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2015-12-12

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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » NEWS NOW   Fire took home from mom and her boys       ...       New bridge would connect east, west Nevada Street in Ashland       ...       Developer eyes Oregon Boy Scouts property on coast for golf course       ...       Fire took home from mom and her boys       ...       New bridge would connect east, west Nevada Street in Ashland       ...       Developer eyes Oregon Boy Scouts property on coast for golf course       ...           24 incredible underground attractions to visit in your lifetime Comment By Talia Avakian MailTribune.com By Talia Avakian Posted Dec. 2, 2015 at 4:03 PM By Talia Avakian Posted Dec. 2, 2015 at 4:03 PM »  Social News Shutterstock/Fotos593 Some of the world's most breathtaking travel destinations may be hidden in the ground beneath your feet. While some are man-made constructions, others are fascinating natural wonders that have been formed over the course of thousands of years. We've put together a list of 24 subterranean attractions to visit in your lifetime, from a 10,000-year-old cave in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to a town that built a library, church, bar, and homes underground. Salina Turda, located in Turda, Romania, is home to an underground theme park inside one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Head 400 feet down to reach an amphitheater, bowling alley, mini golf course, ping pong courts, Ferris wheel, and an underground lake with row boats. Salina Turda Click here to learn more about Salina Turda » St. Michael's Cave is a network of limestone caves situated in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve of Gibraltar. The cave has been used as a theater since the early '60s and has a seating capacity of 400. Flickr/Royal Navy Media Archive Click here to learn more about St. Michael's Cave » Bounce Below is a set of three giant trampolines nestled inside the Llechwedd Slate Caverns � a former Victorian slate mine in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales. It was created by Zip World, a company specializing in adventure activities. Courtesy of Bounce Below Click here to learn more about Bounce Below » The company also built Zip World Caverns, which is also situated in what used to be mines near the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd. Guests are suspended up to 100 feet down into the slate cavern. Facebook/Zip World Click here to learn more about Zip World Caverns » Bluegrass Underground is a monthly concert series inside the Volcano Room of the Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, Tennessee. Taking place more than 333 feet underground, the venue offers top-notch natural acoustics in a breathtaking cave setting. AP/Mark Humphrey Click here to learn more about Bluegrass Underground » Take a boat ride through the Waitomo Glowworm Caves of Waitomo, on the North Island of New Zealand. A large population of glowworms causes the cave to glitter. Flickr/Donnie Ray Jones Click here to learn more about the Waitomo Glowworm Caves » The Alux Restaurant Bar & Lounge serves drinks and authentic Mexican cuisine in a 10,000-year-old cave in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Gorgeous stalactites and stalagmites surround private vaults, where guests can enjoy a delicious meal. Flickr/Curtis & Renee Click here to learn more about the Alux Restaurant Bar & Lounge » The Postojna Cave in Postojna, Slovenia, is known for its whimsical web of tunnels, passages, galleries, and halls, all of which have a stunning diversity of karst formations. The cave also has several entertainment options, including a concert hall and a train that operates through part of the cave. Shutterstock/lapas77 Click here to learn more about Postojna Cave » Inside the Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is a 4,500-panel glass artwork by Narcissus Quangliata that is said to be the largest glass-work in the world. Thanks to the stunning kaleidoscope effects of the piece, the area has actually been used as a wedding venue. Shutterstock/Lau Chun Kit Hang Son Doong (or the Song Doong Cave) can be found in the Qu?ng B�nh Province of Vietnam. Classified as the largest cave in the world, it has a width of about 300 feet, a height of 330 feet, and a length of more than 6,000 feet. It has huge skylights and caverns that are big enough to hold entire city streets. Flickr/Nguyen Tan Tin Click here to learn more about Hang Son Doong » More than 90 of the subway stations in Stockholm, Sweden, have been decorated with sculptures, mosaics, and paintings. The Kungstr�dg�rden metro station houses the relics of the old Stockholm Makal�s palace and has an impressive industrial-looking design. Shutterstock/Eastfjord Productions Stretching nearly 800 feet, the Reed Flute Cave, located near Gulin, China, is filled with incredible stalactites, stone pillars, and rock formations that take on a breathtaking look when illuminated with colored lighting. Flickr/Bernt Rostad Click here to learn more about Reed Flute Cave » Thanks to temperatures that can reach as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit, almost all of the residents of the South Australian town of Coober Pedy live underground. The town's residents have created a fascinating submerged world, where you'll find everything from an underground bookstore to a subterranean church. