Chełm Chalk Tunnels, mine in Poland
The tunnels of Chełm are a network of passages and chambers beneath the city created by chalk extraction over many centuries. The system spans multiple levels to depths of over 65 feet (20 meters) and extends for roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) in total length.
Chalk extraction in Chełm began in the 1200s following the city's rebuilding and continued into the 1900s until authorities halted operations for safety reasons. The tunnels were officially registered as a historical monument in 1995, and a public walking route was first opened to visitors in 1936 after water pipe construction.
The tunnels shaped daily life in Chełm for centuries, with residents mining chalk directly from their cellars and using the passages as shelter during conflicts. Today, they remain central to how locals and visitors understand the city's connection to the underground and its survival through difficult times.
Visitors can walk through about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) of tunnels where the temperature stays steady at around 48 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius) and humidity ranges between 70 and 85 percent. Warm clothing is recommended, and tours are only available with a guide who leads you through sections that may feel tight and low for some visitors.
Bats inhabit the tunnels, taking advantage of the stable, cool underground conditions as natural habitat. Local legend also speaks of Bieluch, a guardian spirit said to haunt the passages, described as a brown bear whose fur turned white with time and who once helped residents during hardship.
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