PADUA, ITALY — Warning: The following images may induce nightmares and feelings of claustrophobia.

If you’re deathly afraid of deep water or don’t know how to swim, Hotel Terme Millepini in Italy’s Montegrotto Terme resort area may not be the place for you. That’s because this Italian spa complex is best known for boasting the deepest swimming pool in the world, measuring a mind-boggling 42 metres deep, the equivalent to a 13-storey building.

Named the Y-40 Deep Joy, the pool made its debut in 2014 to attract scuba enthusiasts and freedivers, serious athletes who are capable of diving to great depths on a single breath. But unlike the frigid temperatures of the open ocean where most freediving takes place, Deep Joy is filled with 4.3 million litres of warm thermal water from local springs, which eliminates the need for wetsuits.

It’s open 365 days a year and boasts a large mirror measuring 21 x 19 metres for optimal viewing. There are also underwater caves and various depth platforms that offer ideal training conditions for scuba divers of all levels.

But don’t worry if you don’t fancy yourself a diver – Deep Joy also features a suspended, transparent underwater tunnel that allows guests to walk through and watch divers in action.

In its first year, the pool attracted 100,000 visitors and was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the deepest swimming pool in the world. Today, it has become a popular spot for rock concerts, cooking shows, parties and even weddings – two couples have been brave enough to exchange vows in the depths of the pool. Now that’s what we call ‘taking the plunge’!