When we think of sunken cities, most of us think of Atlantis. According to Plato, it was a city of immense wealth, being rich in natural minerals and lush vegetation. Atlanteans were said to have built fantastic temples, displayed wealth, and created magnificent statues to the gods.

Having once been a privileged and favored people, the Atlanteans became greedy and “spiritually ugly,” being unable to appreciate their good fortune. So, Zeus gave Atlantis to Poseidon, and it was swallowed by the sea.^[1]

It’s a cool story. And probably just a myth. The lost city of Atlantis has never been found. However, there are many other sunken cities around the world which are totally real. Here are ten of them.

10 Dunwich

In the 11th century, Dunwich was one of the largest towns in England. However, a succession of storms in the 13th and 14th centuries eroded the coastline, and the town is now largely under the sea. Heavy storms had battered the coast around Dunwich every year for decades. The local inhabitants desperately built defensive ditches to try to hold back the waters and save the town from drowning, but they could not prevent the relentless encroachment of the sea.

Dunwich was evidently a sizeable town. Divers have found the remains of four churches and a toll house, along with numerous houses and even the remains of a ship that had later been wrecked over the town.^[2]

You can see a 3-D model of the lost city in the local museum, but diving is difficult because the water is pitch-black. Visibility is very poor, and photography is almost impossible. However, divers were able to survey the sea floor by touch and have painstakingly recorded their findings to map the area. Archaeological work is still ongoing at the site.

9 Baiae

The partially sunken city of Baiae lies around 16 kilometers (10 mi) west of Naples. Baiae, an ancient Roman town, is said to have been named after Baios, the helmsman who steered Ulysses’s ship. Baiae was said to be a pleasant place to live, having a mild climate, luxurious vegetation, and hot springs. Paradise, basically. The city boasted many luxurious villas and large public buildings and even included the kind of public baths of which the Romans were so fond.^[3]

Baiae was known for its hedonistic lifestyle, with Sextus Propertius describing it as a “den of licentiousness and vice.” It was clearly an opulent place to live, and it was one of the most important Roman cities for many hundreds of years. Baiae was home to Gaius Calpurnius Piso, who plotted to kill Emperor Nero. When Nero learned of the plan, he ordered Piso to commit suicide. Divers have discovered Piso’s villa, along with another, believed to have belonged to the emperor.

Because so many of its inhabitants were very wealthy, many more treasures may still be waiting to be found there. It is thought that volcanic activity in the area caused part of the city to sink into the Gulf of Naples, lost for hundreds of years.

Archaeological surveys of the site have been ongoing since 1941. The water in the area is clear, enabling divers to thoroughly explore and record the site. Parts of the submerged area are remarkably well-preserved, including floors with complicated mosaics, undamaged by 1700 years beneath the water. Divers have discovered roads, walls, and even statues of Ulysses and Baios, still upright, as if they had been carefully placed there yesterday.

8 Heracleion

The Egyptian city of Heracleion sank beneath the sea over a millennium ago. The city, supposedly visited by Helen of Troy and her lover, Paris, was thought to have been merely mythical until it was rediscovered in 1999 by archaeologist Franck Goddio.

The site, which is still being excavated, is rich with treasures, including huge statues up to 5 meters (16 ft) tall. The city began to sink into the sea sometime in the third century, possibly because of the excessive weight of the fabulous buildings. It was completely gone by the eighth century.

Hundreds of statues and slabs of stone inscribed in Greek and ancient Egyptian have been discovered and brought to the surface, along with gold coins and dozens of sarcophagi, which may have once contained mummified animals as offerings to the gods.

Archaeologists have also found the remains of hundreds of shipwrecks, suggesting that Heracleion was an important trading port. At the center of the city was a huge temple dedicated to Amun-Gereb, the supreme Egyptian god of the time.

When it was built, the city would have sat at the mouth of the Nile Delta, though it is now submerged under 46 meters (150 ft) of water in the Bay of Aboukir.^[4]

7 Ravenser Odd

Ravenser Odd was a medieval pirate town in Yorkshire, England. It was the first available landing ground for ships coming from Scandinavia, so the inhabitants, being little more than thieves, vagabonds, and, yes, pirates, would row out to incoming ships and “persuade” them to land there.^[5]

Citizens of Ravenser Odd were exempt from paying taxes, and the town was effectively autonomous, with its own mayor, court, prisons, and even gallows. It was also given the right to tax any ships which it had “persuaded” to come to port, which accounts for the enthusiasm of the locals.

However, the sea eventually began to overwhelm the town, and each high tide eroded it further. Walls began to collapse into the mud, and the churchyard gave up its bodies to the sea. The population began to flee, and, according to their nature, the inhabitants looted the churches as they went.

The Great Drowning came in January 1362, and a ferocious storm and unusually high tides submerged Ravenser Odd for good.

6 Kekova

A town situated on the Turkish island of Kekova was submerged by an earthquake in the second century AD. Historical records are somewhat sketchy, but it appears that the island was a prominent place during the Byzantine era. It is possible to see the ruins beneath the clear, blue waters of the Mediterranean, and locals earn extra money by taking tourists on boat trips to view them.^[6]

The area has been protected since 1990, though visitors are welcome. You will be able to see half-sunken ruins emerging from the water and buildings complete with stone staircases which descend into the sea, which is impressive. However, the site is protected, and snorkeling is, unfortunately, not permitted.

5 Atlit Yam

Atlit Yam lies 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) off the coast of Israel, in the Mediterranean Sea. It is so completely preserved that human skeletons lie undisturbed in their graves, and its stone circle remains standing.

Atlit Yam is one of the earliest sunken cities known to man. There are large houses with stone floors, fireplaces, and even wells (though they are somewhat redundant now). The site was buried for around 9,000 years until quarrying in the area exposed some of the remains. In 1984, while searching for shipwrecks, Ehud Galili, a marine archaeologist, recognized what they were and began work to protect and preserve the site.

Being so old, exposure to air would put some areas of the site in danger of decay, so artifacts are not removed from the seabed unless they are in danger of being destroyed by the underwater conditions. Archaeologists wait for currents to shift the sands so that they can chart what lies beneath them.

The site includes a monolithic stone circle, of the sort you might find at Stonehenge, though smaller (and wetter), and an analysis of human remains found at the site showed evidence of tuberculosis, indicating that the disease is 3,000 years older than was previously thought.^[7]

4 Shicheng

Shicheng (or Lion City) in China was purposely flooded in 1959 in the creation of the Xin’an Dam. At that time, 300,000 people were relocated from the area to make way for the construction, leaving the city to its fate. The city itself was approximately 600 years old and featured stunning classical Chinese architecture.

Shicheng lay undisturbed until 2001, when the Chinese government undertook a survey to see what remained of it, and interest in the site began to grow. Divers found well-preserved statues of not only lions but also phoenixes, dragons, and other animals, as well as ancient buildings dating to the 16th century.

Today, there are regular opportunities for divers to explore the ruins, which lie up to 40 meters (131 ft) under the surface.^[8] The town is amazingly well-preserved, the cold waters preventing even the wooden staircases of houses from rotting.

3 Neapolis

In 2017, archaeologists discovered the lost city of Neapolis, off Tunisia, which had been drowned by a tsunami 1,700 years earlier. The remains still show the streets, monuments, and hundreds of containers which were used to produce garum—a kind of fish sauce which was popular at the time (ketchup not being invented yet).

Neapolis was an important industrial area in the Roman era and was thought to be the major center for the production of fish sauce in the Roman world. The ruins cover a 50-acre area, which, it is believed, was submerged after a tsunami in July AD 365. It was the same tsunami that destroyed Alexandria and was caused by an earthquake of at least magnitude 8.0.^[9]

To date, apart from the fish barrels, archaeologists have discovered little in the way of treasures. However, archaeological work is ongoing at the site, so you never know; they may discover more culinary-related items any day. Who’s hoping for chips?

2 Cambay

In December 2000, scientists claimed to have discovered a huge lost city in the Gulf of Cambay (aka the Gulf of Khambhat), off the west coast of India. Lying 37 meters (120 ft) beneath the water, the site stretches 8 kilometers (5 mi) long and 3.2 kilometers (2 mi) wide and is believed to be over 9,000 years old.

The site was found by chance while scientists were conducting a survey about pollution. Among the artifacts reported to have been discovered at the time were sections of wall, sculptures, and human remains.^[10]

Since then, both the age of the artifacts and whether the stone ones are truly man-made have been disputed. If they are what they’re claimed to be, they’d be a significant find, 4,000 years older than the Indus Valley Civilization. It has been speculated that the possible city was submerged by rising waters during the last ice age. If that is the case, one wonders how many other ancient cities are lying at the bottom of the sea.

1 Olous

Olous lies in shallow water under a clear, blue sea off the northern coast of Crete. Olous became an important port town during the first millennium BC and was so wealthy that it had its own currency.

Olous was said to the city of fountains. Afraid that pirates would steal their treasures, the inhabitants are said to have dug 100 fountains in the surrounding mountains. The wells beneath 99 of them contained only water, but the last one contained the combined riches of the old town. It has never been discovered.

No one is sure of the exact cause of the destruction of Olous. The city may have been destroyed as a result of a volcanic eruption, or it may have sunk gradually through natural erosion.^[11]

If you wish to visit Olous, it is possible to see the sunken city via snorkel. However, as the ruins are part of an active archaeological excavation, nothing can be removed from the site—unless, of course, you find that 100th fountain, in which case, who would ever know?

Ward Hazell is a writer who travels, and an occasional travel writer.

When the world ends, our cities will crumble and be reclaimed by nature. At least, that’s the popular image. But you don’t need to wait for the apocalypse to see how things will crumble. You don’t even need to leave civilization—there are plenty of glimpses of the post-apocalyptic world hidden right among us.

10Public School 186

It would be impossible for Manhattan’s Public School 186 to be any more in the middle of civilization. Businesses are open across the street, there isn’t a free parking space in sight, and people stroll by nonchalantly. It’s boarded up, but it’s the trees growing out of the windows which give away the fact that no one has used the building for over 40 years. Inside, piles of rubble and scattered animal corpses complete the look.

The school was opened in 1903 but ran into problems in the early 1970s. Its floor plan didn’t meet fire safety codes and the ground floor doors had to remain open at all times to ensure that children couldn’t be trapped. Those open doors soon led to problems. Criminals robbed parents at knifepoint and a teacher’s aide was raped in a classroom. When fire inspectors found that the fire alarm didn’t work in 1972, the school was marked for closure. It shut down in 1975.

The building was due to be renovated in the 1980s, but the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem that bought it decided to demolish the building and start again. Residents petitioned to save the building, but the owners say that it would be too expensive. While they battle it out, the building continues to look increasingly like a set from I Am Legend.

9North Brother Island

Located just half a kilometer (.3 mi) from Manhattan in New York’s East River is a bird sanctuary known as North Brother Island. In the 1880s, people with infectious diseases were quarantined there at the Riverside Hospital. Its most famous resident was Typhoid Mary, who died on the island in 1938. The island later housed veterans from World War II and was the base of a drug treatment center. In 1964, the last people left and it was closed to the public.

A few people have been let back onto the island between September and March when the birds aren’t nesting. Among the thick vegetation that now covers the island are huge brick buildings, bungalows, and a chapel. One classroom still has dozens of old books scattered across the floor. The buildings are all slowly being hidden by trees and ivy.

Christopher Payne, a photographer who was given permission to visit the island, described it as “what would happen if people left the planet.” He described the atmosphere as a sense of being disconnected from the rest of the world, though it turned out to be impossible to forget how close the rest of New York City was. “I could hear the Mister Softee truck sometimes,” he said.

8Miami Marine Stadium

Naumachia were mock naval battles that took place in flooded coliseums in ancient Rome. Gladiatorial combat is a staple of post-apocalyptic fiction (you can thank Mad Max 3). So if you want to host your own dystopian naumachia, Miami’s Marine Stadium is the perfect venue.

The 6,600 seat arena was opened in the 1960s as a venue for speedboat racing. It was closed in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew and has since become a haven for graffiti artists and freerunners. It’s an imposing, poured-concrete structure. The stadium’s designer said that he had intended to create “a piece of sculpture on the water reflecting on what nature was providing us.”

There’s debate over what to do with the stadium. The Friends of Miami Marine Stadium want to see it cleaned up and returned to use. Others believe it should be left as it is, a monument to the graffiti artists who have adopted it over the decades.

7Box Hill Brickworks

Melbourne’s Box Hill Brickworks adds a steampunk theme to its derelict charm. The brick-making plant was built in 1884 and operated for a century. It was closed in 1988, but its brick chimney still towers over the local landscape.

The real charm is hidden inside. Mazes of walkways hover above masses of rusting machinery. There are even hand-written sales records scattered in an old office. The site is a time capsule of technologies. A tramway and blacksmith’s shop are essentially unchanged from the 1880s.

