8 underground cities in the world that travellers must explore at least once in life

Underneath some of the world’s deserts, volcanoes, medieval towns, and contemporary cities is an entire world that many travellers fail to consider. Such underground cities were not excavated simply because people want to see something interesting. They were built for survival purposes, to provide shelter from invasions, harsh climate, warfare, resource storage, and to keep their inhabitants safe from any kind of threat coming from above.
Some underground cities feature churches, kitchens, wells, schools, ventilation and drainage systems, and even stables for animals. Other underground cities have been transformed into functional contemporary cities, which people use every day. Here is a list of some of the most amazing underground cities around the world, which can be truly visited by curious travellers.

Among some of the best underground cities in the world, the one at Derinkuyu in the Cappadocia area of Turkey goes down many layers underground. Many historians believe that this city was once home to thousands of inhabitants when the regions were invaded or during times of war. Tourists can go around tunnels leading to churches, kitchens, wells, storage facilities, ventilation systems, and communal areas. Large rolling stone doors served as an effective means to close off tunnels from intruders. The deeper one delves, the greater the engineering feat.

This unique underground city, located in the Cappadocia area, has extensive tunnel networks that make it unique. Several layers of this site have been made available for public visits where tourists will see firsthand how people lived underground long ago. Travellers often explore tunnels linking kitchens, chapels, wine rooms, and living quarters together.

More deserted compared to other famous underground cities in Cappadocia is the Özkonak underground city, making it an intriguing site to visit. What makes the city unique about the site are the defense mechanisms of the city. According to some historians, there were communication holes connecting different floors and ventilation shafts, along with narrow corridors that delayed or trapped intruders. If you are looking for an alternative to visiting the crowded underground cities in Cappadocia, then visiting Özkonak will make your trip worthwhile.

The Naours Underground City is located under the French countryside and features numerous rooms connected through kilometers-long tunnels. The underground city resembles a hidden town with chapels, wells, bakeries, and places to stay. Soldiers who were stationed nearby during World War I carved messages inside the tunnels, which are preserved even to date.

Coober Pedy is one of the few underground cities in the world that continue to accommodate residents in underground dwellings. Situated in the scorching desert interiors of Australia, the town gained popularity due to opal mining and extreme climate conditions. In order to escape the scorching heat, the locals started constructing underground living quarters called dugouts. Nowadays, tourists can reside in underground hotels, attend underground church, bar, museum, and even houses built entirely in sandstone rocks.

This underground wonder is situated near the city of Kraków in Poland. Though officially classified as an underground salt mine, it appears like a massive underground kingdom to the tourists. Underground tunnels, huge cavities, underground lakes, sculptures, and even chapels crafted entirely out of salt make up the major part of the mine. However, the major attraction of the place includes the stunningly beautiful Chapel of St. Kinga, where even the chandeliers are created using salt crystals.

Beneath the city of Edinburgh runs an eerie underground system known as the Edinburgh Vaults. The structure was built underneath the South Bridge in the 18th century and was initially used as a warehouse for business activities. Over time, the vaults became associated with poverty, crime, and ghost stories, earning a reputation as one of Scotland’s eeriest underground attractions. Guided tours of the vaults take tourists around the dim chambers and tunnels while narrating spooky stories about their gruesome past.

Matmata village is popular for having underground troglodyte homes that were created by the Berber people many years ago in the desert environment. Unlike other houses where people build upwards, Matmata structures were made by digging a big hole in the earth from which living quarters were carved. Underground construction enabled the structure to maintain cooler temperatures in the hot Tunisian desert. Today, some of these structures can still be found inhabited while some have turned into resorts. The village also gained worldwide fame after appearing in the Star Wars movies.