Cities built on hillsides.

suburbanite · #1 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 4:32 PM**

I've always been fascinated by cities that are built on the steep slopes of a hill or mountain. The narrow streets and tight building formations usually leading down to the water are a favourite of mine.

Some of the best ones include:

Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Italy

from jaunt magazine at http://jauntmagazine.wordpress.com/2...s-trips-italy/

Pittsburgh's southside slopes

from pittsburghskyline at

http://images.pittsburghskyline.com/...pes_in_winter/

Some of my other favourites are in Sicily, where many small towns are actually built on top of giant rock formations.

Castelmola, Sicily

from wordpress at http://hg92.wordpress.com/2010/05/09...d-beach-bliss/

The picture doesn't really show how high up this town really is. You're literally right above Taormina and have an amazing view of Mount Etna as well.

What are some cool hillside cities that you know of?

Kingofthehill · #2 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 4:51 PM**

Not really "cool", but the numerous slums in Rio de Janeiro, Port-au-Prince, Mexico City, Caracas, and Tegucigalpa all come to mind as being places constructed on/against hillsides.

northbay · #3 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 5:14 PM**

san francisco of course:

http://blog.mushmoosh.com/post/52192...-san-francisco

http://photoeverywhere.co.uk/west/us..._hills5395.htm

http://www.theheej.com/

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22245/...ill-vs-stretch

i_am_hydrogen · #4 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 5:16 PM**

Monaco (city-state)

http://www.photosshow.com/monaco-hillside/

http://www.dohabrands.com/newspost/m...-of-grimaldis/

summersm343 · #5 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 5:37 PM**

Manayunk in Philadelphia is built on a hill.

http://phillyskyline.com/photo/matthewjohnson/manayunk/

http://culturemob.com/2010-manayunk-bike-race

min-chi-cbus · #6 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 8:34 PM**

Duluth, MN (no pic, sorry!)

zilfondel · #7 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 8:45 PM**

Hood River, OR.

pic from beautifulhoodriver.com

Omaharocks · #8 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 8:56 PM**

The best example of a small city built on hills that I've been to in the U.S. is Bisbee, AZ. Crazy topography.

dave8721 · #9 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 9:28 PM**

Santorini in Greece comes to mind:
http://beautifulplacestovisit.com/is...torini-greece/

Private Dick · #10 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 9:29 PM**

Favela do Cantagalo, Rio de Janeiro

Favela do Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro

Favela da Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com...es/66277/view/

dave8721 · #11 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 9:41 PM**

Cinque-Terre in Italy:
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/nationalpark-part2

suburbanite · #12 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 10:03 PM**

Another of my favourites is Wengen in Switzerland. The hike from Lauterbunnen to Wengen and then to the peak of Mannlichen was an amazing experience, and the view of the valley from Wengen is one of the most picturesque landscapes I've ever seen.

from http://www.great-vacations-travel-gu...vacations.html

from: http://mudecactivities.wordpress.com...n-switzerland/

brickell · #13 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 10:16 PM**

the aforementioned Caracas

src: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-U...CTION=201.html

glowrock · #14 Posted: **Feb 29, 2012, 10:20 PM**

Nice idea for a thread, suburbanite!

Funny you should show the Southside Slopes in Pittsburgh. My townhouse is less than a block to the left of being shown in that photo! (Just off the street you see heading up the slopes on the left side of that photo)

The view from my townhouse:

Aaron (Glowrock)