The world-gone-to-hell atmosphere is completed by the landfill on the same grounds. It looks like a normal grassy field—except for the plumes of flame that occasionally burst from the ground. When methane from the buried waste isn’t exploding by itself, local youngsters have been known to drop matches into sinkholes to trigger blasts underground. This all takes place very close to people—the barbed-wire fence for the brickworks borders a park that is usually full of playing children.

6Bloomingdale Railway

If you’ve ever wondered what urban hiking will be like once the end comes, Chicago’s Bloomgindale Railway will give you a fairly good idea. This three-mile-long abandoned railway is elevated above the busy city. After it was abandoned by Canadian Pacific Railway in 2001, its overgrown tracks became popular as a route for joggers and cyclists. In winter, it also offers the unique experience of cross-country skiing through the middle of a busy city where every street is plowed.

The feel of an unattended city isn’t going to be around for much longer, however. Search for Bloomingdale Railway and half the pictures show a train track being reclaimed by nature. The others are artists’ impressions of the mass restoration project that will soon turn the track into a modern park and walkway. While undoubtedly good for Chicago, those who have come to love the railway over the last decade have said that they expect to be nostalgic for the post-apocalyptic landscape.

5Tower Of David

Centro Financiero Confinanzas is an unfinished skyscraper in Caracas, Venezuela. Construction began in 1990, but a 1994 banking crisis left it incomplete. The 45-story building has a heliport but lacks elevators, utilities, windows, and railings. Since the 1990s, 3,000 squatters have made their home in the unfinished shell. The “Tower of David,” nicknamed after its chief backer who died in 1993, is now the world’s tallest slum.

Motorcycles are used as taxis to carry people up the first 10 floors, and it’s on foot from there to the 28th. No one lives any higher than that, but it is possible to get to the top. There’s makeshift plumbing and electricity in some areas, but it’s the economy that’s sprung up inside that makes it feel like a set from a dystopian movie. Stores, beauty parlors, daycare centers, and even a dentist cater to the residents. Some apartments look cozy, even if the corridors that lead to them are faded and cracked from disuse.

People salvage metal from the higher floors. Others lift weights just feet away from a dizzying drop with no safety rail. Teenagers use the lights from their cellphones to navigate pitch-black stairways. The community has a bad reputation and the people are wary of outsiders. Yet right outside this little world, the surrounding streets look like a typical modern city.

4Insurgentes 300

Mexico City’s Insurgentes 300 is a building that went to war with the forces of nature. While it’s technically still upright, you couldn’t really say it won the fight. It’s nicknamed the “Canada” building for the 30-meter (100 ft) word that once ran down the side in giant letters. From the outside, it looks like a deteriorating shell, but behind the broken glass there are all sorts of professions that put the building to some sort of use. Every type of criminal—from lawyers and accountants to drug dealers and prostitutes—use Insurgentes 300 alongside dance teachers and screen printers.

It was once home to 420 offices, but half of these have since been converted for use as housing. The building has a 10-degree inclination due to structural damage from an earthquake in 1985. The authorities ordered it evacuated, but the occupants declined and have been fighting to have the structure repaired for 30 years. Instead of maintenance, they’ve received only lawsuits as the building slowly decays around them.

3Red Hook Grain Terminal

The closest thing New York City has to a fortress is perhaps The New York Port Authority Grain Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Its concrete walls are 20 centimeters (8 in) thick, 12 stories high, and sheer. It’s a behemoth that looks perfect for fending off a hoard of zombies. In fact, a rag-tag bunch of survivors is pretty much all the building is missing to complete its post-apocalyptic look.

Inside, it looks like a cross between a factory, a prison, and a temple. It’s eerie from a distance, and in fog it looks downright sinister. Several pieces have collapsed into the river, and others look destined to follow. New York’s grain economy was already on the decline before the building opened in 1922. It shut down in the 1960s and is known as the “Magnificent Mistake.”

The building is extremely popular with urban explorers, though it’s difficult to get to. One explorer says that it requires research, persistence, and creativity, but mostly nerve, “since you don’t know what you’ll find inside or who might stop you before you make it in, and the repercussions that come with that.” Even if you’re not interested in the building, the journey may be worth it purely for the amazing sunset you can watch from one of the many shattered windows.

2The UK’s Cold War Tunnels

England doesn’t have an official second city, but Manchester and Birmingham are the most commonly suggested candidates. That’s perhaps why each of them is home to miles of underground tunnels built during the Cold War. They’re very literally a glimpse of the apocalypse, since that’s exactly what they were built to withstand. They were also built in secret.

The bunkers under Manchester were tunneled by Polish workers who couldn’t speak English so that they wouldn’t be able to tell anyone what they were doing. It once housed several months’ worth of tinned food designed to keep VIPs alive in case of an attack. In Birmingham, many of the entrances to their system remain classified.

1A Lot Of Meatpacking Plants

Founded in 1867, Armour & Company was once one of the United State’s largest meatpacking companies. It fell into decline in the late 20th century, and in its wake it left abandoned plants all over the country. One is a skeletal brick building in Fort Worth, Texas, which was ravaged by fires in the 1970s. Demolition was attempted and there’s a section of wall missing.

It turned out that the building’s steel structure was so strong that it was cheaper to just leave the rest standing. Today, it looks like a prison. Guard towers were added in 2007 to make the plant look like a South American prison for the show Prison Break. The words Penitenciaría Federal De Sona were left above one of the doors.

Another meatpacking plant in Navassa, North Carolina was only open for a few years. Rumors began in the 1920s that the plant’s owner was found hanged in the middle of the factory. The building earned a reputation as haunted. Several people committed suicide there in the 1980s, cementing its supernatural foothold in local folklore.

Yet perhaps the most famous abandoned meatpacking plant is in East St. Louis, Illinois. It’s not far from downtown and has the added bonus of still being filled with old machinery. That includes its once cutting-edge refrigeration system. The plant once employed nearly 5,000 people and became a hotbed of racial tension due its segregated workforce. Since it was closed in 1959, it’s become an infamous beacon for those fascinated with the way the world crumbles.

Alan is tempted to take up urban exploration as it’s the only hobby that’s going to get better should the world end.

Nearly every city is built over an ancient site. The older the city, the greater the past that lies beneath. Sometimes, archaeologists find amazing things because they know where to look or doggedly followed rumors. But when it comes to rediscovering hidden history, most finds happen by accident. Unexpected treasure is the best.

10 The Corduroy Road

Under King Street in Waterloo, Ontario, runs a much older version of a road. The historic find was made in 2016 by a construction crew, which had been forewarned of a possible encounter with something resembling a row of logs. When that happened, they called in the archaeologists, who confirmed the discovery: It was a corduroy road dating from the time of the area’s earliest development.

Corduroy roads were constructed by placing logs across a path to ease passage across swamps or similar wagon-challenged areas. The one unearthed in Waterloo was probably built before 1877. Settlers used sand and packed the tree trunks tightly. While it made the crossing quicker and free of concern for becoming stuck in the mud, cart horses still faced injuries due to shifting logs. The partial path shows signs of extended use as well as diligent maintenance by the pioneers who used it.

9 The Roman Fresco

In 2016, a treasure was ironically discovered by the Museum of London Archaeology while scouting for a new office building. Found underneath 21 Lime Street was a large piece of wall, 2.4 meters (8 ft) long and 1.5 meters (5 ft) high. Archaeologists turned the facedown slab over and were stunned to find it was an elaborate, hand-painted fresco from Roman days. The artifact was almost 2,000 years old and showed a delicate nature scene mixed with some domesticity: feeding deer, trees, and birds as well as fruit and a vine-like plant growing around a candelabrum.

The fresco’s pigments were obtained from Spain, an extremely difficult thing to do in those days. This added to the museum experts’ conviction that the art piece had been commissioned by an elite family who spared no expense and possibly showed it off (and just how wealthy and fashionable they were) in their reception area.

8 The Gezer Site

During Biblical times, the Canaanite city of Gezer was a popular place to lay siege to. Whoever controlled Gezer owned the wealthy vein of the east-west trade route. The well-known archaeological site has been studied for decades but received an extra dimension in 2013: It’s sitting on another city.

Previously, layers beneath Gezer dated back to the tenth to eighth centuries BC, but the unknown second settlement proved to be far more ancient. The 14th-century-BC ruins most likely belonged to another Canaanite city, but it had some Egyptian flavor. Artifacts included a scarab amulet of Amenhotep III, better known to the world as the grandfather of Tutankhamun. Important Biblical-era cities are usually older than their official ages, but the Late Bronze Age roots of Gezer surpassed by far even that expectation.

7 Millennia Of Civilization

While Gezer covered up one city, Beirut stands on several. For 5,000 years, Canaanite, Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, and Ottoman civilizations rose one after the other, adding their own influences to this archaeological smorgasbord. The incredible time line came to light during excavations in central Beirut, meant to rebuild the city after its devastating civil war.

Among the finds were Roman ruins, including the city’s cardo maximus (main north-south street), quarters belonging to the Phoenician and Hellenistic cultures, a Canaanite mound, and a Byzantine trading place. One of the most incredible recoveries was a collection of mosaics. Placed side by side, they create a massive, 8,200-meter-long (27,000 ft) stretch of art. It was already believed that Beirut originated around 3000 BC, but this proved it.

6 Britain’s Oldest Writing

Britain’s oldest scribbles may reveal many firsts. In 2016, a cache of 405 wooden writing tablets were found beneath an underground river in the middle of London. These rare Roman communications were etched between AD 43 and AD 80, making them the earliest writing unearthed in the UK. Dating back to the year the Romans invaded Britain, the Latin phrases give new insights into London’s first community, a city that was erected by the invaders.

There’s a colorful plea for a loan, while another plank dishes out peppery business advice to someone a little too free with handing out loans. The first-ever written mention of London’s name, the country’s first IOU, and a tablet from perhaps the first school, with letters running the alphabet, were also found. Soldiers, judges, and businessmen all left messages behind that will now help researchers to better understand this early urban society.

5 The Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl Temple

In Mexico City, archaeologists didn’t bat an eyelid when ancient pottery and eight human skeletons were found beneath a supermarket in 2016. What excited them, though, was the unexpected sight of a temple. For years, shoppers remained unaware that beneath their feet slept a sacred site dedicated to the Mexica-Tlatelolca people’s wind deity, Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. It won’t match the grandeur of other ancient temples of the world, but it remains a remarkable find.

The temple is basically a round platform, 1.2 meters (4 ft) high and 11 meters (36 ft) in diameter, with most of its original white stucco undamaged. To honor their god, priests of the pre-Hispanic city of Tlatelolco left gifts: bird parts, such as bones and duck bills, statues of monkeys, obsidian, cactus spines, and even a human baby. The 650-year-old platform is in the middle of a mall development scheme but will be preserved so visitors can view it.

4 The Malta Tunnels

The Mediterranean island of Malta holds a subterranean secret. For centuries, it was claimed that the Knights of Malta, a Christian military order, constructed an elaborate underground complex while fighting Muslim forces on Malta. In 2009, construction surveyors found tunnels beneath the capital of Valletta. The network dates to the 16th and 17th centuries, when the order occupied the island.

Experts believe the tunnels are a plumbing system that blessed the embattled Valletta with fresh drinking water and a sewage system light-years ahead of its time. The well-built passages, containing centuries-old metal valves and pipes, are wide enough for a person and allowed the knights easy access to do maintenance. Other rumors, such as secret carriageways and an entire underground Valletta, are, according to archaeologists, not impossible but still lack evidence.

3 Antidepressant Factory

In 2007, drought had evaporated much of Lake Kucukcekmece in Turkey. Archaeologists zoomed in when the exposed shores promised a slice of history, and they weren’t disappointed. They soon uncovered a large-scale medicine factory. Tools like mortars and pestles, cooking pots, spatulas, and medical devices surfaced. What confirmed the nature of the site was a haul of 700 vials. Each contained a remedy of some sort. Two were analyzed and turned out to be 1,400-year-old drugs for depression and heart ailments.

The vials represent the largest stockpile of ancient medicine and were recovered from the burned remains of the factory along with the preparation tools. The destruction is the first indication that a suspected onslaught in AD 646 by Istanbul’s enemy, the Avar Empire, did occur. More artifacts could be in the lake’s remaining waters, but nuclear and industrial pollution makes exploration too risky.

2 Kublai Khan’s Palace

Chinese historians suspected Kublai Khan’s palace once stood near the current location of Beijing’s Forbidden City. Historically speaking, the palace has always been a sought-after prize. In 2015, during maintenance efforts in the Forbidden City, tile and porcelain fragments from the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) were discovered. This drew immediate scientific attention because the tiles were from the era during which Khan ruled China. No longer did researchers look for the long-missing Mongol conqueror’s palace in the vicinity of the Forbidden City but rather directly beneath it.

Digging deeper, the foundations of the dynasties that followed, the Ming and Qing, came to light. Archaeologists now believe that the Ming dynasty tore down every brick of Kublai Khan’s royal buildings and constructed the famous gardens and palaces of the Forbidden City over it.

