There is something that innately draws humans to create secret passages and tunnels. For some it’s the thrill of adventure and others it is mainly for survival. In this post we are going to look at two secret passages that have interesting stories associated with them.
Mont Sainte-Odile
Nestled 2,500 feet high in the Vosges Mountains of France, the Mont Sainte-Odile monastery houses some of the rarest books in the entire world. In 2003 something strange happened when these rare books began to vanish at random. No one could figure out how the books were disappearing until eventually they found an extremely old section of bookcase that swung backward revealing a hidden passage. A local teacher was later arrested and charged for the crime. Apparently, this teacher had found an old map of the secret passage in the city archives and decided to have an adventure. The teacher would hop the monastery walls and access the secret passageway, winding through various medieval tunnels that led him to the hidden bookshelf. The police discovered more than 1,000 rare books tucked safely away in this teachers home.
21 Club
During the 1920’s, dozens of speakeasies sprung up to offer citizens illegal alcohol and a place to unwind and have a good time. The 21 Club was notorious during Prohibition era as one of the cleverest places in all of New York City. The owners of the 21 Club also owned the building next door, taking advantage of the extra space by stocking the cellar full of liquor. The secret room was concealed by a two-and-a-half ton cement door. The hidden door looked like any other wall, that was accessed by sticking an 18-inch wire into one of the cement cracks. Thanks to this room and an elaborate system of levers that would drop bottles and tip shelves into the sewer below, patrons and owners were never caught.
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