11 Extraordinary Cliffside Villages & Towns Clinging to Impossible Perches

5. Castellfollit de la Roca, Spain: Living on a Basalt Knife-Edge

This tiny Catalan village presents an astonishing sight: a kilometre-long, narrow jumble of houses perched precariously atop a sheer basalt cliff, formed by ancient lava flows. Flanked by two rivers, its houses seem to rise organically from the dark volcanic rock, some with balconies daringly overhanging the 50-meter drop. The church of Sant Salvador stands at the very tip, a defiant sentinel. Castellfollit de la Roca is a remarkable example of human settlement ingeniously adapting to an almost impossibly dramatic, slender perch, showcasing resilience in a truly unique setting.