Baldwin Street

It really is the world's steepest street - eat your heart out, Texas!

Baldwin Street is, officially, the world's steepest street. The first part is pretty level, but once it begins to climb, it does so with a vengeance, climbing 153' 5" over a distance of 524'. The average gradient is a stunning 1:3.41 but on the steepest section near the top the gradient is 1:2.86! There may be steeper roads in the world, but none which have houses on both sides!

There is an annual race to the top of the street, known locally as "The Baldwin Street Gut-buster" - and having walked part of the way up the street I consider the event aptly named! If any men watching this want to prove their manhood, forget running with the bulls in Pamplona - any fool can be chased by a bull - go down to Dunedin for the Dunedin Festival and bust yer guts running up Baldwin Street.