The World's Eeriest Underwater Cities You Can Actually Visit

FromOlympic venues , tube stations , andOld West townstocreepy entertainment park , Chernobyl , and theeeriest spots in the Midwest , we ’ve tour A LOT of abandoned places ( well , at least virtually ) . But one place we have n’t embark – under H2O . Until now . Whether still submerse or only part waterlogged , these eight drowned city are equally haunting .

The Lion City

ChinaAround 100 ft beneath the surface of China ’s Qiandao Lake sit the thousand - class - sure-enough Lion City , which was intentionally flooded by the Chinese political science in 1959 to make way for a hydroelectric dam . As you do with ornate national antiquities . The immense settlement of late became approachable to visitor via several dive operators so while most tourists shuttle amongst the unearthly - themed islands up top ( Lock Island is literally a museum of locks ) , you may drown amongst ancient stonework Leo , dragons , and phoenix down below .

Villa Epecuén

ArgentinaThe town of Villa Epecuén was home to about 5,000 mass when a dam broke in the 1980s , flood the city with health spa - like salty water from the neighboring lake . Though the town remains partially flooded today , the waters have receded enough to supply a coup d’oeil at what your artery take care like after eating takeaway Taiwanese food : salt - choke and parched . tourer in the street of Epecuén are treated to a snack bar of petrified trees , out of practice layer frames and cars , staircases to nowhere , a cemetery with exposed skeletons , and the creepy-crawly corpse of an old slaughterhouse .

Lake Reschen

ItalyIn an utterly confusing display , Northern Italy ’s Lake Reschen sports a 14th - one C steeple sticking out from the H2O ’s aerofoil . Most of the building in the two township of Graun and Reschen were destroyed before the orbit was by design flood , but the historic Christian church tower stay on – and is even accessible by invertebrate foot when the lake freeze in winter . Which is also the time of year you may plainly hear the church building bells tragically tolling , despite the fact that they were removed from the tower yr ago . We ’re not buyin ' it .

Thonis-Heracleion

Potosí

VenezuelaAfter being on purpose flooded in 1985 to construct a hydroelectric dam , the drowned town of Potosí was nothing more than a crooked previous crown of thorns visible above the surface of a unexampled reservoir . But when severe drought come to Venezuela in 2008 , more and more of the town church building ’s gothic window dressing became exposed . Today , it sit on dry country , hem in by leftover of demolish house and a graveyard . And , ironically , Venezuela is now face a severe free energy crisis . mayhap that ’s what you get when you swim a theater of God ? We ’re not ruling out any possibilities .

St. Thomas

NevadaSt . Thomas was plant by Mormons back in the 1800s , but by the time the 1920s wave around , the US politics had begun to buy land off of local farmers and residents in anticipation of a developing position : the Hoover Dam was being built nearby . By the late 1930s , what was once St. Thomas would be sleep with the fishes in Lake Mead . And so it did until a drought rack up just last year , and the ghost town became a earth lover ’s reality once again . For the next few twelvemonth , the rum can go chink out the instauration , motorcar parts , stairways , and artifacts will behind , before the lake eventually meet back up .

Port Royal

JamaicaPort Royal was known as the world ’s " wickedest urban center " for a reason – while European explorers were first checking out the Caribbean , the urban center at the mouth of Kingston Harbour became a one - halt store for prostitution , strong drink , and pirates . Yup , genuine - life pirate ship were thoroughly enjoying themselves in Port Royal up until one fate daylight in 1692 , when part of the town was suddenly submerged during a severe earthquake and tsunami . Now , several hundred deep-set ships , paved streets , and fall buildings sit below 40 ft of urine off of the city ’s seashore .

Rummu underwater prison

EstoniaWant to go savor a twenty-four hour period swim and pluck up the sunshine at a 1930s Soviet prison house camp ? It ’s potential ! The prison at Rummu sit next to a conveniently placed limestone quarry which render great deal of busy work for its inmates . But when the prison finally closed down , that leak quarry grow into a burnished - blue lagoon that now attract adventure seeker and scuba diver . Submerged part of the prison include razor - wire chain - link fences , article of furniture , and claustrophobic rooms with bar windows . you’re able to even use the exposed prison social structure as a dive board .

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Underwater Cities You Can Actually Visit