These Underground Cities Were Real—and People Actually Lived There
Beneath our feet, entire communities have carved out lives in the shadows. These underground cities were real places with homes, markets, churches, and entire support systems. Here are some of the most fascinating underground cities where people actually lived, in history and sometimes even today.
Coober Pedy, Australia
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In South Australia’s outback, summer temperatures often reach 120°F. Locals built homes, churches, and shops underground to escape the heat. The network was built in 20th century and remains a working solution to life in one of the world’s hottest inhabited regions.
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland
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Beneath Kraków, miners carved cathedrals, staircases, and entire halls from salt. The mine, which was in use from the 13th century until 1996, stretches over 180 miles. Visitors today walk where workers once lived, prayed, and sculpted the walls around them.
Napoli Sotterranea, Italy
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Today, this underground haven is a museum with a layered past, just a few steps beneath the city’s streets. This network, hidden beneath Naples, began as Greek aqueducts. Romans expanded it, and by the 1600s, smugglers moved through the tunnels. During WWII, locals used this place as a shelter from bombs.
Underground Science City, Singapore
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Singapore’s Underground Science City project plans to house thousands of researchers beneath Kent Ridge Park. The facility will include labs, offices, and technical infrastructure. The project is part of a broader urban strategy to reduce land pressure while preparing for population growth.
Tunnels of Moose Jaw, Canada
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Utility tunnels in Saskatchewan’s Moose Jaw gained notoriety during Prohibition. Canadian liquor moved through them en route to the U.S. Some workers stayed underground for weeks, and the rooms mimicked homes and storefronts. Today, the tunnels are open to visitors curious about bootlegging routes and the legends tied to them.
Derinkuyu, Turkey
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In 1963, a man renovating his home knocked down a wall and found a tunnel. That led to Derinkuyu, a multilevel underground city dating back to the 8th century BCE. It had stables, chapels, kitchens, and space for 20,000 people. Built for defense, it remains one of the deepest ever found.
Flood Tunnels, Las Vegas, USA
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These storm tunnels were originally built for drainage. They stretch beneath Las Vegas and now house over 1,000 people. Some spots have furniture, makeshift libraries, or art on the walls. It’s not legal or safe, but for many without housing, it offers shelter and a degree of privacy.
RÉSO, Montreal, Canada
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Montreal’s winters led to the creation of a massive underground network called RÉSO. It (stretching over 20 miles) links malls, offices, universities, and metro stations. Around 500,000 people pass through daily. It is not residential, but it supports life below ground, from food courts and theaters to schools and art galleries.
Naours Underground City, France
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
What started as a quarry became a wartime refuge. Naours lies in northern France, expanded in the 1600s to shield locals during conflict. Over 300 rooms were carved into the chalk. During WWII, German soldiers left their names on the walls. Some graffiti is still visible in the tunnels today.
Underground City, Helsinki, Finland
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Helsinki’s underground city, built into solid bedrock, includes gyms, shops, and even a church. It’s designed to house 600,000 people in an emergency. It’s equipped with geothermal systems to heat the space efficiently. This network offers both civilian services and wartime security in a country where preparedness has long shaped infrastructure.
Tunnels of Guanajuato, Mexico
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Guanajuato, Mexico, constructed tunnels in the 1800s to divert floodwaters from the city center. Over time, these tunnels were adapted into roadways and walkways. During the Mexican War of Independence, revolutionaries used the tunnels for safe movement. Some parts of the network are now open to pedestrians and vehicles. The area also includes one of Mexico’s most visited museums.
New Underground City, Cappadocia, Turkey
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In 2014, a crew digging near Nevşehir broke into a tunnel that led to something much bigger. What they found appears to be an entire underground city, possibly larger than Derinkuyu. Surveys estimate it may cover around five million square feet. The site is still being studied, but early signs suggest it was cut into soft volcanic rock and may have been built as a place to hide during attacks.
Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde, USA
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Cliff Palace, though not entirely underground, was built under a protective rock overhang. In the late 1100s, the Ancestral Puebloans constructed 150 rooms into the cliff face. The site offered shade, shelter, and a strategic view of the canyon below. It is now protected within Mesa Verde National Park.
Dixia Cheng, Beijing, China
Credit: flickr
This was developed in the 1970s as a civilian bomb shelter. Citizens dug tunnels using basic tools and formed a network over 50 square miles in area. The complex included schools, clinics, and theaters. Though never used for its intended military purpose, parts of it opened to foreign tourists in later decades.
Orvieto Underground, Italy
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Etruscan-era tunnels lie beneath this hilltop town in central Italy. Over centuries, residents dug wine cellars, water cisterns, and pigeon coops into the soft volcanic rock. Some chambers are still privately owned and used. Others now serve as historical sites that reveal how everyday life once continued quietly underground.