Sky-high: Eight must-visit TV/radio towers for tourists
This summer, Berlin's famous TV Tower will welcome visitors with a fresh lick of paint and some brand-spanking-new features. For those not heading to Berlin, there are plenty of other super-tall structures to visit -- assuming you've got a head for heights. Here, eight of the world's best.
Riga Television Tower
Riga, Latvia
One of the world's most striking towers, Riga's television tower is the only three-legged broadcasting tower in the world and the tallest structure in the Baltics. Elevators whisk visitors up the legs towards an observation deck 97 meters above the ground -- the entire tower stretches 385 meters.
http://www.tvtornis.lv/
Oriental Pearl Tower
Shanghai, China
For over a decade the tallest building in China, the 468-meter Oriental Pearl boasts a whopping 15 observatory floors and even a hotel.
Tokyo Sky Tree
Tokyo, Japan
The Sky Tree stretches a whopping 634 meters into the sky and is now the second-tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The public opening won't be until later this year, when it's expected to dramatically improve digital broadcasting in downtown Tokyo. There are two observation decks.
http://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/english/
CN Tower
Toronto, Canada
The CN Tower was the world's tallest structure for over three decades, its 553-meter height unbeaten until the completion of the Burj Khalifa, Canton Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree. It's arguably the world's most famous tourist tower, attracting two million visitors ever year to its 'Sky Pod' and the new 'EdgeWalk', the world's highest full-circle, hands-free walk.
http://www.cntower.ca/
China Central Television Tower
Beijing, China
China Central Television's tower is reminscent of the CN Tower, but clocks in at 405 meters, making it considerably shorter -- although it's still the tallest structure in Beijing. There's a restaurant and observation deck and the structure attracts over 3.5 million tourists annually.
http://en.ctvt.com.cn/
Ostankino Tower
Moscow, Russia
Standing 540 meters tall, Ostankino Tower is the tallest tower in Europe but has been damaged by a series of fires due to poor maintenance of the decades-old equipment.
http://www.tvtower.ru/
Fernsehturm Berlin
Berlin, Germany
The 368-meter German TV Tower is a relic of the divided capital's past, a vanity project by the Soviet leadership completed in 1969. Since then, it has been extensively renovated and is now a popular tourist attraction, with a restaurant at the top. Look out for the cross that appears to shine from the building's dome in the sunshine -- locals nicknamed the crucifix the 'Pope's Revenge' on fiercely-secular Soviet masters.
http://www.tv-turm.de/
Kuala Lumpur Tower
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The futuristic KL Tower reaches 421 meters into the sky and is a landmark of the Malaysian capital. The designs on the exterior reflect the country's Islamic culture, with the tourist observation deck standing 335 meters high.
http://www.menarakl.com.my/
