium in Curitiba is positioned as the first ecological one. The stands are located directly on the mountainside, without the use of artificial structures - only the ground and seats. The tribune rooms are wooden. Actually, this is what almost all stadiums looked like 100 years ago.
Sapporo Dome (Japan)
From ecology to hi-tech. The unique stadium in Sapporo was built for the FIFA World Cup. It looks futuristic with its streamlined roof and unnatural shape. The arena is equipped with a unique retractable structure that allows you to change from a football field to a baseball field in just half an hour. By the way, winter sports competitions are also held here. In general, Dome is a house for all occasions.
Gospik Dolak (Croatia)
If in Braga the stadium rests on a rock on one side, then in Croatia it literally stands in the mountains. The view from above of the arena is simply stunning - stones, water, picturesque ancient buildings. Here you don’t even have to look at the field – you can just enjoy the scenery.
"Cocodrilos Park" (Venezuela)
The crocodile and coconuts have nothing to do with the name of the stadium in Venezuela. The arena is notable for its position. Maybe a piece of land in this place was given away for next to nothing? On one side there is a mountain, on the other there is a valley, on the third there is a highway. Maybe the car exhaust is compensated by the mountain air, but the surroundings of the arena are, frankly speaking, strange.
Estadio Hernando (Bolivia)
Infill development is a scourge not only of Moscow, but also of Bolivia, as it turns out. Not only is this the highest stadium in the world, where the local team plays, but it is also so tightly integrated into the city landscape that residents of an entire microdistrict can watch matches there.
Victoria Stadium (Gibraltar)
There is not much space in the dwarf state, so there is only one stadium and all matches of the local championship are played there. Team official games cannot be held here due to small capacity. And championship meetings can be interrupted during takeoff and landing of planes - the runway of the local airport is exactly behind the wall of the arena. . The main street, the famous rock and the sea are also nearby.
Hernando Siles (Spanish: Estadio Hernando Siles) is the largest national stadium in Bolivia in terms of capacity, located in La Paz and accommodating over 41 thousand spectators. Named after Bolivian President Hernando Siles Reyes, who led the country from 1926 to 1930. The stadium is located in the Miraflores area at an altitude of 3601 meters above sea level, being one of the highest stadiums in the world hosting matches professional teams. Two perform at the stadium most popular clubs Bolivia - Bolivar and Strongest, as well as a number of small teams, mainly from the lower divisions. The Hernando Siles hosted the 1997 Copa America final.
The Hernando Siles stadium was founded in 1927, built in three years, and the first match took place there in 1931 - Strongest beat the local team Universitario with a score of 4:1. Largely due to the specific natural and climatic conditions, the Bolivian team and club teams, playing at Hernando Siles, have repeatedly won sensational victories over strong opponents from more developed countries in terms of football. In 1963, Hernando Siles became one of two championship arenas South America, along with "Felix Capriles". The Bolivian national team alternated home matches in La Paz and Cochabamba, and achieved a decisive victory in the penultimate fifth round over Argentina at Hernando Siles, becoming the champion of the continent for the first time. The stadium was significantly renovated during the administration of President Hugo Banzer Suarez for the 1977 Bolivarian Games, which were held in La Paz. After this reconstruction, the Bolivian national team played for the first time at the Hernando Siles on November 30, 1977 in the return intercontinental play-off match for the right to play in the 1978 World Cup against Hungary. The guests won with a score of 3:2 (in Budapest, the Hungarians defeated their opponent with a score of 6:0). In July 1993, in a 1994 World Cup qualifying match at this stadium, Bolivia won a historic 2-0 victory over Brazil, inflicting their first defeat in qualifying tournaments over the previous 40 years. In 1997, Bolivia again hosted the Copa America. The hosts played all home matches at Hernando Siles - three games group stage, quarter- and semi-finals, as well as final game against the Brazilian national team. The Brazilians, at that time the current world champions, turned out to be stronger, 3:1, and for Bolivia it was the best performance in the South American Championship (Cup America) since the victorious 1963. The next historic match for Bolivian football took place at the Hernando Siles in December 2004, when for the first time in history a Bolivian team reached the final of an official international club tournament. The most titled club in the country, Bolivar, managed to defeat the powerful Argentine Boca Juniors (winner of the 2003 Intercontinental Cup, finalist of the 2004 Copa Libertadores) with a score of 1:0 in the first final match of the 2004 Copa Sudamericana. However, in the return home game, Boca turned out to be stronger 2:0...
Historically, people more often chose convenient places with favorable conditions to live, settling along the banks of rivers, lakes and seas or in fertile valleys. But sometimes our ancestors climbed into such wilds, where it was difficult not only to work, but to survive. For example, high in the mountains.
It is curious that the countries in which the highest mountainous settlements in the world are located are by no means northern: go down a few kilometers and there will be warmth, water, and soft soil. But something forced the local, indigenous people to stay closer to the snow-capped peaks and spend most of their lives in isolation.