1 The New York Vaults

In 1965, an electricity company stumbled upon an underground tomb. Due to bad record-keeping, the location of the skeleton-stuffed vault disappeared. Then, in 2015, during an excavation to switch a 100-year-old water main under Washington Square Park, the gory resting place revealed itself once more. This time, it came with a surprise: a twin vault nearby.

Inside the second tomb rested 20 neat wooden coffins. The first was a jumble human bones. The 200-year-old chambers are 4.6 meters (15 ft) wide and 8.2 meters (27 ft) long, with tall walls and arched ceilings. Wooden doors lead to unknown destinations.

Washington Square Park used to be a grave site. After the Civil War, society’s unwanted received unmarked graves, and the dead from a yellow fever epidemic were once buried there. The twin vaults could belong to the 18th-century Cedar Street Presbyterian Church, but they kept no records, so even that remains uncertain.

The USA has many beautiful cities. Indeed, tourists fall in love with American cities for a number of different reasons as they all have distinctive qualities of their own. Here to help you plan your next visit, are the 26 most beautiful cities in the USA.

The 26 Most Beautiful Cities In The USA

1. Washington DC

First on the list, is the nation’s capital, Washington DC. Here in the heart of the country’s government, you will find a number of beautiful national monuments. Highlights here include the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the National Arboretum pillars. Many of the neighborhoods here feature attractive rows of brick houses. The best time to visit is between March and April when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

2. Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the largest city in the entire state. It is also a surprisingly lively city that stretches from lovely Lake Champlain to the verdant backcountry forests. In fact, the city often slots in as one of the best cities in the Northeast as well.

Burlington also often scores as being a great place for a romantic couples’ getaway. Tourists and locals alike praise its breweries and assorted eateries. Other highlights here include the Church Street Marketplace and wonderful Waterfront Park.

3. San Antonio, Texas

Regular readers may already know San Antonio is more than just the home of the world-famous Alamo and the Alamo Museum. This beautiful city offers arts and culture too. Once a Spanish colonial outpost, it features outstanding Spanish architecture, and the impressive San Antonio Missions too. Other striking worthwhile attractions include The Natural Bridge Caverns, historic King William Street, the popular San Antonio River Walk, the McNay Art Museum Courtyard, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, and the San Antonio Museum of Art, filled with attractive Latin art.  

4. San Diego, California

San Diego is a city that is not only beautiful but also rife with culture. It has a festive culture that is due to its Mexican roots. Here you can enjoy a little stroll through popular Balboa Park,   

Go swimming, walk on the beach, or just soak up some sun at beautiful Pacific Beach. When you have enough Vitamin D, enjoy a cocktail at one of the bars then dine at one of the beach-proximate restaurants. Your best time to visit depends on your interests. San Diego holds culinary, film, music, visual arts, theater, and other seasonal festivals throughout the year.   

5. Honolulu, Hawaii

Next on our list of most beautiful cities is the state capital, Honolulu. (In English, Honolulu roughly translates to “calm port” or “sheltered harbor.” Many travelers visit this most populous place on the isle of Oahu for its beautiful beaches which come complete with comparatively calm water, fine, warm sand, and stunning sunsets.

Waikiki Beach is considered one of the island’s best beaches. It spans a distance of five miles which makes it one of the city’s longest beaches too. The gentle waters here are a great place to learn how to scuba dive or surf as well.  

6. Salt Lake City, Utah

If you’re into snow, the surprisingly beautiful city of Salt Lake City is perhaps best visited in the winter. For it is then that you can go skiing in the nearby majestic mountains. The valleys and the views make this city amazing. It’s reportedly one of the best places in the country for a winter vacation.  

Don’t like the snow? It’s okay. There are pretty places to enjoy there all year long. Don’t miss the Red Butte Garden, Big Cottonwood Canyon, This Is The Place Heritage Park, and Ensign Peak Park either!

7. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is not only beautiful, but it is also significant in terms of culture and music history. Indeed, this city is the birthplace of jazz music. Walk down Bourbon Street and you will find any number of clubs, pretty public parks, and even streets alive with music.

The magnificent architecture here is a blend of African and French cultures. It is both colorful and unique. If you have never experienced Mardi Gras, you’re missing out on the world-famous, traditional excitement. You can appreciate the aesthetics and the excitement in one trip.

8. Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is North Carolina’s most populous city and more importantly, has its own individualistic beauty. It’s located at the confluence of the Swannanoa and French Broad rivers on the edge of the stunning Great Smoky Mountains not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you’re not into snow and winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding, you may want to visit another season. Regardless, highlights here include its well-known farm-to-table restaurants, interesting art galleries, impressive architecture, Biltmore Mansion, the Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina Arboretum, and craft breweries.

9. Chicago, Illinois

The Windy City is generally underrated when it comes to beautiful cities. Nevertheless, it has its own memorable sense of urban beauty. Also on our list of best weekend getaways, it features numerous architectural attractions and many museums.

Be sure to check out the Rookery Building, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the awesome Aquae, the Cloud Gate, a.k.a. “The Bean”, in Millennial Park, and all the assorted eateries and attractions at the Navy Pier. Feeling energetic? Go bicycling along Milwaukee Avenue! 

10. Charleston, South Carolina

Charming Charleston follows on our list of the most beautiful cities. This historic city harkens back to 1670. Also the state’s largest city, it is known for its noteworthy architecture, various historic landmarks, and lovely, down-home charm.  

Accented by architecture from the 1800s, it includes cozy cobblestone streets lined with street lanterns. See famous Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began. Other points of interest are pretty Rainbow Row, the Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, and Waterfront Park near Charleston Harbor. Enjoy a meal at the award-winning restaurant, FIG, and bed down at the worthy Wentworth Mansion.

11. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, nestled before a magnificent mountain range, is yet another of the most beautiful cities in America. Veteran visitors praise this city for its hiking trails, mountain ranges, verdant valleys, and beautiful sunsets. Be sure to visit the well-known large, lush public park known as Garden of the Gods Park. Saddle up a horse or pile into a jeep and head out to explore the numerous rugged peaks, rolling hills, and grassy acres. Don’t miss Pike’s Peak, the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.   

12. San Francisco, California

San Francisco’s beauty encompasses a number of different unforgettable landmarks that are honestly appreciated by tourists and residents alike. Bask in the man-made splendor of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Stroll along Fisherman’s Wharf and see sea lions.

Lunch at a restaurant on Pier 39, Tour the former prison, Alcatraz Island, and enjoy the views of the city. Shop in the famous old chocolate factory found in Ghirardelli Square on Van Ness Avenue. Take in the popular “Painted Ladies,” colorful Victorian townhouses amidst the towering city skyscrapers, and cruise Lombard Street too.     

13. Key West, Florida

You can’t have a list of beautiful cities without sunny Key West. Situated on an island known for its Cuban culture, this beach town is accented by Cuban architecture, nightlife, and neighborhoods. It includes some of the state’s best beaches and beautiful sunsets.  

Smathers Beach is exceptional for surfing and parasailing. If you have an interest in architecture but want to have fun as well then head for Duval Street. Not only is it fairly filled with examples of Cuban architecture, but it is also where you’ll find numerous bars and clubs. Be sure to stop in at The Green Parrot!

14. Hilo, Hawaii

All of Hawaii is beautiful so how could its cities not be? Hilo, however, is often ignored by many travel writers despite its beautiful parks, gorgeous gardens, and wondrous waterfalls. Located on the Big Island, one of Hilo’s beautiful waterfalls is named Rainbow Falls. 

This memorable waterfall is 80 feet tall and is thus named because people frequently see little in the mist created by the waterfall. If you enjoy gorgeous greenery, be sure to pay a visit to lovely Liliʻuokalani Gardens. It’s a serene Japanese garden that comes complete with fish ponds, rock gardens, and even an attractive Japanese-style bench.  

15. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is fairly famous for being the true birthplace of American democracy. Philly is fairly filled full of memorable museums, exceptional architecture, and historical sites. Indeed, the city is a marvelous melding of historic and modern buildings. There’s Independence Hall, Peddler’s Village, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 

the Kimmel Centre, the Liberty Bell Center, South Street, the Longwood Gardens, with its lights and giant tree house, and Elfreth’s Alley, the officially “oldest continuously inhabited residential street” in the country. Sample a cheesesteak and soft pretzel at Reading Terminal Market too!  

16. New York City, New York

Would you like to wake up in “the city that never sleeps”? New York City features a magnificent skyline, iconic tourist attractions, cultural diversity, assorted ethnic eateries, notorious nightclubs, and more. The architecture is awesome.

Highlights here include Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Times Square, Watkins Glen State Park, Sonnenberg Gardens, Rockefeller Center, and Mansion State Historic Park. Don’t forget the Empire State Building either! It offers visitors exceptionally beautiful views at sunset.

17. Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is well-known for its ruggedly beautiful coastline. This city features several beautiful beaches complete with warm sand, swaying palm trees, and stunning sunsets. Indeed, Butterfly Beach is particularly gorgeous.  

It’s popular with the locals, travelers, and even some celebrities. Enjoy a cocktail, soak up some sun, and relax. Stroll the palm-tree-lined streets and take in the quaint boutique shops and Spanish-inspired architecture.  

You’ll discover an amicable sense of community as you wander through the neighborhoods. Some travel bloggers say that Santa Barbara is one of the best cities to visit in the entire state and call it “one of the prettiest” cities on the coast.

18. Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is nigh-famous for its beautiful Georgian-style architecture, popular art scene, and significant history. Walk down quaint cobblestone streets, ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and see the authentic antebellum architecture. Check out the beautiful dome-like Savannah City Hall, and enjoy the Savannah Art Walk. Explore the different art galleries around the city’s numerous historic attractions. Walk down River Street along the sparkling waterfront and visit Forsyth Park. See the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) too.

19. Seattle, Washington

Seattle offers excellent views of Puget Sound. It’s reportedly not only one of the country’s most beautiful cities but also one of the officially “most liked cities” too. If you’re a film buff, visit during the Seattle International Film Festival. If you’re a foodie, get here in time for Oktoberfest.  

Seattle is famous for the birth of the Starbucks coffee franchise and the world-famous grunge rock band Nirvana. Check out Discovery Park, Pike Place Market, the Chihuly Garden, and Glass, Visit the Space Needle at sunset for the best views ever!

20. Sedona, Arizona

The city of Sedona is ruggedly beautiful. Its scarlet stones are a major draw to tourists. They take visitors back to the days of the ol’ wild west. If you enjoy the great outdoors or are big on hiking, Sedona should be on your bucket list. Here you can take a wine tour, go bicycling, kayaking, and stargazing on the rocks. Check out the rock art sites, the sacred vortexes, the Sedona Airport Overlook, the Sedona Heritage Museum, and Native American ruins as well.

21. Seward, Alaska

Don’t underestimate the beauty of the small city of Seward. It is stunning. It is perhaps best known for its charming small-town ambiance, beautiful scenery, and noteworthy fishing spots.  

You’ll enjoy the sight of its great glaciers, rushing rivers, and snow-capped mighty mountains. Visit the Resurrection River which flows from the Kenai Mountains. Fishermen love to fish for salmon here! If you prefer larger water-dwellers, sign on for an Orca Quest Cruise. More adventurous travelers may want to try a little ice hiking as well.

22. Newport, Rhode Island

The port town of Newport is not only the state’s most beautiful city but it also slots in as one of the nation’s “prettiest seaside cities.” It offers visitors a marvelous view of the Atlantic Ocean. Travelers who have their sea legs will surely enjoy sailing here as well. While you’re there be sure to check out all the opulent Gilded Age mansions too. Other highlights here include Bowen’s Wharf, the White Horse Tavern, and the Audrain Auto Museum. Hike the Cliff Walk trail too!  

23. Madison, Wisconsin

You might be surprised to hear that one of the things that makes Madison one of the most beautiful cities in the USA is not only its natural beauty but its fine examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture.  

Madison is nestled between Mendota and Monona Lakes. It features attractive trails that are great for both hiking and biking. Locals and tourists alike love the great farmer markets found here too. Be sure to check out the Olbrich Botanical Gardens and visit Lake Kegonsa State Park too.

24. Morrison, Colorado

The pretty city of Morrison is perhaps most famous for the popular Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. This incredible music theater is thus named because it was actually constructed of red rocks. This is a great city for outdoor activities as well.

One popular stop here is Dinosaur Ridge, where you can explore places previously occupied by a number of different dinosaurs. Other places to see include Morrison Natural History Museum, the lovely Lair O’ the Bear Park, and the fun-filled Tiny Town.

25. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Coeur d’Alene is overflowing with natural beauty. You really must see the large and lovely Lake Coeur d’Alene. You will discover numerous hiking trails, such as the popular North Idaho Centennial Trail, and different campsites around the lake. Here you can engage in different watersports from swimming and kayaking to parasailing and jet skiing. Other highlights here include Harriman State ParkHarriman State Park, the impressive Coeur d’Alene Public Library, Devin Galleries, the Museum of North Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene Masonic Temple, and The Art Spirit Gallery. 

