Top 5 Underground City Tours: See What Lies Beneath

Have you thought about exploring a city from a totally different angle? Not from the top of a skyscraper, not even at ground level, but *beneath* it? It seems many cities have hidden secrets under our feet, things that can be uncovered with a good tour. This means tours offering a unique view are becoming so much more interesting. It’s almost like these “underground cities” have their own stories to tell.

1. Edinburgh’s Vaults, Scotland: Ghost Stories and History Combined

The Edinburgh Vaults, also called the South Bridge Vaults, well, they’re a bit of a spooky destination that tells some tales. In the late 1700s, this set of chambers were built beneath the South Bridge. Then, quite soon after, they went from storing things to becoming crammed full of pubs, workshops, and where some of the less-well-off folk lived. Apparently it wasn’t that long at all before the vaults fell into terrible conditions and became abandoned. People actually believe the vaults have stuck around for centuries. The tours there? Often, they end up focusing a lot on the ghostly legends, making it so, really, it is such a chilling experience to remember.

During your visit, it’s possible to hear stories of body snatchers and ghosts – they say these vaults happen to be some of the spookiest spots around. Quite a few tour companies, such as Mercat Tours and City of the Dead Tours, those ones tend to offer you different options, that depend on what kind of scare you’re up for! The history mingled with what people say are paranormal activities makes this adventure something completely different. If that sounds a bit like your cup of tea then make sure you check the schedules and book the tickets, so you get a spooky walk underneath such a historic city.

2. Derinkuyu Underground City, Turkey: A Journey Into Ancient Refuge

Okay, the Derinkuyu Underground City in Turkey, is that something else! We’re talking deep. It goes way, way back to ancient times. And apparently it’s one of the biggest underground cities ever dug up, it went super deep: over 85 meters deep. Just picture this: once it was up and running, as many as 20,000 folks may have squeezed in there at once. The purpose? So, the local population can shelter there from, really, wars or religious chase.

What you will get inside of this massive underground spread? They even had what you may think is living quarters, stables for the livestock, places where they were stocking the food, wine presses, plus actual churches, you name it, they included it. All these things show how smart the old civilizations, that resided here, were, regarding their designs. These trips that visit Derinkuyu, usually, come from the Cappadocia zone, those may deliver some background story about this strange place, regarding both structure but even the people that may used it a lot. Remember to book your trip through some respectable services, that can help, to be sure, about safety rules, with good and decent guiding and with detailed context.

3. RÉSO (Underground City), Montreal, Canada: Urban Exploration, Totally Indoors

Montreal, Quebec boasts a massive network underneath it known as RÉSO – basically it connects several shopping malls, apartments, businesses, plus metro stations via linked-together passages. Very convenient! The whole complex exceeds 32 kilometers. This becomes seriously handy, specifically during those nasty winter days for which Canada is actually recognised. More or less, it may keep near half a million Montreal residents moving out from climate problems.

Exploring through RÉSO? It is pretty free style. Anyone gets easy access to it, so go do your independent exploration through this sprawling urban landscape. You should begin the trip at the Centre Eaton or near Place Ville Marie, as these spots are rather uncomplicated and intuitive to walk and discover. While walking underground around this, what you may see, really, are some shops, public art displays, restaurants, hence that urban feel, almost. The locals consider RÉSO as a basic element to cope against, let’s just say, seasonal nastiness which would be otherwise stopping you to do regular, normal city stuff.

4. Seattle Underground, USA: A Peek into a Sunken City

What happened here in Seattle back in 1889? This seriously big fire practically torched the city. Rather than patching stuff up exactly as it seemed, folks thought: “Why not construct over the rubble”? Meaning several segments of Seattle turned out being submerged. In other words, it kind of created, unintentionally, these underground passageways as time went by. Quite unusual!

Nowadays, going via Seattle Underground seems almost a tour directly towards those streets plus shop-fronts people were regularly utilizing once back then. Check out Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour – It is rather favored to be an interesting trip filled also by loads of snarky humor, as a side benefit. During these walk-throughs one may get taught about why those subterranean parts of the city had risen so significantly to grow regarding current urban designs plus infrastructure itself. Prepare yourselves by going through some good walking footwear because surfaces tend being irregular right down there.

5. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland: Stepping Back in Time

Oh, here goes Edinburgh another round! Edinburgh seriously likes getting below ground! That says a whole lot more, because of course, there are layers, it turns out, right underneath Edinburgh. This spot, Mary King’s Close is essentially more than just an avenue but a small labyrinth including smaller old, aged lanes that, way back when during the 16th up till 17th century, used to be fully exposed toward everyday town actions. At a certain point the municipal managers chose that would cover up certain lanes plus developing over top.

During present trips throughout this ancient complex one is likely listening to a compilation regarding historical context of normal day routine during the Early epoch plus any grim times those experienced because through epidemic breaks including the well-known plague instance occurred centuries ago. A lot said as accounts tell said it stays as eerie just at most times. Ensure booking for tours upfront primarily as spaces usually become very much wanted as that will involve controlling guests which visit ancient premises similar with sensitive relevance, anyway!