The Underground City of Naours, located in the Picardy region of northern France, is an extraordinary underground complex that has been used since ancient times. The city consists of a network of tunnels, chambers, and passages, carved into the soft chalk rock. Naours was originally a site of refuge in the Roman era, but it grew in complexity over the centuries, particularly during the Middle Ages and World War I.
The city could shelter up to 3,000 people and their livestock during times of conflict. It includes living spaces, storage areas, wells, and even chapels. During World War I, soldiers wrote thousands of inscriptions on the walls of the tunnels, leaving behind a poignant record of their lives underground. Today, Naours is open to the public, offering visitors a unique historical experience and a glimpse into the ingenuity of past generations who built entire communities below the earth’s surface.
The lakes in the Dolomites are more than just bodies of water; they are mirrors reflecting the sublime beauty of the mountains, forests, and skies, transforming with the light of each passing hour into myriad shades of magic.