There are few things on Earth as intimidating and equally fascinating as mountains. From small but perfectly formed peaks to grand monoliths rising tall into the sky, mountains come in all shapes and sizes. Here, we travel across the globe and discover some of the fascinating stories behind the world's most stunning mountains – click on the Expand View option to see these photos at their best.
We've all heard of Everest and Fuji, and while these peaks are mesmerising in their own ways, Kirkjufell in Iceland is altogether more ethereal. The gorgeous mountain can be found on the island's western coastline, an area defined by crystalline fjords, geothermal pools and dynamic waterfalls. And while it might be the smallest on our list, it's the most photographed peak in all of Iceland due to its incredible beauty and the Northern Lights that often dance in the night sky above.
An unmistakable sight in St Lucia, The Pitons are one of the island's best-known views. The two volcanic plugs are now covered in a dense green jungle and the Pitons – Gros Piton and Petit Piton – are home to no less than 245 different plant species, including eight rare tree species, and 27 bird species, five of them endemic.
The grande dame of Yosemite National Park (along with Half Dome to the east), El Capitan rises proudly from the western side of the Yosemite Valley. Its granite face appears near vertical – a result of glacial action that shaped many of the mountains within the national park. El Capitan, meaning the captain, is indeed a fitting name for the monolith.
Tangles of native bushland, waterfalls, forested valleys, cliffs and caves – the scenery in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is nothing short of spectacular. The area’s most famous landmark is the Three Sisters. According to an Aboriginal legend, the towering rocks represent three sisters – Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo – who were turned to stone for protection.
It's not Scotland's highest or most famous mountain so it often gets overlooked in favour of others, however, the spectacular mountain and its landscape has to be seen to be believed. Surrounded by the peaks of Glencoe and offering incredible views over the Loch Etive, Buachaille Etive Beag is one of the Scottish Highlands’ most perfectly formed mountains. The name means ‘small herdsman of Etive’.
Watching over the South African city of Cape Town, Table Mountain is one of the most famous in the world. Known for its distinctive shape, as the name suggests, it's actually one of the planet's oldest peaks at more than 200 million years old. The first recorded ascent also happened a while back – Portuguese explorer António de Saldanha conquered it in the early 16th century.
No visit to Snowdonia in Wales is complete without seeing the awe-inspiring Snowdon – the highest summit in England and Wales. Almost as famous as the mountain itself, the Snowdon Mountain Railway is a masterful feat of engineering that was constructed over 14 months in 1894 and has been running ever since. Impressively, three of the five Swiss-manufactured steam locomotives bought in 1895 are still in service today too.
Located within the remote Auyuittuq National Park, Mount Thor (officially known as Thor Peak) is named after the Norse god of thunder and for very good reason as it's so intimidating. Featuring the world's longest vertical drop at hair-raising 4,101 feet (1,250m), the slope isn't easily ascended either. In fact, it's so difficult, the mountain wasn't conquered until as recently as 1985, when a four-man American team completed it in 33 gruelling days.
Although Huangshan Mountains, or the Yellow Mountains, are not among China's tallest, they definitely are among the most spectacular. Nicknamed the loveliest mountain in China, Huangshan and its otherworldly pine-clad rock formations have captured people's imagination for centuries. The misty mountains have inspired many Chinese forms of art, especially the shan shui style of landscape painting.
Also known as Huashan, Mount Hua is one of the five sacred Taoist mountains in China. It's long been a place of pilgrimage, however, it's also known for offering one of the world's deadliest hikes. A network of trails snake around the mountain, including steep stone steps. But it's the infamous Plank Path – narrow and rickety planks bolted onto the sheer mountainside around 5,000 feet (1,524m) in the sky – that is the most treacherous stretch.
Traditionally known as Jabal Musa, Mount Sinai is one of the Earth's most mysterious mountains. An otherworldly Mars-like landscape, the mountain is located in the Sinai Peninsula and is thought to be the biblical Mount Sinai. One of the most sacred locations in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, this is the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments in the Bible.
Towering above the clouds, the majestic Mount Roraima is a natural border between Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana in South America. Around two billion years old, the flat-top mountain is considered to be among the oldest in the world. It's also the highest tepui (South American table-top mountain) on the continent. The otherworldly looking natural wonder is said to be the inspiration behind the plateau with dinosaurs and ape-men in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novelThe Lost World.
A rugged landscape of jagged peaks, shimmering lakes, ancient forests and vast glaciers, Patagonia is a region that captures the imagination. The sharp granite towers that rise over the landscape are one of the vast Torres del Paine National Park's most striking landmarks. The individual spikes are also very fittingly named after sharp things, including Shark's Fin, The Sword and The Blade.
Germany's highest peak, Zugspitze, is often called the top of Germany. Part of the Wetterstein mountain range of the Alps, the Austria–Germany border goes right over the mountain and before both countries joined the Schengen zone, there was a manned border checkpoint at the summit. Today, there are three cable cars ascending to the top where over 400 peaks in four different countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy) can be seen from the viewing platforms.
