Sweden Sala Silvermine Underground Suite

After reassuring you that there are no bats hanging from the ceiling, your guide will show you where the facilities are, a five minute walk through the mine. (Make sure you turn right, not left, or you’ll be walking for some time). Then your guide leaves you with your dinner and a walkie talkie to reach him in case of emergency. And then the quiet hits hard. In the Mine Suite there is no TV, no radio, no wifi or cell signal or anything that makes a noise of any sort. Only you, your suite-mate (who, hopefully, you like and trust) and dead silence. The next morning, the guide returns to bring you breakfast — if you are still alive — and to show you the way back to sunlight.

The hostel was originally the Carleton County Gaol, more commonly known as the Nicholas Street Gaol or Ottawa Jail. When the jail closed in 1972, Hostelling International purchased and converted the building, but left much of the structure intact, allowing guests to experience spending a night "in jail".

The top floor, which had served as the jail's death row, has been restored too much of its original condition and daily tours are conducted. In 2009, the hostel's bar, Mugshots, was opened to the public. In July 2011, the courtyard space of the former jail was converted into an outdoor bar for the summer months.