25 of the most amazing caves and underground structures in the world (26 photos)

There is a whole world hidden under our feet, and most often we don’t even think about it. From the eerie Paris catacombs to the grandiose Moscow metro stations, here are 25 incredible structures that hide deep underground.





1. In 1992, a resident of a Chinese village accidentally discovered a group of artificial caves, which were called Longyu Caves. There are a total of 36 caves in the group. They were previously flooded, but some of them have been drained and opened to visitors. The caves are at least 2000 years old, and it is still unknown how ancient people managed to build them.



2. The Puerto Princesa Underground River, the world's longest underground navigable river, runs beneath the island of Palawan in the Philippines. More than a million years ago, a river flowed through caves.





3. The Ozark Plateau in Missouri is home to many amazing caves. They are famous for a unique phenomenon called the “Angel Shower” - streams of water pour from the ceiling of the cave, and it seems as if they appear out of nowhere.



4. During the Cold War, US President Eisenhower became concerned about how he would govern the country during a potential nuclear war. This is how the Greenbrier bunker appeared, where the US Congress was supposed to be located in the event of an attack. Fortunately, it was never used for its intended purpose and is now simply a popular tourist attraction.



5. In 1901, Baldasar Forestier fled to the United States from Sicily, hoping to hide from his father. He acquired 80 acres of land and began digging catacombs similar to those he had admired in his homeland. Only he made them not dark and gloomy, but light enough so that trees and plants could be grown in them. This is how the Forestier Underground Gardens appeared.



6. In the Transylvanian city of Turda in Romania there are famous salt mines. First excavated in the 17th century, they were converted into several sites, including a cheese factory and a bunker during the Second World War. Now it's an underground amusement park. Along with the attractions, there are mini golf and ping pong tables.



7. Lost for 1,000 years, the Reed Flute Cave in China was discovered by Japanese refugees during World War II. Ink writings dating back to 792 AD were later found in the caves. But the cave is considered a real miracle mainly due to its colorful stalagmites and stalactites.



8. Located in Slovenia, the Škocjan Caves are incredibly deep - about 200 meters - and are a popular place to study karst phenomena. It is also home to one of the largest underground halls in the world.



9. Coober Pedy is an underground city located right in the center of Australia, thousands of kilometers from the capital. It was founded in 1917 as a major opal producing site and has grown into an entire community full of apartments for workers and their families to escape the unrelenting scorching heat.



10. The Golden Temple of Dambulla is located in the center of Sri Lanka and is a cave Buddhist temple with 153 Buddhist statues, as well as statues of Hindu gods and kings of Sri Lanka. Many figurines and statues are still very well preserved - and this despite the fact that they date back to the third century BC.



11. Waitomo Glowworm Cave was discovered in 1887 by English surveyor Fred Mace and local Maori chief Tane Tinorau. Traveling through the dark caves, they discovered that bright fluorescent lamps were hanging from the ceiling - it turned out that they were luminous larvae. Eventually, the researchers found an above-ground entrance to the cave, which is now used by tourists.



12. The NORAD complex in Cheyenne Mountain is a bunker that houses the command post of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. It is a joint arrangement between the United States and Canada to defend their airspace in the event of a nuclear attack.



13. Below London are the catacombs of West Norwood Cemetery. Founded in 1837, they include 95 crypts, as well as private and public spaces that can accommodate up to 3,500 coffins. However, it has ceased to be used since the 1930s. Some coffins were moved, but many remained in place.



14. Built in 1935, the Mayakovskaya metro station is one of the most impressive in the Moscow metro in terms of architecture. Despite the fact that it belongs to the “Stalinist neoclassicism”, the presence of some avant-garde details gives the station features of the Art Deco style.



15. Pozo Encantado Cave, located in Brazil, is famous for the geological wonder known as the Magic Well. A pool of water in a cave filled with sunlight is a magnificent, fabulous sight.



16. The Chi Chi Tunnels, built during the Vietnam War by the Viet Cong, are vast interconnected tunnels stretching for tens of thousands of kilometers. The Viet Cong used the tunnels to wage guerrilla warfare, and American and South Vietnamese troops often sent units known as "tunnel rats" to explore the tunnels.



17. Tomb of Seti I is the longest, deepest, and most filled tomb in ancient Egypt. Discovered by Giovanni Battista Belzoni in 1817, the tomb, with its complex structures and artwork, was clearly a signature of Seti I.



18. The Parisian catacombs are an underground labyrinth of tunnels full of skulls stacked on top of each other. They have been there since the times of the Roman Empire, and their length is at least 320 kilometers. It is believed that between 6 and 7 million Parisians are buried in the catacombs. And, of course, not all areas of the catacombs are open to visitors.



19. During World War II, Churchill, his government and the rest of his staff worked tirelessly to plan and strategize their path to victory. To do this in a safe environment, they created a bunker for the entire duration of the operation. Currently, the bunker and military offices are a museum in which items from that time have been preserved.



20. Derinkuyu Underground City is an ancient underground city in modern Turkey. The tunnels contain many dwellings and houses, which can accommodate up to 20,000 people if necessary. The city reaches a depth of about 76 meters. No one knows how old it is or what civilization built it.



21. Found in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, the Crystal Cave is definitely worth a visit. Its main room contains some of the largest natural crystals in the world. Unfortunately, due to the hot magma underneath the cave, it is too hot and humid to explore fully.



22. It's hard to believe, but deep in the Grand Canyon lies one of the deepest, darkest and quietest hotel rooms on the planet. The room was built within cave walls that are over 65 million years old. The cave has zero humidity and no living organisms. The room is fully equipped with everything necessary.



23. The Berg House in Austria is a cave full of tunnels that were once used as bomb shelters during World War II. However, in modern times the cave has become one of the most popular nightclubs in Europe. It can easily accommodate up to 1000 people.



24. Edinburgh Vaults were built in 1788 to house the city's craftsmen and workers, allowing local merchants to work and conduct business. This is also where most of the criminal world was located. Each level contained workshops, taverns and living quarters. However, some of the vaults had a serious design flaw, due to which wastewater from city streets flowed into them. The vaults also became overcrowded with Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine, leading to increased poverty and prostitution. No one knows when the vaults were closed, but they were reopened in the 1980s.



25. In the northern part of Lishan Mountain is the tomb of the first emperor who unified China, Emperor Qinshihuang. Construction began in 264 BC; Workers were hired from all over the country to work on the underground city and the tomb full of terracotta statues of warriors. This is the largest tomb in Chinese history.