Curiosities & records

Doors have existed for several thousand years – over time there have been many strange, super-sized, unusual or slightly crazy doors. Here you can find a selection of record-holders from the world of doors!

The highest door in the world is located in the US at a height of 139 metres: It is the entrance gate of the VAB Building of NASA, where rockets and space shuttles are assembled prior to start.

Großes rechteckiges Gebäude in der Froschperspektive, aus dem gerade eine Rakete auf ihrem Startwagen gefahren wird

The oldest door still in use is (naturally) a real wood door: The entrance doors of the Basilica of Saint Sabina in Rome supposedly dated back to roughly 430 AD.

Monumentales zweiflügeliges Portal aus dunklem Holz mit zwei Seitenteilen, alle Elemente reich mit geschnitzten Bibelszenen verziert

The heaviest doors in the world are supposedly - one doesn’t really know for sure - the ones that guard the vaults of the US American gold reserves at Fort Knox: They weigh a mere 22,000 kg.

violett beleuchtete Tür eines Tresorraumes aus der Froschperspektive, mit massiven Türbändern und Schlossrädern

Once again Fort Knox: The thickest doors in the world guard the gold reserves of the US: 5,000 tonnes of gold behind 21 inches (53 cm) of steel and cement.

Ansicht eines Stapels länglicher Goldbarren

The oldest door in the world was discovered during an excavation of a pile-dwelling settlement in Pfaeffikon / Switzerland: It could be dated back exactly to the year 3063 BC! Real wood doors are simp

Ansicht eines Seeufers mit rekonstruierten, schilfgedeckten Pfahlbauten

The door that is most difficult to reach is supposedly the air-lock gate of the international space station ISS: There are few travel agencies that offer such a voyage and it and is unfortunately terr

Internationale Raumstation ISS, schwebend über einem Ausschnitt der Erde

The most-photographed door in the world at least is that of the British Prime Minister’s residence and office at 10 Downing Street in London.

mehrstöckiges, dunkel gestrichenes Haus mit weißen Fenster- und Türrahmen, schräge Ansicht von Downing Street Nr. 10, London

A matter of taste, like so many other things: However, connoisseurs agree that the “east doors” of the Florence baptistery are not called the “gates of paradise” without good reason: they are “so beau