13 Stunning Buildings Standing Alone on Mountaintops

Everyday, human ingenuity reaches new heights. And what better example to back up that statement than these buildings sitting at the top of mountains. It goes without saying that building structures is never easy, and doing it on a mountaintop only adds to the obstacle.

Still, supported by summits and engulfed in the sky, these masterpieces are also testaments to the natural world. With 360-degree views of the environment, they prove the human desire to be a part of nature—and the lengths we’ll go through to do it. From monasteries and mountaineer huts to astrological observatories and 19th-century castles, read below to learn about these 13 buildings built at the top of mountains.