World's Narrowest Street: Germany's Spreuerhofstrasse In Danger Of Losing Guinness Record Status

07/15/2012 10:34 am ET

The world's narrowest street could be seeing stop signs.

Spreuerhofstrasse, a 12.2 inch-wide passageway between two houses in the German city of Reutlingen, is in danger of losing the Guinness Book of World Records distinction as the narrowest road on the planet.

The street, built in 1726, is contracting thanks to a leaning wall from one of the houses, The Guardian reports. Despite its draw as a tourist attraction, the street could lose its honorable status by 2013.

The loss would be a major disappointment for locals.

According to Der Speigel:

There's not much to see in Spreuerhofstrasse. After all, the street is just 3.80 meters (12.5 feet) long. And it isn't particularly pretty. One has to squeeze past blank walls, and when it's raining, water drips from the gutter of an old half-timbered house on one side. But tourists from Asia and America flock to inspect the alley, adorned at each end with the sign "Narrowest street in the world" in German and English.

Tanja Ulmer, head of the Reutlingen's tourism office, told the newspaper that if no one can pass through, the street would no longer be considered a street.

"It's is Reutlingen's smallest attraction, but a very important one," she said.