26. Cleveland, Ohio

Last but not least is the perhaps surprising inclusion of Cleveland. Ah, but the truth is Cleveland rocks. After all, it is here you will find the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the museum dedicated to rock and roll music history. Looking for natural beauty? Check out adjacent Lake Erie. You should also see Edgewater Park, The Fountain of Eternal Life, The Arcade, Maltz Center for the Performing Arts, Cleveland Metroparks, Hope Memorial Bridge, the West Side Market, and even the historic Lakeview Cemetery.

In cities the majority of space is off-limits. Parks and streets may account for up to half the total area, but when you factor in the vertical axis—the floors inside buildings (many of them empty)—you get a different picture. And that’s just the space that we know about. Often there’s a lot more underground.

In order of size, here are 10 of the most spectacular subterranean sights you’re forbidden from seeing or, in some cases, even from knowing they exist.

10. Mumbai’s imperial underworld

When an occupying force takes over your country, it tends to cut you out of the loop. Hence, whenever Indian construction workers find structures under cities once controlled by the British, they don’t know what they were built for. The vault beneath Kolkata’s National Library, for instance, might have been anything from a treasury to a torture chamber—or, as it eventually turned out, just part of the building’s foundations. 

Mumbai has a veritable underworld of abandoned imperial structures, from the 13-room bunker under Raj Bhavan (the seat of city government) to the kilometer-long tunnel under the old General Post Office.

Another mystery was unearthed as recently as 2022: a 200-meter tunnel under Mumbai’s JJ Hospital, a building whose foundations were laid by the British governor. Appearing on no maps, it was only discovered in a water leak survey. And it was blocked at one end so it wasn’t clear where it once led. While it’s thought to have been to a neighboring hospital, it remains something of a mystery for now—as does the number of underground structures that remain to be found in Mumbai.

9. LA’s prohibition partyways

While the rest of America endured its first War on Drugs—the doomed-to-fail prohibition of alcohol—the mayor of LA kept the hooch flowing through a network of underground service tunnels. These were also the routes by which the flappers and dapper gents of the city’s roaring party scene got from one bar to the next without hassle. Originally built as service tunnels, and for a subway to ease traffic on the surface, they ran for more than 17 kilometers connecting basements converted to speakeasies.

One such bar was the King Eddy Saloon. Established almost 20 years before Prohibition, it moved underground to survive—transforming its above-ground premises into a piano store. Others include the Edison, in the basement of the city’s first privately owned power plant, and Cole’s, under the Pacific Electric building. Patrons of all these establishments, armed with a password, stumbled around wasted, completely unseen by police and paparazzi.

Despite their historic significance, the passages and basements are now closed to the public and even largely unmapped. Many are flooded and crumbling. Just like in the old days, however, those in the know can find their way in—as evidenced by the tunnels’ graffiti. According to Atlas Obscura, there’s an “easy-to-miss elevator” on Temple Street. And there’s also, apparently, an entrance off the subway from Downtown to Hollywood.

8. Havana’s secret chambers

In the early 1990s, the Cuban government was reported to have secretly built more than 33 kilometers of tunnels under Havana. These were to serve as bomb shelters amid escalating threats of invasion by the United States.

Known as the Popular Tunnels, they were manually dug by hundreds of laborers and their entrances carefully hidden. But these were just the latest of a long tradition of tunneling under Cuba. All the way back in 1929, the New York Times reported on the discovery of five secret chambers under Havana’s City Hall.

7. Tokyo’s hidden network

From rivers and forgotten canals to the world’s largest sewer system, there’s plenty below Tokyo that we know about. But there may a lot more. When journalist Shun Akiba compared an old map to a new one, he found differences suggesting not only unknown tunnels but an effort to cover them up. Whereas the new map showed subway tunnels crossing in Nagata-cho, for instance, close to the National Diet building (the seat of government), the old map showed them as parallel. Shun also found evidence of an underground complex between the National Diet and the prime minister’s residence. He also remarked on the mysterious tunnels leading off the Ginza Line.

Official enquiries got him nowhere, he said, lips were “zipped tight” despite his respectable professional background as a war correspondent for Asahi TV. From what he’s seen, Shun believes there must be close to 2,000 km of tunnels beneath the city—eight times the stated 250 km. And many of them (the Namboku, Hanzomon, and O-Edo lines, for instance) were built long before their conversion for trains. That the Chiyoda line platform at Kokkai-gijidomae, the National Diet station, is the deepest in Tokyo, suggests it was built as a bomb shelter. Yet old blueprints show another level even deeper. There’s also the mystery of the Yurakucho line, which, with its high ceilings and military facilities on route, is rumored to be a secret road used by the military. Although the network dates back to World War Two and the Cold War era, the continued silence from officials suggests they may still be in use.

6. Washington’s whack-a-mole hidey-holes

The two main parties of the military-industrial regime based out of Washington have plenty in common, but one thing stands out: they’re both afraid of the public. Hence their underground tunnels to get from one building to another—tunnels they’re advised to make use of. Some of these famously served as evacuation routes during the 2021 Capitol siege, but they are in fact used every day just to avoid going outside.

According to The Drive, there’s “a labyrinth of at least 19 underground passages on Capitol Hill”,  not only for people but vehicles as well. The oldest date back to the 1800s, when they were built for water and ventilation, as well as to transport books by electrical conveyor belt between the Capitol and Library of Congress. When the Russell building was finished in the early 1900s, it came complete with a subway car system in a tunnel so fortified that it was, many years later, designated as a fallout shelter. As other buildings followed, the tunnel network grew. And nowadays the Cannon Tunnel, between the Cannon building and the Capitol, is more like an underground town with “a shoe repair store, post office, credit union, and cafeteria.”

Among the most recent major works was a 54,000-square-meter expansion of the Capitol building’s underground complex. This added three underground stories to the existing network with links to nearby offices and a 305-meter tunnel to the northwest, officially built for screening garbage trucks for explosives. That was in the 2000s, amid growing secrecy regarding Washington’s underworld—not to mention the tunnels and bunkers that lie deep under the White House.

5. Moscow’s many secrets

The largest of Europe’s old fortresses, the Kremlin sits atop a labyrinth of secret passageways. There’s the haunted Neglinnaya river tunnel, for example, the Syani stone mines where the city sourced limestone for construction, and, although it’s yet to be found, the library of Ivan the Terrible. Excavations for the latter have all turned up nothing but tunnels: “endless tunnels, buried, stoned in, heading in unknown directions”. While the search was called off, however—in part because of damage to foundations—the library’s still thought to be down there, along with its priceless collection. 

What has been found are the dungeons under two of the Kremlin’s towers, in one of which Ivan the Terrible imprisoned Prince Andrei Khovansky. Those condemned to torture were kept gagged and chained to the wall, allowed to speak only when addressed by their captors. The nearby dungeons of the Cathedral of the Archangel kept prisoners of the church, people who owed it money, on painful posts known as “penitence chairs”. Just next door are the cathedral’s stone treasuries, built to withstand both fires and theft.

Much more recently constructed was the Metro-2, a parallel subway system built, in secret, around the same time as the main one. Intended to evacuate the government, it runs as deep as 250 meters in places. And not much is known about it, either, except that it does exist; Moscow’s first post-Soviet mayor confirmed that in 2006. 

4. New York’s abandoned subways

There are numerous disused rail tunnels under New York City. Track 61 beneath the Waldorf Astoria is among the most storied, having once carried presidents and generals like Roosevelt and MacArthur. In 2003, it was even considered as an escape route for George Bush and his lackeys. It has also hosted a fashion show and an Andy Warhol event. Other subways were constructed for the mail, such as the Farley-Morgan Postal Tunnel under 9th Avenue. Although it’s sealed off now, it was briefly used in 2004 to sneak guests between venues for the Republican National Convention. 

The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel under Brooklyn, meanwhile, has been abandoned since 1861—less than 20 years after it was built in 1844. It’s the oldest subway in the world and was only briefly reopened in 1918 to look for Germans.

But there’s a lot more under New York besides subways. One of the most interesting and unique tunnels is the 66-kilometer underground aqueduct between Bryant Park and the Croton River in Westchester. Disused since the 1950s, this “perfectly preserved” tunnel—the 1842 Croton Aqueduct—once carried millions of gallons of water to the city. It was all stored at the Distributing Reservoir in Bryant Park, a vast, 16,000-square-meter structure resembling an ancient Egyptian temple. It was actually thanks to this place, the solution to Manhattan’s disgusting sanitation problems, that the city is still there today.

3. Rome’s ancient quarries

So extensive are the ancient tunnels and quarries under Rome, dating back to the founding of the city, that it’s common for sinkholes to form and for buildings on the surface to collapse. It was only in 2013 that geologists mapped the network, amid an increasing number of such incidents. There were 44 collapses in 2011, followed by 77 in 2012, and 83 by December 2013. Residents have usually patched up the damage themselves using big plastic bags of cement.

The original ancient Roman tunnelers actually tried to guard against this happening (in their own day, at least) by keeping the passageways narrow. This ensured the surface was still largely supported. Over time, however, the exposed rock has weathered. Not only that but later generations have widened the original tunnels and kept building more.

Although they’re not open to the public, they’ve been used by Romans down the ages as catacombs, sewers, and mushroom farms, as well as shelters in the Second World War.

2. London’s tunnels of intrigue

With its dungeons, crypts, and catacombs, 13 underground rivers, and plague pits from the mid-1300s, the history of London lies just below the surface. More recently, however, officials confirmed what urban explorers have known for decades: the existence of a sprawling network of underground tunnels connecting government buildings with secret chambers. According to the Land Registry in 2017, most of them were built by the Post Office, British Telecom, and the Ministry of Defence.

One of the more interesting parts of the network, the Postmaster General’s tunnel, runs from the East End of London to what used to be the War Office at 57 Whitehall (now an overpriced hotel). At various points along the way, elevator shafts connect it to government departments and telephone exchanges. Deep under High Holborn Street, not far from Whitehall, one such exchange was built as a government bomb shelter, complete with a restaurant, games rooms, and two bars (one for tea and one for booze).

The tunnels have, officially, been out of use since the Cold War era, but they were never opened up to the public. While those who’ve managed to sneak down there do say it’s like a time capsule, untouched in decades, they’ve only seen parts. Access to the deeper levels is suspiciously bricked off, the lights are kept on, and trespassers are disproportionately punished.

1. Beijing’s underground city

Built to hold 40% of citizens in the event of a war with Russia, Beijing’s dixia cheng (“underground city”) covers a remarkable 85 square kilometers—all hand-dug by citizens during the Cold War. It’s also known as the “underground Great Wall of China”, for its massive scale. But you’re not allowed to see it. 

The official guided tour takes in only a small, looping, and commercialized fraction of the whole. The rest of the corridors, tunnels and bunkers are said to be inhabited by up to one million homeless—the so-called Rat Tribe (who presumably stand to inherit the Earth). But that sounds too good to be true. While some of dixia cheng has been converted to low-cost, sub-standard apartments, it’s hard to imagine the CCP leaving all of it to poor people and tramps when there are hundreds of more selfish uses. With 90 entrances across the city, for example, its potential for “disappearing” citizens is obvious.

In any case, whatever’s really down there, it was built for long-term habitation, with storage for grain and space for mushroom farming, as well as restaurants, barber shops, a cinema, classrooms and anything else to help persuade citizens that things were still normal.

In cities the majority of space is off-limits. Parks and streets may account for up to half the total area, but when you factor in the vertical axis—the floors inside buildings (many of them empty)—you get a different picture. And that’s just the space that we know about. Often there’s a lot more underground.

In order of size, here are 10 of the most spectacular subterranean sights you’re forbidden from seeing or, in some cases, even from knowing they exist…

10. Mumbai’s imperial underworld

When an occupying force takes over your country, it tends to cut you out of the loop. Hence, whenever Indian construction workers find structures under cities once controlled by the British, they don’t know what they were built for. The vault beneath Kolkata’s National Library, for instance, might have been anything from a treasury to a torture chamber—or, as it eventually turned out, just part of the building’s foundations. 

Mumbai has a veritable underworld of abandoned imperial structures, from the 13-room bunker under Raj Bhavan (the seat of city government) to the kilometer-long tunnel under the old General Post Office.

Another mystery was unearthed as recently as 2022: a 200-meter tunnel under Mumbai’s JJ Hospital, a building whose foundations were laid by the British governor. Appearing on no maps, it was only discovered in a water leak survey. And it was blocked at one end so it wasn’t clear where it once led. While it’s thought to have been to a neighboring hospital, it remains something of a mystery for now—as does the number of underground structures that remain to be found in Mumbai.

