12 Breathtaking Views From The World's Coolest Towers

It's no fun unless you have to pop your ears in the elevator. Presented in alphabetical order.

1. The Atomium - Brussels, Belgium

Flickr: 37591793@N03

Originally built for the 1958 World's Fair, the Atomium is supposed to represent a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. It also provides you with a nice overlook of the Belgian capital.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: 33950445@N04

2. Burj Khalifa - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Flickr: elisasophia

The tallest building on Earth, the Burj Khalifa's observatory sits 452 meters into the sky (the building itself is 828 meters tall). At 452, meters, you are at nearly the same elevation of Maine's Cadillac Mountain (466 meters), which is the highest point on the Atlantic coast of the United States.

It's the perfect place to conquer your fear of heights.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: 69166407@N06

3. CN Tower - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Flickr: 7776449@N06

Until recently, the CN Tower was the tallest building in the world. On a clear day, you can see it from New York, and vice versa.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: docsearls

4. Coit Memorial Tower - San Francisco, California, United States

Flickr: 69214385@N04

San Francisco's Coit Memorial Tower may be the shortest structure on the list, but perched atop Telegraph Hill, it offers some of the best views of San Francisco and its most important sites.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: 7327243@N05

5. Istanbul Sapphire - Istanbul, Turkey

Flickr: halilgokdal

Towering over the ancient city of Istanbul, the Istanbul Sapphire's observation deck is the highest in Asia Minor, putting you 236 meters into the sky.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: nurettin

6. Penobscot Narrows Bridge - Prospect, Maine, United States

Via en.wikipedia.org

Open from May through October, the observation tower in Maine's Penobscot Narrows Bridge is the tallest public bridge observatory in the world, at 128 meters in height. From the top, you get an awesome view of Down East, Maine, and Penobscot Bay.

Here's what you might see:

Via commons.wikimedia.org

7. Rockefeller Center - New York City, New York, United States

Flickr: 92147397@N02

The GE Building, probably better known as 30 Rock, allows you to take a lovely elevator ride to it's apex, known affectionately as the Top of the Rock. While long lines, may dog the other observation deck in town, the view from atop Rockefeller Center reigns supreme.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: 60994857@N00

8. Shanghai World Financial Center - Shanghai, China

Flickr: 77317742@N00

Stretching 492 meters into the Chinese sky, the Shanghai World Financial Center's observation deck (at 474 meters) is among the highest in the world.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: zilpho

9. The Shard - London, England, United Kingdom

Flickr: masochismtango

The Shard, one of the newest and most prominent additions to London's skyline, affords you the chance to look out upon the English capital without having to spend 30 minutes spinning around a wheel.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: duncanh1

10. Tour Montparnasse - Paris, France

Flickr: 61732101@N00

You probably think you should be shooting up the expensive and crowded elevators at that other tower in the center of Paris, but don't you want that other tower to feature prominently to your pictures of the City of Light?

As an added bonus, Tour Montparnasse wont be in those shots.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: 10288162@N07

11. Willis Tower - Chicago, Illinois, United States

Flickr: shotbymel-dilla

Until recently, Chicago's Willis Tower was the tallest building in the United States, but the famed Skydeck will still give you commanding views of the Windy City (and maybe a little thrill, too).

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: argusfoto

Also, there's this...

Flickr: pixelillo

12. Yokohama Landmark Tower - Yokohama, Japan

Flickr: skyseeker

Towering above Yokohama, the Landmark Tower's elevator is one of the world's fastest, bringing you all the way to the 69th floor observation deck in 40 seconds.

Here's what you might see:

Flickr: 91177880@N03

That's Mount Fuji!