La Rinconada, Peru
The absolute record holder of our selection is a permanent settlement located at an altitude of 5100 meters! Most people at this elevation find it difficult to even breathe without special equipment, and the locals not only build houses here from scrap materials, but also engage in hard physical labor - mining gold.
Once upon a time, on the site of La Rinconada there was a mining camp, but a whole city with all the infrastructure, including a small stadium, quickly grew out of it. True, there are still no normal roads here, as well as no sewerage or water supply. Now about 50 thousand people live in the village, but their number is constantly increasing. The weather in La Rinconada is like somewhere in Greenland, although the equator is only 14 degrees latitude from here. The average annual temperature is plus 1.2 °C, and most of the time there are frosts and piercing winds blow.
The ecology of La Rinconada leaves much to be desired: gold is extracted from rocks using mercury, so the soil, air, and water here are heavily polluted with toxic waste. In addition, almost all local mines are illegal, but there is no administration in the city, and no one monitors compliance with the laws. Gold is sent to the black market at ridiculous prices. So, despite the fact that the reserves of the precious metal in the local rocks are already quite depleted, seekers still flock here to try their luck.
El Alto, Bolivia
The name of this city means “height” in Spanish, and it is the highest metropolis in the world, whose population is also constantly growing. More than a million people now live in El Alto. The city was once a district of the Bolivian capital La Paz, but then acquired the status of an independent settlement.
It is here that the main international airport of Bolivia (El Alto of the same name) is located - also the highest air harbor in the world, the runways of which are located at 4061 meters above sea level.
When the door of a plane that lands here opens, passengers can physically feel the sudden change in pressure. During the warmest time of the year, the air temperature in El Alto rarely exceeds +14–15 °C.
La Paz, Bolivia
Not far from El Alto, at an altitude of 3600 meters, is the highest “capital” on the planet - La Paz. Yes, although the nominal capital of Bolivia is still Sucre, most government institutions, including the presidential residence, as well as key enterprises are located in La Paz.
In addition, the highest mountains in the world are located here. sports grounds- golf course and football stadium named after Rafael Mendoza Castellon, which is certified according to all FIFA rules. However, according to the same rules, the organization of official matches at venues located above 2500 meters above sea level is prohibited due to possible health problems among football players. An exception has been made for the stadium in La Paz.
Lhasa, Tibet
Translated from Tibetan, the word “Lhasa” means “place of the gods.” The city is located in a small valley surrounded by five-thousand-meter Himalayan mountains at an altitude of 3650 meters.
Lhasa is the former capital of the independent Tibetan state; it was once the residence of the Alai Lama, which was later moved to Indian territory. The city is under the protection of UNESCO, as it is concentrated large number attractions: the ancient Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, the Norbulingka palace complex and so on.
In 2006, a new railway line opened in the region, with Lhasa becoming its largest station. From here there are trains to Beijing, Guangzhou and other Chinese cities. The difference in altitude is noticeable, so oxygen masks are provided in the carriages.
Namche Bazar, Nepal
The village of Namche Bazar is located at an altitude of just over 3400 meters and is well known among mountaineers because it is one of the popular starting points for those who intend to climb Everest.
There are many hotels, cafes, and shops in the population. However, although tourism is an extremely profitable field of activity, not all locals are happy about it, many even protest against turning Namche Bazaar into a tourist Mecca. However, the village even has a helicopter base that offers expensive excursions and is also used to rescue climbers stuck in the mountains.
Namche Bazaar is also famous for the fashionable Everest View Hotel, which is located at an altitude of 3800 meters. For a luxurious holiday and wealthy tourists, everything is provided here, including a panoramic dome and additional oxygen supply to the rooms.
Potosi, Bolivia
As you already understand, Bolivia has the most record-breaking cities in terms of height. One of them is called Potosi, and it is located at an altitude of 4090 meters above sea level. Potosi was the largest and richest city in almost all of America for four centuries, but now less than 200 thousand people live here.
The city owes its popularity and rapid growth to its once rich silver deposits. Thus, the Cerro Rico de Potosi mountain, at the foot of which the settlement is located, according to local residents, consists almost entirely of silver ore. However, most of the local silver was taken out long ago by the Spanish conquerors, and after 1800, when reserves of the precious metal began to dry up, the economic decline of Potosi began.
Today, tourism brings much more profit to the city - travelers are not transferred here, especially since Potosi is easy to get to. Silver is still being mined here, but working conditions are difficult, there are no protective equipment, and therefore the life of local miners, alas, is short-lived.
Murghab, Tajikistan
This village in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan is the highest settlement in the post-Soviet space. Murghab is located in the Pamirs, at an altitude of more than 3600 meters. The weather here is changeable: icy winds and frosts down to –50 °C in winter, but there is also heat in summer.
In the village, despite its isolation, several thousand people permanently live - approximately equally Tajiks and Kyrgyz (it is very close to the border with Kyrgyzstan). They communicate with each other in Russian.