9. LA’s prohibition partyways

While the rest of America endured its first War on Drugs—the doomed-to-fail prohibition of alcohol—the mayor of LA kept the hooch flowing through a network of underground service tunnels. These were also the routes by which the flappers and dapper gents of the city’s roaring party scene got from one bar to the next without hassle. Originally built as service tunnels, and for a subway to ease traffic on the surface, they ran for more than 17 kilometers connecting basements converted to speakeasies.

One such bar was the King Eddy Saloon. Established almost 20 years before Prohibition, it moved underground to survive—transforming its above-ground premises into a piano store. Others include the Edison, in the basement of the city’s first privately owned power plant, and Cole’s, under the Pacific Electric building. Patrons of all these establishments, armed with a password, stumbled around wasted, completely unseen by police and paparazzi.

Despite their historic significance, the passages and basements are now closed to the public and even largely unmapped. Many are flooded and crumbling. Just like in the old days, however, those in the know can find their way in—as evidenced by the tunnels’ graffiti. According to Atlas Obscura, there’s an “easy-to-miss elevator” on Temple Street. And there’s also, apparently, an entrance off the subway from Downtown to Hollywood.

8. Havana’s secret chambers

In the early 1990s, the Cuban government was reported to have secretly built more than 33 kilometers of tunnels under Havana. These were to serve as bomb shelters amid escalating threats of invasion by the United States.

Known as the Popular Tunnels, they were manually dug by hundreds of laborers and their entrances carefully hidden. But these were just the latest of a long tradition of tunneling under Cuba. All the way back in 1929, the New York Times reported on the discovery of five secret chambers under Havana’s City Hall.

7. Tokyo’s hidden network

From rivers and forgotten canals to the world’s largest sewer system, there’s plenty below Tokyo that we know about. But there may a lot more. When journalist Shun Akiba compared an old map to a new one, he found differences suggesting not only unknown tunnels but an effort to cover them up. Whereas the new map showed subway tunnels crossing in Nagata-cho, for instance, close to the National Diet building (the seat of government), the old map showed them as parallel. Shun also found evidence of an underground complex between the National Diet and the prime minister’s residence. He also remarked on the mysterious tunnels leading off the Ginza Line.

Official enquiries got him nowhere, he said, lips were “zipped tight” despite his respectable professional background as a war correspondent for Asahi TV. From what he’s seen, Shun believes there must be close to 2,000 km of tunnels beneath the city—eight times the stated 250 km. And many of them (the Namboku, Hanzomon, and O-Edo lines, for instance) were built long before their conversion for trains. That the Chiyoda line platform at Kokkai-gijidomae, the National Diet station, is the deepest in Tokyo, suggests it was built as a bomb shelter. Yet old blueprints show another level even deeper. There’s also the mystery of the Yurakucho line, which, with its high ceilings and military facilities on route, is rumored to be a secret road used by the military. Although the network dates back to World War Two and the Cold War era, the continued silence from officials suggests they may still be in use.

6. Washington’s whack-a-mole hidey-holes

The two main parties of the military-industrial regime based out of Washington have plenty in common, but one thing stands out: they’re both afraid of the public. Hence their underground tunnels to get from one building to another—tunnels they’re advised to make use of. Some of these famously served as evacuation routes during the 2021 Capitol siege, but they are in fact used every day just to avoid going outside.

According to The Drive, there’s “a labyrinth of at least 19 underground passages on Capitol Hill”,  not only for people but vehicles as well. The oldest date back to the 1800s, when they were built for water and ventilation, as well as to transport books by electrical conveyor belt between the Capitol and Library of Congress. When the Russell building was finished in the early 1900s, it came complete with a subway car system in a tunnel so fortified that it was, many years later, designated as a fallout shelter. As other buildings followed, the tunnel network grew. And nowadays the Cannon Tunnel, between the Cannon building and the Capitol, is more like an underground town with “a shoe repair store, post office, credit union, and cafeteria.”

Among the most recent major works was a 54,000-square-meter expansion of the Capitol building’s underground complex. This added three underground stories to the existing network with links to nearby offices and a 305-meter tunnel to the northwest, officially built for screening garbage trucks for explosives. That was in the 2000s, amid growing secrecy regarding Washington’s underworld—not to mention the tunnels and bunkers that lie deep under the White House.

5. Moscow’s many secrets

The largest of Europe’s old fortresses, the Kremlin sits atop a labyrinth of secret passageways. There’s the haunted Neglinnaya river tunnel, for example, the Syani stone mines where the city sourced limestone for construction, and, although it’s yet to be found, the library of Ivan the Terrible. Excavations for the latter have all turned up nothing but tunnels: “endless tunnels, buried, stoned in, heading in unknown directions”. While the search was called off, however—in part because of damage to foundations—the library’s still thought to be down there, along with its priceless collection. 

What has been found are the dungeons under two of the Kremlin’s towers, in one of which Ivan the Terrible imprisoned Prince Andrei Khovansky. Those condemned to torture were kept gagged and chained to the wall, allowed to speak only when addressed by their captors. The nearby dungeons of the Cathedral of the Archangel kept prisoners of the church, people who owed it money, on painful posts known as “penitence chairs”. Just next door are the cathedral’s stone treasuries, built to withstand both fires and theft.

Much more recently constructed was the Metro-2, a parallel subway system built, in secret, around the same time as the main one. Intended to evacuate the government, it runs as deep as 250 meters in places. And not much is known about it, either, except that it does exist; Moscow’s first post-Soviet mayor confirmed that in 2006. 

4. New York’s abandoned subways

There are numerous disused rail tunnels under New York City. Track 61 beneath the Waldorf Astoria is among the most storied, having once carried presidents and generals like Roosevelt and MacArthur. In 2003, it was even considered as an escape route for George Bush. It has also hosted a fashion show and an Andy Warhol event. Other subways were constructed for the mail, such as the Farley-Morgan Postal Tunnel under 9th Avenue. Although it’s sealed off now, it was briefly used in 2004 to sneak guests between venues for the Republican National Convention. 

The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel under Brooklyn, meanwhile, has been abandoned since 1861—less than 20 years after it was built in 1844. It’s the oldest subway in the world and was only briefly reopened in 1918 to look for Germans.

But there’s a lot more under New York besides subways. One of the most interesting and unique tunnels is the 66-kilometer underground aqueduct between Bryant Park and the Croton River in Westchester. Disused since the 1950s, this “perfectly preserved” tunnel—the 1842 Croton Aqueduct—once carried millions of gallons of water to the city. It was all stored at the Distributing Reservoir in Bryant Park, a vast, 16,000-square-meter structure resembling an ancient Egyptian temple. It was actually thanks to this place, the solution to Manhattan’s disgusting sanitation problems, that the city is still there today.

3. Rome’s ancient quarries

So extensive are the ancient tunnels and quarries under Rome, dating back to the founding of the city, that it’s common for sinkholes to form and for buildings on the surface to collapse. It was only in 2013 that geologists mapped the network, amid an increasing number of such incidents. There were 44 collapses in 2011, followed by 77 in 2012, and 83 by December 2013. Residents have usually patched up the damage themselves using big plastic bags of cement.

The original Ancient Roman tunnelers actually tried to guard against this happening (in their own day, at least) by keeping the passageways narrow. This ensured the surface was still largely supported. Over time, however, the exposed rock has weathered. Not only that but later generations have widened the original tunnels and kept building more.

Although they’re not open to the public, they’ve been used by Romans down the ages as catacombs, sewers, and mushroom farms, as well as shelters in the Second World War.

2. London’s tunnels of intrigue

With its dungeons, crypts, and catacombs, 13 underground rivers, and plague pits from the mid-1300s, the history of London lies just below the surface. More recently, however, officials confirmed what urban explorers have known for decades: the existence of a sprawling network of underground tunnels connecting government buildings with secret chambers. According to the Land Registry in 2017, most of them were built by the Post Office, British Telecom, and the Ministry of Defence.

One of the more interesting parts of the network, the Postmaster General’s tunnel, runs from the East End of London to what used to be the War Office at 57 Whitehall (now an overpriced hotel). At various points along the way, elevator shafts connect it to government departments and telephone exchanges. Deep under High Holborn Street, not far from Whitehall, one such exchange was built as a government bomb shelter, complete with a restaurant, games rooms, and two bars (one for tea and one for booze).

The tunnels have, officially, been out of use since the Cold War era, but they were never opened up to the public. While those who’ve managed to sneak down there do say it’s like a time capsule, untouched in decades, they’ve only seen parts. Access to the deeper levels is suspiciously bricked off, the lights are kept on, and trespassers are disproportionately punished.

1. Beijing’s underground city

Built to hold 40% of citizens in the event of a war with Russia, Beijing’s dixia cheng (“underground city”) covers a remarkable 85 square kilometers—all hand-dug by citizens during the Cold War. It’s also known as the “underground Great Wall of China”, for its massive scale. But you’re not allowed to see it. 

The official guided tour takes in only a small, looping, and commercialized fraction of the whole. The rest of the corridors, tunnels and bunkers are said to be inhabited by up to one million homeless—the so-called Rat Tribe (who presumably stand to inherit the Earth). But that sounds too good to be true. While some of dixia cheng has been converted to low-cost, sub-standard apartments, it’s hard to imagine the CCP leaving all of it to poor people and tramps when there are hundreds of more selfish uses. With 90 entrances across the city, for example, its potential for “disappearing” citizens is obvious.

In any case, whatever’s really down there, it was built for long-term habitation, with storage for grain and space for mushroom farming, as well as restaurants, barber shops, a cinema, classrooms and anything else to help persuade citizens that things were still normal.

Lost cities have long been the subject of fascination. Places like Atlantis, El Dorado, or the Lost City Of Z have stirred all sorts of wild theories and deadly expeditions but to no avail. Others like Troy, Petra, Memphis, or Machu Pichu have since been rediscovered. When it comes to lost cities, we tend to think of mysterious faraway places. Yet too, the Old Continent has its fair share. Some of these long-lost European cities were only recently discovered by accident, others still remain missing, while some have since entered the realm of myth and legend.

10. Jomsborg (Poland or Germany)

Made recently popular by the second season of Vikings: Valhalla TV show, Jomsborg was a fortified settlement and home of the Jomsvikings. Located somewhere on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, most likely in what is now northwestern Poland, Jomsborg is believed to have existed between around 960 and 1043 AD.

Its inhabitants, the Jomsvikings, were a group of Viking warriors who, although strongly believed in the old Norse gods, were mercenaries and fought for whoever paid better. Some have claimed the Jomsvikings were an elite group of men 18 to 50 years old who adhered to a strict code of conduct. They were allowed to join only after defeating another member in single combat. They were also forbidden to quarrel among themselves, show fear, flee in the face of an equal or inferior enemy, or badmouth their brothers in arms, among other things. 

The exact location of Jomsborg, however, remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. In fact, some scholars aren’t even convinced it ever existed, dismissing it as mere legend. The most comprehensive mentions of the fortress and its warriors are in the Icelandic sagas, particularly The Saga of the Jomsvikings from the 13th century. After a couple of serious defeats on the field of battle, the Jomsvikings’ power and influence began to wane, culminating with the siege and destruction of Jomsborg in 1043 by the King of Norway, Magnus Olafsson, also known as “the Good”.   

One possible location for Jomsborg is in or around the present-day town of Wolin, in present-day northwestern Poland, on the island with the same name. Although historical sources seem to indicate this area, archeological evidence doesn’t completely corroborate it. Another possible location would be on Usedom Island next to Wolin, on the German side of the Oder River, on land that is now submerged.   

9. Seuthopolis (Bulgaria)

Founded sometime during the last quarter of the 4th century BC by King Seuthes III, Seuthopolis was the capital city of the Odrysian Kingdom. This was a Thracian kingdom that came into existence due, in large part, to the retreat of the Persians from Europe as a result of their failed invasion of Greece in 479 BC and the power vacuum they left behind. A longtime ally of Athens, the Odrysian Kingdom became the largest political entity in the eastern Balkans, encompassing much of today’s Bulgaria, Northern Greece, Southeastern Romania, and European Turkey. However, before the foundation of Seuthopolis, there was no fixed capital.

Lost for centuries, Seuthopolis was only discovered in 1948 during the construction of the Koprinka Reservoir in the Rose Valley, central Bulgaria. Archeological digs uncovered Seuthopolis as an elite Thracian settlement with numerous Greek-Hellenistic influences. Although different enough not to be equated to a true Hellenic polis, Seuthopolis had Greek-style houses and buildings. It also had two main roads that intersected in the center of the settlement, creating an agora. Most of the streets were paved, had underground drains, and were built in a grid pattern to create rectangular insulae. 

But unlike typical Greek-Hellenistic towns, the common people of Seuthopolis lived outside the city walls. Its buildings were typically spacious and luxurious and had ample space between them. The king’s palace was also separated from the rest of the town by walls and watchtowers. This points to a lack of “national unity” within the Odrysian Kingdom, with the king being more of an overlord over other tribal leaders. Another distinctive feature is that every house had its own altar, known as eschar, common in the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Other similar archeological and historical evidence points to Seuthopolis being a religious center and Seuthes a priest-king. 