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Click here to learn more about Coober Pedy » The Puero Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines has an underground river that stretches more than 26,000 feet within a stunning limestone karst cave system. On underground guided raft trips, you�ll enter chambers that are as large as 390 feet in size. Flickr/shankar s. Click here to learn more about the Puero Princesa Underground River » Iceland's Thrihnukagigur Volcano has been dormant for 4,000 years, but it has left behind breathtakingly colorful minerals that can be viewed on hikes through lava fields. On tours that take place from May through September, visitors are taken as far as 400 feet to the bottom of the crater in an open cable lift. Flickr/Darren Mercer Click here to learn more about Thrihnukagigur Volcano » The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, Colombia, sits 590 feet below the surface in the heart of a salt mine. Carved salt sculptures and a 16-foot cross adorn a cathedral that gets some 3,000 visitors each Sunday. Shutterstock/Fotos593 Click here to learn more about the Cathedral de Sal » Hidden beneath Paris, France, are the Catacombes de Paris � an eerie network of caves and tunnels housing the remains of nearly 6 million people. Considered the world's largest grave, the catacombs have attracted thousands of visitors, including King Charles X and Napoleon III. Shutterstock/Skreidzeleu Click here to learn more about the Catacombes de Paris » The Batu Caves of Selangor, Malaysia, feature stunning temples and paintings that depict Hindu gods. Before entering the caves, marvel at the enormous statue of Lord Morugan in the entrance. Shutterstock/VenkateshMurthy Click here to learn more about the Batu Caves » The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, Turkey, was built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. The royal reservoir is said to be able to store up to 24 million gallons of water. Explore its stunning design as you admire its 336 marble columns and its two head of Medusa sculptures. Shutterstock/S-F Click here to learn more about the Basilica Cistern » In the deep salt mine of Wieliczka, Poland, altarpieces, chandeliers, and even the ornamented Chapel of St. Kinga were chiseled out of rock salt. According to Travel + Leisure, tours began in the 14th century and have included guests like Copernicus, Goethe, and President George H. W. Bush. Shutterstock/Kanuman Click here to learn more about the Wieliczka Salt Mine » Source: Travel + Leisure The mine also hosts an underground sanatorium and curated events, including concerts, theater performances, galas, and fashion shows. Shutterstock/wjarek Click here to learn more about special events at the salt mine » The Cango Caves are found near the town of Oudtshoorn, South Africa, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley. Dripstone caverns are lined with vast halls and towering formations. Take the adventure tour, where you�ll be led trough hanging crystal gardens adorned with helictites, an active candle-wax column, and incredible cavern chambers. Flickr/Crystian Cruz Click here to learn more about the Cango Caves » The Dambulla Cave Temple (also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla) is the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. Inside, there are Buddhist mural paintings covering entire walls and more than 150 statues dating back centuries. Shutterstock/Jorg Hackemann Click here to learn more about the Dambulla Cave Temple » In Turkey's Cappadocia region, there's an array of fascinating subterranean safe houses that were carved from rocks of volcanic ash. Several historic underground cities have been discovered many levels below the surface, revealing networks of tunnels, inclined corridors, and stepped pits. Shutterstock/Pakhnyushchy Click here to learn more about arranging tours » Enter the sub-street basement corridors of London�s Cabinet War Rooms (also called the Churchill War Rooms) to see what life was like for Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the tense times of WWII. The rooms have remained exactly as they were in 1945, when Churchill and his War Cabinet would meet here to discuss strategy. Flickr/Tim Adams Click here to learn more about the Churchill War Rooms » See Also: 50 places you should travel to in 2016 17 things you should definitely ask for the next time you check in to a hotel Hawaii's breathtaking but illegal 'Stairway To Heaven' is in danger of closing � so now locals want to charge $100 to climb it SEE ALSO: 19 natural wonders everyone should see before they disappear DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook! By Talia Avakian MailTribune.com By Talia Avakian Posted Dec. 2, 2015 at 4:03 PM » Comment or view comments   Reader Reaction »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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