These three distinctive peaks are an unmissable sight in the Dolomites mountain range in northeastern Italy. Called Tre Cime di Lavaredo in Italian, the Three Peaks formed the border between Italy and Austria until 1919 and now they separate the Italian provinces of South Tyrol and Belluno. The peaks have also had several silver screen appearances in films likeThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jonesand most recently they featured in the Han Solo spin-off within the Star Wars universeSolo.
Granted, this is a valley rather than a mountain, however, such an impressive collection of peaks couldn't be left off of the list. The valley, also the location of the famous Moraine Lake, is crowned by 10 notable peaks, including Mount Tuzo, Tonsa and the tallest – Deltaform Mountain. This spectacular landscape was honoured by featuring on the reverse side of the 1969 and 1979 issues of the Canadian $20 bill.
Situated along the Alberta and British Columbia border in Canada, Mount Assiniboine wouldn't look out of place in Iceland. This beautiful peak is surrounded by an equally idyllic landscape and there's a fascinating story behind its name too. Named by geologist George Mercer Dawson in 1885, the clouds trailing from the top of the mountain reminded him of the smoke plumes rising from the teepees of the Assiniboine people.
New Zealand is famed for its breathtaking natural wonders and Mount Cook is no exception. The country's highest mountain, Mount Cook is the name given by the European settlers, however, Māori have always known it as Aoraki. A young boy in a significant Māori legend, the people have always considered Aoraki as the most sacred of their ancestors.
The largest peak in Japan, Mount Fuji is simply unmistakable. The distinctive mountain is of great cultural significance to the Japanese as it's long been considered sacred by Buddhist and Shinto pilgrims. It's also one of the few places in the world to see lenticular clouds – a rare phenomenon when disc-shaped clouds gather at the top of the peak, resembling UFOs.
The highest point in the Canadian Rockies, this famous peak is simply spectacular. An imposing sight, when approached from the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), its south face can be observed in all its glory. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mountain is part of the Rainbow Range and is home to a diverse collection of wildlife, which includes mountain goats and even grizzly bears, as well as over 180 species of birds.
Malaysia's tallest mountain, Mount Kinabalu's rocky face is such a mystical sight, it's no wonder there are several legends tied to it. One of the more popular stories usually told to tourists, says that the name translates as Chinese widow. In the story, a Chinese prince survives a sinking ship and is rescued by local people. There, he marries a local woman but, missing family, returns to China. He's banned from ever returning while his Malaysian wife, turned into stone by the spirit of the mountain, continues to wait for him to return.
A mountain range within the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Tetons are an icon of the Cowboy State. Stretching along the Idaho state line from north to south, and rising dramatically over Jackson, Grand Tetons are mostly within the national park of the same name in Wyoming. A large number of Western films feature these grand mountains, from John Wayne's acting debutThe Big Trailto a classic of the genreShane.
There's no arguing that Mount Rainier is of an epic size. With more than 130 trails snaking their way through the forested area around the mountain, there are plenty of opportunities to take in the stunning scenery among the lush trees and fragrant wildflowers. Many don't know it's an active stratovolcano but it hasn't erupted since the late 19th century.
Switzerland has some pretty magical mountains, but the jagged peak of the Matterhorn surely wins hands down. The mountain, straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy, overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt to the northeast and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia to the south. The town also gives the mountain its Italian name Cervino. Sometimes even called the Mountain of Mountains, Matterhorn is symbolic of all of the European Alps.
This multicoloured mountain in the Peruvian Andes is not man-made despite what its perfectly symmetrical layers might make you think. The colourful bands, ranging from pink and red to yellow and green, are the result of sedimentary layers forming from mineral deposits over the years. Interestingly, the colourful bands haven't always been visible. Rapid ice melt revealed the unique colours of the mountains only in the 2010s.
Nicknamed the Roof of Africa, Kilimanjaro is an icon of the African continent. Found in northeastern Tanzania in a national park of the same name, Kilimanjaro is actually a dormant volcano that last erupted some 360,000 years ago. It also has another claim to fame – it's the world's highest single free-standing mountain.
North America's tallest mountain, Denali was previously known as Mount McKinley. It was renamed in 2016, after many decades of controversy, to reflect the name long used by the native people. Surrounded by the unspoiled landscapes of the Denali National Park, the Reflection Pond is one of the most gorgeous places to see the mountain as it's mirrored in the perfectly still water.
It's no secret that Mount Everest is the Himalayas' most famous peak, however, this mountain range is home to many other spectacular mountains. One such mountain is Ama Dablam. Sometimes referred to as the Matterhorn of the Himalayas, the name loosely translates as mother's necklace. This is a reference to the hanging glacier that resembles a dablam, a traditional double-pendant containing pictures of gods worn by Sherpa women.
Peppered with some of the world's highest mountains, Annapurna Massif is one of the most treacherous areas in the world for mountain climbers. The entire massif and the surrounding area are protected within the Annapurna Conservation Area, the first and largest conservation area in Nepal. The range is named after Annapurna, the Hindu goddess of food and nourishment, as many of the streams cascading down the mountains provide water for agricultural fields and pastures.
You simply cannot talk about the world's mountains and not mention Mount Everest. The mother of all mountains, it rises so high, you'd need almost 11 Burj Khalifas (the world's tallest building) to match its height. It's located right on the border of Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region within China, and the first recorded ascent up this incredible mountain was completed by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as recently as 1953.
