Odessa Catacombs Offer A Surreal Experience

July 13, 2009 · Filed Under Advertising · Comment

Odessa is the fifth-largest city of Ukraine and one of its most important cultural centers. Odessa is an old city of monuments, churches and many other places of historical interest. One of its greatest attractions is a vast network of catacombs which extends to almost 2500 kilometers beneath the city.

The Odessa Catacombs is actually a maze of underground tunnels which have been developing for around two hundred years. This vast network of tunnels lies hidden beneath the city and is filled with caves and other mysterious hiding places.

There are a number of interesting theories as to how this underground labyrinth of tunnels came about. While its earliest cause may have been geological, later the tunnels were developed to serve a variety of human purposes. According to one theory, the dark and dingy tunnels of the catacomb were used by slave traders to smuggle their human cargo. Yet other and more prosaic theories have that the tunnels came to be dug as part of mining and construction activities.

The Odessa Catacomb museum has an excellent display of how the tunnels were used by armies during the Second World War to store rations and weapons. Visitors planning a trip to this amazing place can check out lodging options at www.ooaha.com which gives the best hotel deals in Odessa.

Tags: Odessa Catacombs, Ukraine travel