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SCANDINAVIAN MONTHLY | ATTRACTIONS
Four Swedish Underground Attractions Text Tor Kjolberg
Go underground in Sweden and experience world-unique installations from war-time hangars and silver mines to contemporary art beneath a modern-day city to a mysterious underground church. Find out more about these four Swedish underground attractions. The secret airbase in Gothenburg Hidden near Gothenburg City’s Airport is a vast underground airbase, built in the start of the Cold War, extending over 22,000 square meters. The aboveground area covers 70,000 square meters. Once top secret, the site has been transformed into an interactive aviation museum, complete with simulators, a coffee shop and planes kids can scramble on. Since January 1st 2008, Aeroseum has been part of the SMHA (Sveriges Militärhistoriska Arv – Swedish Military Heritage) network, under the umbrella of Statens Försvarshistoriska Museum (SFHM – The National Swedish Museums of Military History). Today, the Aeroseum offers
experiences that have not previously been available to the general public, including flying in vintage aircraft and helicopters. You may also like to read: Holocaust Museum to be Built in Sweden A room without a view at Sala The old silver mine at Sala, 120km north-west of Stockholm has a suite hidden 155m beneath the surface. In the 1500s, King Gustav Vasa used to call the Sala Silver Mine “Sweden’s Treasure Chest.” Today, the mine is still a treasure chest—filled with history
and adventures, above and below ground. Temperatures in the tunnels hover just above freezing but the “mine suite”, said to be the world’s deepest hotel room in which you may be served a soup, is kept at a relatively balmy 18 degrees. You may also like to read: Norway’s Mining Past The underground church in Västerbotten Working deep beneath Västerbotten
Once top secret, the site has been transformed into an interactive aviation museum. Photo: Visit Stockholm