One of Colombia’s most magnificent attractions is not visible above ground. You’ll need to go a little deeper. 200 metres to be exact, where you will uncover the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira.
This gorgeous Roman Catholic church is built within the tunnels of a salt mine in the Halite mountain near the town of Zipaquirá, in Cundinamarca, Colombia.
The story of the Salt Cathedral began in the 1930s when miners carved out a makeshift chapel in the mine tunnel. There, they prayed for their safety each day before starting work.
In the 1950s work began on a bigger project, the Salt Cathedral, which was completed in 1954 and dedicated to Our Lady of Rosary, Patron saint of miners.
As the cathedral was carved inside an active mine, structural problems and safety concerns led to the authorities shutting down the sanctuary in 1990.
In 1995 a safer, modern-day version of the cathedral opened to the public.
If you ever visit Colombia, this place is well worth adding to your bucket-list.
The underground salt cathedral is broken up into 14 small chapels connected by tunnels. Each chapel represents the stations of the cross (Jesus Christ’s last journey before the crucifixion).
The Pièce de résistance is the main hall which is home to the biggest underground cross in the world, backlit by blue mood lighting.
There’s a collection of stunning sculptures throughout the cathedral, including one that draws inspiration from Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam painting.
Once visitors have taken the time to feel the peace and wonder of this remarkable church, they can also watch a movie about how the surreal structure was built.
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