Also in Murgab there is a school, a bazaar, baths, tourist centers and guest houses. Low-rise buildings - private sector, two-, less often three-story buildings. It's impossible to get here public transport- only by passing SUVs from Dushanbe or Khorog. In winter, the village is practically cut off from the outside world, and you can easily get stuck here for several weeks.
Photo: Anadolu Agency / Contributor / Getty Images, John Coletti / Getty Images, Cultura Exclusive / Ben Pipe Photography / Getty Images, Matteo Colombo / Getty Images, Adisorn Fineday Chutikunakorn (in the announcement) / Getty Images, obliot / Getty Images, Martin Moos / Getty Images
Bolivia is located among the mountains, in the center of South America and borders countries such as Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Throughout almost the entire second half of the twentieth century, a tense political situation was observed in the republic. Military coups followed one after another, there was no political stability in the state, and the civilian population suffered due to the constant division of power between Bolivian military officials. Despite the fact that the country has huge reserves of natural resources, including gold, gas and oil, it is the poorest republic in the Latin region of South America. Since 1879, after defeat in the war with the Peruvians, Bolivia had no access to the sea, but now, more than 130 years later, having concluded an agreement with the same Peru to lease a small area of territory on the Pacific coast, it had the opportunity to build a port, which would give the republic a number of advantages and will increase the economic potential of the state.
Covering an area of more than one million square kilometers, Bolivia has a diverse natural topography and an abundance of beautiful landscapes, where the highlands of the west are combined with the low eastern plains covered with dense tropical forests. Most high point The country is the extinct volcano Sahama, whose height is more than 6,000 meters above sea level. The famous Lake Titicaca, which shares its water space with the borders of Bolivia and Peru, is considered the second largest alpine lake on the planet. Its climatic features are unique. Having a constant temperature of +12 degrees along some parts of the coast, the lake periodically freezes at night, which is not surprising given the large number of glaciers located around it. More than three hundred rivers flow into the lake from huge glacial peaks.
In the southwest of the republic there is another outstanding natural phenomenon of Bolivia - the Uyuni salt marsh (Salar de Uyuni), which is a dried salt lake at an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level. In terms of its size, it has no analogues in the world. Its main minerals are halite and gypsum. The thickness of the inner part of the surface layer, which consists of table salt, reaches 8 millimeters. When the rainy season reigns over the country, the territory of the salt marsh is covered with a small layer of water, turning Uyuni into a giant mirror in which the Bolivian sky is reflected. According to researchers, salt reserves here exceed 10 billion tons. In addition to the fact that the salt marsh is an important raw material resource for Bolivia, it also plays the role of a transport crossing to the Altiplano mountain plateau, located in the Andes. In the coming years, the state authorities plan to build an airport near the salt spring. 
The actual capital of the republic is one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America - La Paz. It is located at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters above sea level and is the highest capital city in the world. Interestingly, the city is located in the crater of a volcano that died out several million years ago. There are rare architectural attractions here, among which the Diez de Medina Palace, the Church of San Francisco and another palace, Villaverde, stand out. Together with the suburbs, the city's population is more than one and a half million people. It is one of the largest metropolitan areas on the continent. La Paz is relatively young, its foundation dating back to 1548. There are many high-rise buildings here, harmoniously combined with low-rise residential buildings. The bulk of the local population, as throughout the country, are Indians. The average annual air temperature does not exceed +12 degrees.
The perception of the seasons in Bolivia is the exact opposite of European concepts. Winter lasts here from June to August, and summer from December to February. Climatic conditions are quite varied. In the Altiplano region, the air temperature is constant throughout the year, from +15 to +20 degrees, and on the eastern plains it can be quite hot in summer (up to +36), while in winter it is no less than +22. But in mountainous areas, over 4000 meters above sea level, sub-zero temperatures are often observed in the winter months (from June to August). In general, Bolivia is a warm country, with a tropical subequatorial climate. The bulk of precipitation falls between December and February. In winter, droughts are common, while during the rest of the year, tropical downpours regularly occur in the lower reaches of rivers and lakes.
One of the most beautiful natural places in Bolivia, reflecting its climate and richness of flora and fauna, is the Toro Toro National Reserve. Here, under the blue sky of Latin America, there are stunningly beautiful mountains, eclipsing the sun with their grandeur. Deep canyons and unique karst caves with drawings of primitive people and fossils of historical dinosaurs of the Paleozoic period cannot fail to amaze, and without ceasing to admire the delightful landscapes of the park. In the very near future, the republican authorities intend to significantly increase the influx of tourists into the country by creating a new route in the Toro-Toro Nature Reserve called “Land of Dinosaurs” and building a picturesque bridge more than 300 meters long that will connect the park with major cities Bolivia.
Just ten years ago, this country seemed like a kind of Latin American Tibet on the territory of South America, due to its closedness and inaccessibility. Now, the “tourist doors” of the republic are wide open, and the priority task of the state is the development of tourism in the shortest possible time. The result of this strategy was a significant increase in interest in this amazingly beautiful country from tourists, the number of which is constantly growing.