8. Noreia (Austria)

Located somewhere on the eastern slopes of the Alps in present-day southern Austria, Noreia was described by Julius Caesar as the capital city of the Kingdom of Noricum. Known to the Romans as regnum Noricum, this was a Celtic kingdom comprised predominantly of the Taurisci; the largest of the Norici tribes. At its largest extent, Noricum was comprised of modern central Austria, parts of southern Bavaria, and northern Slovenia. 

As early as 500 BC, the Celts discovered that the iron ore mined in the area produced high-quality steel and established a major industry around it. Starting from around 200 BC, Noricum became a strong ally to the Roman Republic, providing it with superior weapons and tools in exchange for military support. In fact, the Romans came to the aid of the Norici when a large host of two Germanic tribes, the Cimbri and the Teutones, descended upon their territory. Although the Battle of Noreia in 112 BC resulted in a resounding defeat for the Romans, they would go on to win the Cimbric War that followed.  

The exact location of the battle and the capital city of the Kingdom of Noricum are still debated today. Even Pliny the Elder, who lived during the 1st century AD, already referred to Noreia as a lost city during his lifetime. To confuse matters further, Noriea was also the name of the national goddess of Noricum. For this reason, the name could have been given to more than one place. 

7. Castro (Italy)

Located in modern-day Lazio on the western side of Lake Bolsena, Castro was an ancient city founded during prehistoric times. It was later inhabited by the Etruscans, probably being their own lost city of Statonia. In 1537, Pope Paul III created the Dutchy of Castro, made the city of Castro its capital, and installed his son, Pier Luigi Farnese, as its Duke.

The Farnese Family remained in charge of both the Dutchy and the city until 1649 when they came to butt heads with Pope Innocent X over past grievances. The Pope also accused Ranuccio II Farnese of assassinating the newly appointed bishop of Castro and marched the Papal armies to battle. In August, the Duke lost the war and on September 2, 1649, the city was completely leveled on the Pope’s orders. 

In a final act of revenge, the Pope also raised a column among the smoldering ruins with the inscription Quì fu Castro (Here stood Castro). The city was never resettled and is now an overgrown ruin in an, otherwise, picturesque location overlooking the countryside. 

6. Evonium (Scotland)

First mentioned in the 16th century by the Scottish humanist and historian Hector Boece, Evonium was the coronation site and seat of power of forty Scottish kings. Evonium was supposedly built by the 12th king, Evenus I (98-79 BC) who named it after himself. Being heavily intertwined with myth and legend, however, Boece’s writings, as well as the list of ancient Scottish kings going back to 330 BC, should be taken with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, the genealogy of these semi-mythical monarchs was in place at least as early as the 13th century AD.

Evonium is believed by many to be at Dunstaffnage, close to the town of Oban in western Scotland. Yet, Scottish historian AJ Morton argues that if Evonium ever truly existed, it would have probably been at Irvine further to the south. Among his other arguments, Morton points to Irvine’s significant strategic importance as both an administrative and military center during the Middle Ages compared to Dunstaffnage’s remote location. He also points to Irvine’s surrounding lands being known historically as Cunninghame, which could be translated as “king’s home,” as well as the many old Scottish rulers who either came from or lived in the area. 

In any case, given the unreliable nature of the available evidence, Evonium could be somewhat seen as the Scottish version of the English Camelot; a legendary and romanticized seat of power instead of an actual historical location. 

5. Pavlopetri (Greece)

In 1967, on the southern tip of the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece, marine geo-archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Flemming uncovered the ancient ruins of a long-lost settlement. Pavlopetri (Paul’s Stone) is considered to be the oldest underwater city in the Mediterranean and among the oldest in the world. 

Initially believed to date back to the Mycenaean period (between 1600 to 1100 BC), further investigations revealed that it was inhabited as early as the Final Neolithic around 3500 BC. Archeological studies have also shown that the settlement was a major trade port and had a significant textile industry. Cist graves and chamber tombs were also found, indicating a stratification of social classes within the city. The ruins still hold their original layout since they were never built over or were affected by centuries of agriculture. 

The ancient Greek settlement is believed to have slowly gone beneath the waves after a series of several earthquakes spanning many centuries. Researchers hypothesize that back when it was first founded, Pavlopetri stood roughly seven to ten feet above sea level. By 1200 BC, it was only about three feet above the shoreline. Further tectonic activity finally pushed it down some 13 feet below sea level sometime around 480 to 650 AD.   

4. Vicina (Romania)

Located somewhere on the Lower Danube in present-day southeastern Romania, the town of Vicina was once the most flourishing trading hub in the region. Its main advantage, but what scholars also believe led to its eventual demise was the specific geopolitical circumstances in the region at the time. Vicina was built by the Genovese as an Emporia (tradepost) sometime during the 10th century. The town reached its peak during the 13th century, went into decline during the mid-14th century, and eventually disappeared from records by the end of the 15th. 

At the time, the Danube Delta was the meeting point between the Byzantine Empire, the Golden Horde, and the West. And being located on a major navigable river, Vicina was strategically placed to conduct trade between them. The Mongol conquest of the surrounding region during the 13th century also led to a relatively peaceful time for the inhabitants known as the Pax Mongolica, which further facilitated commerce. Vicina was ruled at different times by either the Genovese, the Pechenegs, Byzantines, Mongols, Turks, or Tatars yet trade was never interrupted – quite the contrary – as all parties benefited. 

Its decline began in the aftermath of the Genovese-Byzantine War of 1351-1352 when the Byzantines lost their foothold in the Lower Danube. The power vacuum and increased instability in the region led to the rearrangement of the regional trade routes with the West through the port in Braila on the more peaceful Wallachian side of the river. Some scholars also believe Vicina’s complete disappearance resulted from a natural phenomenon not simply geopolitical factors. Based on some maps and descriptions at the time, they believe this once mighty trade center was located on an island that eventually sank beneath the river. 

3. The Ring (Hungary)

After the death of Attila de Hun, aka the Scourge of God, and the dissolution of the Hunnic Empire in 469 AD, Europe was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, this was not to last as another group of warmongering horse lords from the Mongolian Steppes, the Avars, was to take their place soon after. 

In 567 AD, Under King Bayan I the Avars defeated the Gepids in the Pannonian Plain and made it their home. Incidentally, the Gepids were the same people who drove out the Huns from there roughly 100 years prior. Some accounts even say that Bayan killed the Gepid king Cunimund and turned his skull into a wine cup. Over the coming years, the Avars under Bayan I would expand their newly-formed Khaganate in all directions, subjugating the local populace and using them as “cannon fodder” in their future wars. 

According to historian Erik Hildinger, “The Avars established their headquarters near Attila’s old capital of a hundred years before and fortified it. It was known as The Ring.” The name probably comes from its circular shape but not much else is known about it. Over the coming centuries, they would conduct many raids, particularly against the Byzantines in the Balkans’ even laying siege to Constantinople at one point.  

It was with Charlemagne of the Franks, who rose to power in 768 AD, that the Avars finally met their match. He led several successful campaigns that eventually pushed the Avars into a disastrous civil war in 794 AD. Charlemagne was then able to easily capture The Ring the next year, which was laden with centuries’ worth of plundered treasure. It’s said that fifteen wagons, pulled by four oxen each, were needed to haul this hoard back to Paris. The exact location of The Avar Ring is unknown but it’s believed to be somewhere in Hungary between the Danube and Tisza Rivers. 

2. Rungholt (Germany)

Long believed to be a local legend and dubbed by some as the “Northern Atlantis,” the city of Rungholt in present-day northern Germany was very likely a real place. Although the exact location still remains unconfirmed, this once-flourishing trade port sank beneath the waves of the Wadden Sea in the second half of the 14th century AD. This was a period of extreme storm events in the North Sea area that caused many land losses by turning arable marshlands into tidal flats. This was the same fate that befell the medieval Uthland region of present-day North Frisia where Rungholt once stood. 

In mid-January 1362 a particularly devastating storm surge known as the Second Grote Mandrenke (2nd St. Marcellus’ flood) destroyed over 30 settlements and killed roughly 10,000 people in the area out of a total of roughly 25,000 across other parts of the North Sea coast, Britain, and Ireland. The storm also pushed the shoreline by many miles to roughly its present-day location. Rungholt was the largest of these settlements in the region and an important commercial node between Scandinavia, Northern Germany, Flanders, and England. Historians estimate that around 2,000 people (a third of the population of Hamburg at the time) lived in the city when the storm hit. 

1. Tartessos (Spain)

Even as early as the first millennium BC, Tartessos was known all across the Mediterranean as one of, if not the wealthiest city of its time. It was seen by many as a sort of “El Dorado” of the ancient world. Located on the southern coast of modern Andalusia in Spain, Tartessos was the name of both the region and the supposed harbor city. The Tartessian culture was a mix of Phoenician and Paleohispanic people who took great advantage of the rich metal ore deposits such as copper, tin, lead, silver, and gold. 

Thanks to these precious commodities, Tartessos’ wealth and fame even made it into the Bible in several chapters. One example is in the “Book of Kings 10:20” of the Old Testament, where it says that “For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish [Tartessos] with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.” 

And speaking of kings, Arganthonios (Argantonio in Spanish) was the most important leader of Tartessos who ruled from 630 BC to 550 BC. His name loosely translates to “King of Silver” or “The Silver One” which made some speculate that this was more of a title than an actual name. 

Given the semi-legendary nature of historical sources surrounding Tartessos, scholars long believed it to be a myth. In fact, due to Herodotus’ description of it being beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar), some have even gone as far as saying that Tartessos was actually the mythical Atlantis. To further give credence to this idea, the city of Tartessos is believed to have sunken somewhere in the present-day marshes of the Guadalquivir River, southwest of Seville, which at the time formed a navigable estuary that led into the Atlantic.

Despite what certain mainstream media outlets might lead one to believe, America is not going to hell in a hand basket. Pockets of radical protestors-turned-rioters and would-be vigilantes do not speak for the less vocal, more peaceful majority.

Recently we explored America’s ten most dangerous cities. And while it’s undeniable that the US has its share of urban blight and violence, it’s worth noting that, overall, violent crime in America has been on a downward trajectory for three decades. With that in mind, it’s time the cities with more nationally representative safety records had their say.

As with the dangerous cities compilation, this list is based on rates of violent crime (which includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) per the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most recent comprehensive figures from 2018. Only cities with at least 200,000 residents were considered for inclusion on this list.

Top 10 Incredibly Surreal Places on Earth

10 Laredo, Texas

Mayor: Pete Saenz (Democrat)
Population: 261,639

The predominantly Latino city of Laredo ranks as both one of America’s least racially diversified cities^[1] and one of its safest. Its violent crime rate of 377 incidents per 100,000 residents is 11% below the national average and 18% lower than the state of Texas.^[2] Hugging the Mexican border directly across the Rio Grande from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Laredo flies in the face of what too many Americans think of major cities.^[3] Laredo had just 10 homicides in 2018.

Though by no means affluent – its median household income of $39,400^[4] is a full $14,000 lower than the national average – Laredo has a thriving restaurant scene highlighted, of course, by unsurprisingly authentic Mexican cuisine. Texas A&M International University calls Laredo home and, despite being just the tenth largest city in Texas, the city has its own philharmonic orchestra and a popular semiprofessional soccer team.

No less than two dozen Catholic churches all offer mass en español and, each winter, the city hosts a nationally renowned birdwatching festival as well as an annual Mardi Gras–like celebration^[5] for George Washington’s birthday, featuring colonial costumes, pageants, balls and parades. Muy bueno… y muy segura.

9 Anaheim, California

Mayor: Harry Sidhu (Republican)
Population: 352,005

Despite the widely held, completely understandable urge to exterminate Mickey Mouse,^[6] Anaheim, California – home to the original Disneyland theme park – squeaks past Laredo for the #9 spot. In 2018, the city saw just seven murders, less than half the national average of five per 100,000 people.

Anaheim is a wealthy place, with a median household income approaching $60,000. Few major cities have median incomes surpassing the national average, since most high earners move to suburbs. However, California’s population is so massive – at 39.5 million residents, a full 12% of the US populace calls the Golden State home – that Anaheim, just ten miles southeast of Los Angeles, is essentially a suburb on steroids. It is both dense and affluent enough to host two professional sports teams, baseball’s Angels and hockey’s Mighty Ducks.

Still, Anaheim’s gravitational pull is centered squarely in Disneyland, which brings the city tourists, major business conventions and hospitality dollars that fuel its economy. Factoring in not only its 28,000 employees but the thousands of surrounding jobs it help create, Disneyland generates an estimated $5.7 billion^[7] for Southern California each year.

