5 Amazing Underground Attractions

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Take a trip underground to witness the beauty of these dark worlds, which are steeped in history and powerful enough to draw the most curious visitors from near and far.  From the dead to the crystalized, they are full of mystery and offer a unique escape when life above starts to become too mundane.

Poland:  Wieliczka Salt Mine

Cathedrals above ground usually blow our minds by their exquisite façades, but can you imagine what they look like underground?  

Under the crystalized roofs of the Wieliczka Salt Mine an ancient, yet mysterious, lanscape is bathed with different routes highlighting Poland’s past with a chapel and shrines formed out of salt rocks, as well as dark chambers concealing age-old legends.

The Pilgrims’ Route in particular, which is a testament of the miners' religion, stops its visitors dead in their tracks with imageries of sculptures honoring Saint Anthony and the beautiful Chapel of St. Kinga draped in altars. Under the glow of salt chandeliers, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is a 13^th-century masterpiece that comes to life as it sits in a ghostly silence while astonished visitors constantly wander through its glimmering cavities.

Sri Lanka: Dambulla Cave Temple

What seems like an ordinary temple above ground topped by a huge golden image of Buddha transforms into a dynamic shrine of Buddha ranging in different sizes and colors buried 1,118 feet below the earth’s surface.  Also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, it is made up of a series five caves that are decorated with over 150 statues of the deity as well as images of Sri Lanka Kings.  

With a profound history that dates as far back as the 1^st century BC, the Dambulla Cave Temple is well worth the visit.  Although this subterranean attraction gleams in a ghostly silence, the stone faces and upright positions of the iconic god speak great volumes to everyone basking in their presence.

Kentucky, US: Mammoth Cave National Park

If you’re looking for your very own Indiana Jones adventure, you've found it. And it lies hundreds of feet into Kentucky’s foundation. Measuring about 52,830 acres, Mammoth is the world’s largest cave systems and arguably one of the most beautiful geological marvels. 

Roaming through its labyrinth of cave walls is an adventure for the most daring thrill seeker, since this extensive cave system barely sees any light. However, once you’re inside it reveals visions of natural beauty in its rarest forms as water and limestone convert it into an exotic, yet eerie underworld.

Paris, France: The Catacombs of Paris

Paris is known for its vibrant spirit and quaint streets, but deep below the surface lays millions of skeletons freakishly decorating The Catacombs of Paris.

If you’re looking to be scared senseless you’ve come to the right place, and with 130 steps to descend before reaching the gloomy site, each step closer is met with sheer thrill mixed with a bit of fear.  As a result to the overcrowding of cemeteries the bones were transported here, and have become an iconic sight by visitors intrigued by death. With numerous bones piled on each other like junked cars, The Catacombs of Paris might just change your perception of the glamorous city altogether.

Rome, Italy: Basilica of San Clemente

At first, the Basilica of San Clemente appears to be like any other 4^th century church of its kind, dressed to the nines in the most lavish décor. However, its bold structure profoundly stands over a pagan temple dating back to the 2^nd century. And below this temple sits an ancient 1^st century Roman house.

The triple-decker church is one of the most legendary sanctuaries in Rome with dynamic features that pave the way into Rome’s turbulent and rich past. Each descent into the Basilica of San Clemente is met with an extraordinary image including an altar that depicts the slaughtering a bull, a temple dedicated to Mithras as well as intricately designed murals. The deeper you go, the more the basilica’s sounds and sights come alive.