4 amazing underground attractions

Unique underground tourist attractions. Photo: Tiqets

As humans have gone underground to mine, explore caves, or even live, many fascinating, strange, and beautiful underground attractions have been created all over the world.

Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, Colombia

The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is one of Colombia’s most popular tourist and pilgrim attractions. Located approximately 200 meters underground, this unique church was created inside an old salt mine in the 1930s to serve as a place of prayer for the miners.

However, it was not until 1950 that the church continued to be built and was officially inaugurated on August 15, 1954. At the time of its inauguration, the church was praised as "a great work that cannot be described in words, but can only originate from the power of God".

Statue of Jesus inside the Salt Cathedral. Photo: Smithsonian Magazine

The Salt Church of Zipaquirá is breathtakingly beautiful, with its rooms and tunnels illuminated in blue and purple. What’s more, the Catholic church is still in operation and welcomes about 3,000 faithful to attend Mass every Sunday.

Salina Turda Amusement Park, Romania

Salina Turda, Romania is considered the world's oldest salt mine. It ceased operations in 1932, after about 2,000 years of operation since ancient Roman times. The Salina Turda salt mine covers an estimated area of ​​about 45 km²with a depth of 120 m.

The salt mine was opened to tourists in 1992. It was later renovated into a museum and converted into an amusement park in 2009.

Amusement park inside the Salina Turda salt mine. Photo: Salina Turda

When arriving here, visitors will be overwhelmed by the magical beauty, both modern and very wild. The amusement park includes a variety of entertainment services, such as a contemporary art museum, a 180-seat Greek-style outdoor theater, a 20-meter-high Ferris wheel, a mini golf course... In particular, visitors can also experience boating on the unique underground lake at Theresa Mine to enjoy the scenery.

Derinkuyu Underground City, Türkiye

Derinkuyu is the world's deepest excavated underground city in Cappadocia, Central Anatolia, Türkiye. Located at a depth of nearly 80 meters and accommodating up to 20,000 people, this 18-story city was built to help ancient residents withstand wars as well as eruptions from neighboring volcanoes.

Researchers have only been able to access 8 of the city’s 18 floors. During the excavation, they found kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, food storage rooms, oil and wine presses, wells, weapon storage areas, churches, schools, tombs, and even livestock stables. Because it is located deep underground, Derinkuyu has a cool, temperate climate, with temperatures always maintained at around 13 degrees Celsius.

A corner of the underground city of Derinkuyu. Photo: Travellive

Visitors can experience the feeling of moving through an underground maze, as the underground city has many passages, each floor is connected by a corridor with a solid stone door design. Most of the buildings inside the city are kept intact, ensuring the most authentic sightseeing experience for visitors.

Thrihnukagigur Volcano, Iceland

Thrihnukagigur is a volcano located on the edge of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland. During its last eruption 4,000 years ago, lava from one of its craters did not cool but solidified inside the volcano, creating a very rare geological phenomenon.

Tour of Thrihnukagigur volcano. Photo: CNN

Today, visitors can visit the ancient lava flows and marvel at the amazing creations of nature. During the expedition, visitors will take an elevator down more than 200 meters underground and enter the magma chamber, or "heart" of the volcano.

Usually, magma chambers are the source of eruptions. However, Thrihnukagigur is a rare exception where the magma in the chamber appears to have disappeared. It is believed that the magma solidified in the walls or sank deep underground, creating the dramatic geological phenomenon that is the multi-colored rocks found.

Travelers are required to travel with experts throughout the journey to ensure safety.