Baldwin Street, Dunedin

Baldwin Street, Dunedin

Officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's steepest residential street, Baldwin Street rises at a dizzying rate of 1:2.86.

Officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's steepest residential street, Baldwin Street rises at a dizzying rate of 1:2.86. Running up Signal Hill from North Road to Buchanan Street, the 350 metre concrete stretch in the residential suburb of North East Valley is an exacting climb that will test your fitness levels. It is lined with half-hidden houses that seem to be sliding down the street. This anomaly happened because the city's urban planners in London superimposed a systematic grid system disregarding the topography of the area. However, this quirk is today celebrated by the residents of Dunedin during various events such as the Baldwin Street Gutbuster in which participants run from the base of the street to the top and back down again, and the Cadbury Jaffa Race in which 25,000 Giant Jaffas (orange candies with a chocolate center) are rolled down the street.