However, tourism inevitably breeds robbery (defined as theft via violence or threat of violence – basically mugging). Anaheim’s robbery rate of 114 per 100,000 is 28% above^[8] the national average – the lone Anaheim violent crime that outpaces the country at large.

8 Lexington, Kentucky

Mayor: Linda Gorton (Republican)
Population: 323,780

Nestled in the center of the state that brings us bourbon whiskey and bluegrass music, Lexington, Kentucky receives high marks for public schools and safety, and is often included on “best metro areas to live” lists.^[9]

Though Kentucky’s signature annual event, horseracing’s Kentucky Derby, is held 80 miles to the west in Louisville – the state’s largest city – Lexington’s star attractions include Kentucky Horse Park,^[10] a working horse farm, international equestrian competition venue and living museum. It is also home to the University of Kentucky, one of the more well-regarded major public colleges in the US.

Still, Lexington’s inclusion on this list comes with eyebrow-raising scrutiny: the reason it made the cut is that, in 2018, just 295 assaults were reported.^[11] That works out to 91 assaults per 100,000 residents; considering the national average of 247 assaults per 100,000 people, this figure is likely too good to be true. Further, assaults are by far the most common violent crime committed in America; robbery, at 86 incidents per 100,000, is a distant second. If Lexington’s 2018 assault statistic is accurate, that means it inexplicably had less assaults than robberies (422), and nearly as many rapes (243) as assaults.

7 Boise, Idaho

Mayor: Lauren McLean (Democrat)
Population: 228,790

Idaho’s largest city and capital is the first on this list with a violent crime rate under 200 per 100,000 residents: at 277 per 100,000, Boise’s stats are 27% lower^[12] than the national average. In 2018, the city reported just one murder.

In addition to its safety record, Boise’s relatively affordable home prices and well-rated public school system helped is rank #17 in U.S. News & World Report’s list of best metro areas to live in the nation. Though borrowed from its earliest settlers – who, upon surveying the surrounding Treasure Valley region, were impressed by its vast forestland – Boise’s nickname, the City of Trees, is today bolstered by one of the most picturesque botanical gardens in the country.^[13]

Ironically, one of Boise’s few problems derives from its own attractiveness: the city’s high quality of life has led to an influx of newcomers in what many are calling the city’s looming “Californiacation”^[14] – a term used when increased demand begins to drive up home prices, increase traffic and, through sheer classroom sizes, decrease the overall quality of public schools. It is projected that the Boise metro area, which currently has about 700,000 residents, will swell to nearly 800,000 by 2025 – an anticipated population growth of 15% in just half a decade.

Unfortunately, Boise’s mayor Lauren McLean is the subject of an ongoing recall attempt due to leaked reports of policies being proposed to defund law enforcement and implement sanctuary city status.^[15]

6 Irving, Texas

Mayor: Rick Stopfer (Republican)
Population: 242,242

Adjacent to a major city in the nation’s second most populous state, Irving, Texas has an advantage similar to the one enjoyed by Anaheim, California: it is essentially a sprawling suburb of Dallas, much of which – like Disneyland in Anaheim – are planned communities with the benefit of foresight. It’s easier to make the safe cities list when your area’s urban blight are in the larger, older metropolis just outside town limits – one whose violent crime rate is double the national average.^[16]

Still, credit where credit is due: Irving is a very attractive city with a sterling safety record. Its violent crime rate of 209 incidents per 100,000 residents is 45% lower than the national average, and basically half of Texas’ statistics.^[17] Irving also benefits from a strong regional economy; the entirety of its metro area (Dallas-Fort Worth) had a pre-pandemic unemployment rate under 3%, one reason Irving has been called one of the best cities to relocate for career purposes.

Oh – and Irving also has the world’s largest horse sculpture, a distinction so arcane that its inclusion in this narrative is mandatory regardless the theme. It is also home to the Ruth Paine House,^[18] where Lee Harvey Oswald stayed with his estranged wife, Marina, the night before he assassinated president Kennedy.

10 Post-Apocalyptic Places Transformed Into Stunning Landmarks

5 Henderson, Nevada

Mayor: Debra March (Democrat)
Population: 310,390

Henderson is the safer little sibling to its big brother’s legendary debauchery. Just southeast of Las Vegas, Henderson is a largely planned super-suburb so vast that the satellite city is also Nevada’s second largest. A delightful dichotomy, Henderson offers convenient proximity to Sin City’s famous Strip while offering a compelling outdoorsy lifestyle highlighted by gems like Lake Mead and Clark County Wetlands Park.

Henderson enjoys the benefits of Las Vegas – good-paying jobs, eclectic dining, world-class entertainment – without its drawbacks. Millions of tourists and non-stop partying are a recipe for robbery and rape, and Vegas doubles the national average in both.^[19] By contrast, Henderson’s violent crime rate is 188 per 100;000 residents – less than half^[20] the national average. Its assault rate of 92 per 100;000 is 63% lower than the country at large.

Due mostly to Las Vegas’ longstanding boom, Henderson is also exceptionally affluent. Its median household income of $72,884^[21] is more than $13,000 above the country at large, and its average property value approaches $340,000, pointing to high real estate demand as newcomers continue to flock to one of the nation’s fastest-growing metro areas.

4 Scottsdale, Arizona

Mayor: Jim Lane (Republican)
Population: 255,310

Like Henderson, NV, Scottsdale, Arizona is an enclave of a larger metropolitan area; like Anaheim, it is also a destination unto itself. Known for its luxurious spas and pristine golf courses, Scottsdale is a desert oasis 12 miles east of Phoenix, a boomtown of 1.6 million residents boasting the country’s fastest-growing population.^[22]

Scottsdale is as safe as it is beautiful. Its violent crime rate of 166 incidents per 100,000 residents is 57% lower than the national average. The city only reported seven murders in 2018 and, considering the fact that Scottsdale draws nine million tourists per year^[23] – 36 times its population – its robbery rate of 34 per100,000 is incredibly low (less than half the national average).

Scottsdale is, unsurprisingly, also quite wealthy. Like Henderson, its median household income is north of $72,000, and an impressive 81% of Scottsdale residents own their homes,^[24] a key indicator given the city’s lofty median home value of $483,000.

3 Plano, Texas

Mayor: Harry LaRosiliere (Republican)
Population: 288,061

Plano is a rarity possible only in places, like Texas, with tremendously large populations: it is simultaneously its own medium-sized city and an exurb^[25] of a major one. Dallas, the only city with two “safest city” satellites, is 20 miles to the south. Home to Fortune 500 companies like beverage behemoth Dr. Pepper-Snapple and marketing metrics giant Alliance Data, Plano is a self-sustaining economic base while also being commutable to the “big city” and its skyscraper office towers. These two factors add up to low unemployment and good-paying jobs; in fact, at $93,012, Plano boasts the second highest median income on a list of mostly affluent cities.

Given its advantages, Plano is about as safe as you’d expect. Its violent crime rate of 139 incidents per 100,000 residents is 64% below^[26] the national average. Only five murders were reported in 2018, and its assault rate of 72 per 100,000 is 3 1/2 times less than the country at large.

Plano has several charming attractions. The Heritage Farmstead Museum features a restored 19th-Century farm with original tools, furniture and a replica 1895 schoolroom, while the Interurban Railway Museum offers a vintage rail car ride along the Texas Electric Railway. A number of bucolic trails wind through Oak Point Park nature reserve, and just northeast of town lies Southfork Ranch^[27] – the iconic setting of the long-running TV series, “Dallas.”

2 Virginia Beach, Virginia

Mayor: Bob Dyer (Republican)
Population: 442,707

Capped off by a three-mile long boardwalk spanning several beautiful, well-maintained beaches, Virginia Beach – the state’s largest city – attracts nearly 20 million visitors^[28] each year, placing it among the most popular family vacation spots on the East Coast. Amid a bevy of beach town resorts, the boardwalk is a destination unto itself, featuring several theme parks, games, arcades, fishing piers and even its own guided dine-around tour.

The extent to which tourists – especially distracted families – attract opportunistic criminals cannot be understated. Crooks have been ripping off and robbing vacationers since the advent of leisure travel and, considering this, Virginia Beach’s violent crime rate of 117 incidents per 100,000 residents – nearly 70% less than the national average – is extraordinarily low. Its robbery rate is less than half the nation’s norm, assaults come in more than four times lower, and in 2018 the city reported just seven murders.

But it’s the scarcity of one non-violent crime in particular that exemplifies Virginia Beach’s exceptional safety: theft. Despite a family tourism-driven economy that constitutes a pickpocket’s dream, the city’s theft rate is lower than the national average.

Virginia Beach’s economic stats are typical of so safe a city: its median household income of $75,623 far outpaces the national average, and its average home sale price of $315,000 (and rising)^[29] is high considering many sales are vacation condo units rather than standalone primary houses.

1 Irvine, California

Mayor: Christina Shea (Republican)
Population: 282,572

Irvine is about as planned as a full-scale city can get. Founded by the Irvine Company in the 1960s, the Orange County municipality lies in the southeast quadrant of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, just outside Its listmate, Anaheim.

Whatever the plan was for the 66-square-mile city, it worked: Irvine is by far America’s safest urban landscape. At 56 incidents per 100,000 residents, Irvine’s violent crime rate is less than half that of this list’s runner-up, and 85% lower^[30] than the national average. In fact, in 2018 none of the four offenses comprising violent crime – murder, rape, robbery and assault – reached triple digits in Irvine, and that same year the city didn’t report a single murder.

Part of Irvine’s well-thought-out pleasantness is a healthy mix of commerce, culture and outdoor experience. The Irvine Spectrum Center is one of Southern California’s most popular shopping, dining and entertainment lifestyle destinations, and its Pretend City Children’s Museum frequently shows up on “best of” lists compiled by prominent parenting outlets. Meanwhile, San Jaoquin Wildlife Sanctuary is one of Southern California’s most highly touted.

Several large tech companies call Irvine home, as does the headquarters for Taco Bell (yuck) and In-N-Out Burger (yum). It’s median income of $95,573^[31] outpaces the national average by over 50%.

Top 10 Places Famous For Bizarre Reasons

While underground isn’t anyone’s favorite place to live, cultures throughout history have experimented with the idea in one way or another. Even today, one can visit the remains of many fascinating underground cities and structures around the world – from the haunted vaults below Edinburgh to the vast network of catacombs beneath Odessa.

10. Matmata Underground Houses, Tunisia

Matmata is a Berber-speaking town in southern Tunisia known for its unique, underground houses carved out of the hillside. Also known as troglodyte houses, they were originally built to protect against the harsh hot and cold seasons of the region. However, many of them now lie unused and in need of repairs, with a few converted into hotels or other tourist sites. (Thanks in large part due to the fact they were used in Star Wars.) While we’re not sure exactly when they were built, they could go as far back as the 11th century, when the first Berber-speaking population moved and settled in the area. 

The houses themselves are ingeniously built, with a network of tunnels connecting different sections like the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. Apart from protection against tough weather, the fortified nature of the structures would have also protected against raiders and hostile states, as the Berber people were often persecuted by the more powerful Arab states in the region. 

9. Vladivostok Fortress, Russia

Built in the 19th century as a Russian imperial base, Vladivostok is now a historical site located in the far-eastern Primorsky Krai region. It was one of the most impressive maritime fortresses of its time, constructed primarily for defense against Japan and other enemy attacks from the east. For a long time, the fortified city and its underground chambers housed the imperial Russian fleet, making it a potential target during a major war. 

Today, the network of underground tunnels and bunkers beneath the port city has been turned into a heritage site, including a museum of objects that once belonged to the imperial Pacific fleet. Apart from vaults, passageways, and warehouses, the fortress also has a variety of bomb shelters and water reservoirs in case of a siege. Despite its age and wear-and-tear, the fortress remains in a relatively good condition, with much of its original structure still intact.

8. Coober Pedy Mining Town, Australia

The mining town of Coober Pedy in south Australia was built in 1915, after a large quantity of opals was accidentally discovered in the area by a little boy. By 1920, it had turned into a small city, as early residents began living and working underground to escape the extreme heat, building houses, churches, hotels, and small businesses to sustain the settlement. As demand for opals grew globally, Coober Pedy soon became a thriving center for opal mining, with miners and mining companies from all over the world flocking to the area to make their fortunes. 

As of now, Coober Pedy is still a working opal mining town, with about 60% of its total 3,500 population living underground. Despite the especially-harsh conditions of the region and limited natural resources, the town has managed to survive and turn itself into a popular tourist destination over the years. 

7. Tunnels Of Moose Jaw, Canada

The tunnels of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan, Canada were built during the early 1900s, back when anti-Chinese hysteria was gaining ground across Canada and the United States – a historical phenomenon we now know as the Yellow Peril. They were extensively used to transport Chinese immigrants from the USA to Canada, as most of the entrances were hidden in the underground basements of legal Chinese migrants living above. Evidence suggests that these tunnels served as hideouts for long periods of time and were often targetted by Canadian law enforcement agencies, pointing towards a dark-yet-forgotten phase in Canada’s history. 

By the 1920s, the tunnels were used to transport liquor and other prohibited items during Canada’s Prohibition era, along with a slew of other criminal activities. Now, they’re a popular tourist attraction throughout the year, and one can even visit and explore the structure with one of the many guided tours available in the city. 

6. Derinkuyu, Turkey

Derinkuyu used to be a sprawling underground city in the historical province of Cappadocia, Turkey. According to the Turkish Department of Culture, it was built around the eighth century BC by the Phrygians – an Indo-European culture thriving in the Anatolian region around that time. The structure is more than 85 meters – or about 280 feet – deep in some places, complete with living quarters, stables, storage rooms, and ventilation shafts. 

While the city would have been home to more than 20,000 people at its peak during the Byzantine era, it fell into disuse some time after the Ottomans took over in the 15th century. It was rediscovered during an archeological expedition in 1963, and eventually opened to tourists in 1965. According to some theories, Derinkuyu served as an important center of refuge for the Christians persecuted during the first Islamic raids in the region. 

5. Edinburgh’s Vaults, Scotland

Also sometimes called the South Bridge Vaults, Edinburgh Vaults are a series of underground chambers beneath the South Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland. They emerged around the same time as the construction of the bridge in 1788, and were originally used as underground workshops and storage for the tradesmen working above. 

As the city’s population grew, the vaults came to be associated with the darker parts of life in Edinburgh, as they were soon populated by gamblers, bootleggers, murderers, and other criminals. If one rumor is to be believed, they were home to two of the most notorious serial killers in Scottish history – William Burke and William Hare. 

The vaults were effectively shut down by the late 19th century, only to be rediscovered by a Scottish rugby player in the 1980s. Now, they’re considered one of the most haunted places in Scotland, thanks to a bunch of ghost sightings and other spooky phenomena observed in many of its 120 underground rooms over the years. 

4. Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland

Wieliczka is one of the two salt mines located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland. It was built in the 13th century, when salt emerged as an expensive, sought-after commodity around the world, and has been in continuous operation ever since. The mine has since been expanded and further excavated by many generations of miners, with a whole network of underground chambers, halls, and passages spread over nine levels.

Apart from being a functional salt mine and one of the earliest centers of industrial activity in Europe, it’s also a cultural and historical site called the Wieliczka Salt Mine City. By the 19th century, the entire structure was turned into a giant art exhibition, with salt-carved monuments, crystal chandeliers, decorated chapels, and other artifacts spread across its 2,400 chambers. 

3. Berlin’s Atomic Bunkers, Germany

Berlin has been home to an extensive network of underground bunkers since at least the 1950s, when fortified underground structures came up as popular – even if untested – defense against nuclear weapons. While most of them were built as shelters for the Cold War, Berlin’s underground bunkers were surprisingly diverse, ranging from basic shelters to elaborate living spaces equipped with gas masks and other emergency survival equipment. 

As the Cold War came to an end with the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, most of these bunkers were abandoned or turned into museums and art exhibition centers over the years. One can still run into the city’s underground music scene in one of these spaces, as many of them have been reopened and repurposed as live music venues in recent years. 

2. Odessa’s Catacombs, Ukraine

The city of Odessa in Ukraine boasts of the largest network of catacombs in the world, running across a total length of about 1,500 miles – or 2,500 kilometers. Originally carved out as a result of extensive limestone mining in the city in the 1600s, it’s now an entire underground city on its own, with over 1,000 known entrances and multiple chambers and passageways one can explore. Of course, one has to be particularly courageous to do that, as these catacombs have been used for some pretty dark reasons over the years. 

During the Second World War, the maze was used as a hideout by occupying Nazi forces, and one can still probably find bones and other relics of the war if they explore the more remote parts of the structure. They’ve also been used as shelters during air raids, and as hidden smuggling routes during Soviet times. 

1. Underground Great Wall, China

In the 1960s and ’70s, Chairman Mao ordered the construction of thousands of underground shelters and settlements across China, thanks to the growing threat of nuclear warfare around the world. In Beijing alone, more than 10,000 shelters were constructed to protect the capital’s growing urban population. 

Due to its vastness and military-related objectives, the entire structure – which once covered an area of more than 85 square kilometers, or about 33 square miles – is also sometimes called the Underground Great Wall. According to accounts, the network included schools, movie theaters, barber shops, restaurants, shops, factories, ammunition arsenals, fortified bunkers, and pretty much everything else required to live underground for extended periods of time. Some parts were privatized and sold to smaller landlords, which were then converted into tiny residential units over time. Today, more than a million people live or work in the underground city.

While it takes decades – sometimes even centuries – of effort and resources to build and populate a thriving city, all that could be wiped out by merely a few days of warfare. Even today, densely-populated settlements are deliberately and systematically targetted as a widely-practiced strategy of war, often resulting in the almost-total destruction of their cultural and historical legacies.

10. Saint-Lo, France

The siege of Saint-Lo in France was one of the pivotal battles of World War II, fought between the Allies and the occupying German forces in the summer of 1944. It was a part of the larger Battle of Normandy, as Saint-Lo was a key transportation hub for the Allied forces landing on the Normandy beach. 

While the actual battle began when American forces entered the town in July, it was subjected to a massive bombardment campaign in the weeks leading up to the assault, resulting in the complete destruction of much of its infrastructure. Several bridges and railway lines were permanently destroyed during the siege, with much of its civilian population forced to flee the region. 

While it was a successful operation from a military standpoint – as it was one of the first major German defeats on the western front – the bombardment and destruction of Saint-Lo is still remembered as a controversial decision by the Allies. By the end of the war, Allied bombing campaigns claimed the lives of at least 8,000 Normans and more than 60,000 French civilians in other occupied regions. 

9. Grozny, Russia

The siege and eventual battle of Grozny was one of the darkest episodes of the Second Chechen War. Beginning in 1999, Russian forces initiated a full-scale assault on the Chechen capital, which by then had turned into the stronghold of the self-declared Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. The city was extensively bombarded in the months leading up to the attack, as Russian forces imposed a blockade and subjected the militants and civilians alike to an unrelenting aerial bombardment campaign.

While they faced stiff resistance when they finally entered the city in February, 2000, the city was eventually overrun and most of the militants were forced to flee. Grozny itself was left in ruins, to the extent that the UN declared it the ‘most destroyed city on Earth’. Apart from the total destruction of the critical infrastructure, many civilian areas were also devastated, and it would take years before they could be completely rebuilt. According to some human rights groups, as many as 25,000 civilians lost their lives in the two-months-long campaign.

8. Rovaniemi, Finland

As the Second World War began, Finland found itself in a precarious position, as it was fighting its own war against the Soviet Union now known as the Winter War. In November 1941, it signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with other Axis powers, effectively handing over the northernmost part of the country to fascist forces. It resulted in German bases quickly springing up across the Lapland region, especially in and around the capital of Rovaniemi. As the war progressed, the Germans became more and more entrenched in the city, building fortifications, airfields, and other defensive installations.

Of course, the situation had drastically changed by 1944, when advancing Soviet forces demanded that the country expel the Germans or risk fighting another war with the USSR. Finland complied and gave the order to expel all Axis units by October, 1944. As they retreated, however, German forces decided to lay waste to the entire city and its infrastructure, destroying more than 90% of it over the next few weeks. This included the destruction of critical facilities and all of the city’s military installations, along with most of the city’s residential quarters. 

7. Palmyra, Syria

Palmyra, also called the “Venice of the Sands“, is an ancient city in present-day Syria that once served as an important trading hub between the Mediterranean and the East. Its unique blend of Roman, Greek, and Persian influences made it an important historical and cultural site in the region, as the city housed many well-preserved artifacts, temples, tombs, and ancient sculptures.

Sadly, much of that legacy would come to a tragic end in 2015, when ISIS militants captured Palmyra and began a campaign of total destruction. They systematically targeted and destroyed most of the city’s historical heritage, including the Temple of Bel and the Roman Arch of Triumph. They also executed a number of Palmyra’s citizens, including the brutal beheading of the city’s chief archaeologist, Khaled al-Asaad, who had dedicated his life to the study and preservation of the site.

6. Magdeburg, Germany

The Thirty Years’ War was one of the longest-running and most destructive conflicts fought on European soil, lasting from 1618 to 1648. It was primarily fought by the Holy Roman Empire, the Dutch Republic, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, though the conflict involved all of Europe in some way. It was triggered by a combination of political, social, and economic factors, especially the growing divide between Catholics and Protestants at the time.

One of its most infamous events was the sack of Magdeburg – a Protestant city in what is now Germany – after a long siege that ended on May 20, 1631. It was an indiscriminate massacre, as forces of the Catholic coalition burned the city down and killed more than 20,000 people. The infrastructure was almost-completely wiped out, with about 1,700 out of 1,900 of the city’s buildings burned or destroyed. The devastation was so massive that by 1639, only 450 residents remained in the city, down from a total population of more than 25,000. It would take another two centuries before Magdeburg could recover and grow again. 

5. Pyongyang, North Korea

The bombardment of Pyongyang in Korea began in June 1950, when it increasingly became clear that the North Korean forces were about to make a push for the city. As a pre-emptive measure, UN forces – led by the U.S. and South Korean contingents – launched a total of 420,000 bombs on a city of about 400,000 residents, which included nearly 32,000 tons of napalm. 

The damage was so extensive that by the end of the war, only a few buildings remained standing. About 75% of Pyongyang was destroyed during the bombing campaign, including factories, hospitals, schools, government buildings, residential neighborhoods, and even hydroelectric and irrigation dams in the later stages of the war. According to one journalist’s account, the city ran out of military targets to attack within days, as the coalition forces had bombed “every brick standing on top of another.”

4. Ypres, Belgium

Belgium was the site of extensive combat throughout the First World War, as German forces invaded and occupied the country in the early years of the conflict. The city of Ypres, located in western Belgium, saw some of the most intense fighting of the front, as it was a key strategic location throughout the war. The first major battle to control Ypres was fought in the fall of 1914, and the city was subsequently attacked and heavily shelled on multiple occasions. 

By the end of it all, Ypres was almost-completely destroyed, with some of its most iconic structures left in ruins. That included the Cloth Hall – a center of the city’s economic life since the 13th century – and the historic St. Martin’s Cathedral, along with numerous other churches and cultural sites. While it’s now a popular tourist and cultural spot in Belgium, it would take many years before Ypres could be fully restored in its original architectural style after the war.

3. Baghdad, Iraq

Baghdad was an important cultural, intellectual, and economic center during the Golden Age of Islam, which began with the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate in the eighth century. It was a major hub for trade, learning, and religious scholarship, and home to perhaps the largest library in the world at the time – the House of Wisdom. 

While the city had a great run for a while, it was unfortunately overrun by the Mongols in 1258, which would have a significant impact on the region and beyond. The sack of Baghdad resulted in widespread destruction and death, as the city was systematically pillaged and destroyed by Mongol forces in a matter of a few days. The entire population was either killed or sold into slavery – according to Mongol estimates, more than 200,000 people lost their lives during the assault. Most of the city’s buildings were also burned to the ground, including the House of Wisdom and the Grand Mosque.

2. Manila, Philippines

The battle of Manila lasted from February 3 to March 3, 1945, fought between a coalition of American and rebel Filipino forces against the occupying Japanese army. While the entire occupation had been brutal for the city’s residents, it was nothing compared to the scale of destruction seen during the month-long battle.

The city was heavily bombed by American planes in the run-up to the battle, and urban combat between Japanese and American forces left much of it in ruins. As Japanese forces retreated, they engaged in a campaign of terror against civilians, as they raped, tortured, and massacred suspected guerrillas throughout the city. It was one of the greatest tragedies of the entire war, as nearly the entire city was razed to the ground by aerial or artillery bombardment. In total, an estimated 100,000 Filipinos – most of them civilians – lost their lives during the battle of Manila, making it the second most devastated place of the war after our next entry.

1. Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw was the first capital to be occupied on the European front during the Second World War. It was a primary target for the Nazis due to its large Jewish population, as the city was home to many prominent Jewish political, cultural, and religious organizations. It was also one of the more rebellious cities occupied by the Germans, as the entire occupation was marked by minor and major revolts by armed Polish rebels, like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 1943. 

When yet another one of those rebellions failed in the summer of 1944, Adolf hitler ordered his troops to completely destroy the city. According to specific instructions by Heinrich Himmler, “the city must completely disappear from the surface of the Earth”, which was carried out to a scary degree of efficiency over the next few weeks. 

When the Red Army entered Warsaw in January, 1945, they found that every part of the once-thriving metropolitan was burned or destroyed with explosives. It was a wasteland, with most of its population either dead or deported to one of the concentration camps. Warsaw is still remembered as the most completely-destroyed city of the war, perhaps even all history, as about 85% of it was entirely wiped off from existence.