More than 50 years after the end of World War II, a small piece of history was uncovered on a wall in the capital of Malta. During the war, the islands of Malta were a strategically important outpost in the Mediterranean Sea for Allied forces. The islands were besieged by the Axi … | Continue reading
When you think about Oklahoma, many different images might come to mind. Singing farmers, diverse Native reservations, and oil rigs on the lawn of the state capital are all well-known icons of the Sooner State. What you may not know is that one local college, Oklahoma City Univer … | Continue reading
Looking like a giant’s toy that has been left ready to launch, the Spirit of Burbank F-104 Starfighter stands at nearly 55 feet in length and has a wingspan of 21.9 feet, yet its story is often unknown to the countless commuters who drive past it every day on Olive Avenue. Tucked … | Continue reading
Philip Roth is considered one of the preeminent American writers of the second half of the 20th-century. A shortlist of his numerous honors include a Pulitzer Prize, two National Book Awards and three PEN/Faulkner Awards—the only author to garner three—as well as international an … | Continue reading
Extreme points of countries used to have important roles as border points or navigational landmarks, but these days they serve primarily as attractions. The geographic center of Belgium is a prime example of that giving life to an otherwise quiet Walloon town. This monument at th … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we'll explore the 200-year history of the lighthouse on Wood Island in Maine, which has been home to a celebrity dog, a grisly murder, some mischie … | Continue reading
On the slope of a hill in Camp John Hay, you will find a rather unconventional attraction. Rather than tombs enclosing remains of the dead humans, this cemetery is filled with cute tables with inspiring inscriptions. The Cemetery of Negativism was established by John Hightower in … | Continue reading
The orizuru, or folded crane, is a classic origami design that is not only beautiful but also holds deep cultural significance in Japan, where it is said that folding 1,000 cranes (senbazuru) grants the folder one wish. The significance of orizuru and senbazuru in Hiroshima is de … | Continue reading
In Phoenix's Papago Park, there is a small hill made of red sandstone with large cavities, called tafoni, caused by erosion. One is so large that it creates an opening to the other side of the rock that can be hiked up to reach great views of the park. The rock features in what i … | Continue reading
At first glance, the museum located in George Izay Park seems to be solely the Menzter House, which is visible from the street. But after passing through that 1887 building you will find the Gordon R. Howard Museum, which measures some 20,000 square feet and is named after the Bu … | Continue reading
Summer may be winding down, but at Atlas Obscura, we’re already thinking about next year’s adventures—and we want to know where you’d love to visit in 2025. For two weeks only, you could be involved in Where to Wander, our selection of top travel destinations around the world tha … | Continue reading
This piece was originally published in Grist and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. Think back to the last concert you went to. Now replace the music that rang through the venue with an erratic series of pops, muffled staccatos, distorted taps, and sudden cli … | Continue reading
Formerly neglected by tourists but now fully on the beaten path, Portugal is having a moment. Yet the country still suffers from visitors thinking they’re in Spain. As a result, paella, tapas and sangría are now ubiquitous in the country that doesn’t really consume them, to the f … | Continue reading
Each week, Atlas Obscura is providing a new short excerpt from our upcoming book, Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders (September 17, 2024). Vultures are not always the most visually appealing birds. But bearded vultures, or lammergeiers, are beautifully d … | Continue reading
In the very early hours of Sept. 4, Jacqueline Fazekas, a researcher at the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, spotted something moving in a suspicious arc across the sky. She quickly submitted her observations to the Minor Planet Center in Massachusetts. The database, a … | Continue reading
The 18th-century French writer Voltaire is remembered for his witty satire and social critique. Less well-known is the time he drank fresh bull’s blood for science. As described in his Philosophical Dictionary in 1764, Voltaire conducted this peculiar experiment to dispel an equa … | Continue reading
Across northern Portugal, locals take day-old bread, soak it in milk, dip it in eggs, and fry it in oil, then serve the dish with a spiced syrup that sometimes includes Porto’s signature wine, or sprinkling it with cinnamon sugar. Rabanadas, as the dessert is known, is a ubiquito … | Continue reading
During the Second World War, Croatia, a former part of Yugoslavia, battled German and Italian fascists. On April 6, 1941, Axis forces invaded Yugoslavia, and Croatia became a puppet state. Despite these setbacks to the country’s freedom, Istria made itself a large contributor to … | Continue reading
Standing in front of the Science Hall at the City College of San Francisco, is a sculpture designed by Benny Bufano. This sculpture, in line with Bufano's much-loved theme of peace, is unique in that it was made out of 2,000 melted handguns. In fact, some say he used exactly 1,96 … | Continue reading
On the island of Leros, the chapel of Agios Isidoros stands on a rock in the sea, some 50 meters from the coast. A small footpath connects the tiny whitewashed chapel to the land. The church is a simple building. Inside, you'll find a few pieces of religious art hanging on the wa … | Continue reading
Wandering the wharves of Auckland and taking in the views of Waitemata harbor is a lovely way to spend the afternoon. The 70-square-mile harbor is the main access to the sea from Auckland, providing a launch pad for ferries as well as marinas that may be home to some of the most … | Continue reading
More than 10,000 polished spoons hang in a place of honor in this most unusual gallery in Davenport, Iowa. More than 35 years ago, owner and curator Cammie Pohl received a set antique spoons from her great-grandmother. It became the start of a lifelong obsession, resulting in a c … | Continue reading
According to legend, once upon a time in the town of Mama, there lived a beautiful, kind-hearted girl named Tekona. Once married to the lord of a neighboring province, she was caught up in a feud and forced to return to her homeland, taking only her child and living in quietude. … | Continue reading
In 1871, decorative gates and a strong fence made of iron were erected around the White House in Washington D.C. to control traffic and protect the property. By the time the Industrial Revolution approached, the gates were too small to handle the new vehicles invented so updates … | Continue reading
When Hannes Flück was in high school, he volunteered on an archaeological dig and excavated a small Madonna figurine from the wall of a Swiss peasant farmhouse. Now a science curator at the Ziegelei Museum in Switzerland, Flück remembers the clay figure, two thirds of it scraped … | Continue reading
Cross the Tagus River from Lisbon and you’ll arrive in the sleepy former fishing village of Trafaria. On the surface, the town doesn’t look like a hot spot for fusion cuisine, but Piri Piri, a restaurant there, boasts dishes with influences that span three continents. In 1961, wh … | Continue reading
On the east coast of the island of Sal, in the crater of an extinct volcano, you can float in a lake with water over 20 times saltier than the sea. Pedra de Lume is famous for its salt evaporation ponds, which have been used to produce salt for nearly two centuries. You can see o … | Continue reading
You can find monuments at all sorts of geographically notable points, from a country's highest point to a continent's most southwestern. While most of these markers are relatively recent, some date back much further. The midpoint marker of Leuven is one of the oldest in the world … | Continue reading
Adjacent to Aulendorf Castle is the Catholic parish church of St. Martin. The church has been continuously expanded since the late Gothic period, and holds precious works from across different eras. Two of those precious objects are bejeweled skeletons displayed on either side of … | Continue reading
High above the heads of passersby on a street in Amsterdam is an innocuous statue commemorating soldiers from the Boer War. Less grand than other statues around the city, this statue of a farmer with a gun, created in 1900, honors those who fought in the Second Boer War in South … | Continue reading
This ancient necropolis, dating back to the pre-Talayotic era, comprises 14 burial caves carved into the limestone cliffs. Each cave offers a window into the burial rituals of Menorca's early inhabitants. Wandering through the site, you'll be amazed by the sheer ingenuity and eff … | Continue reading
The first arrival of humans in the Americas is traditionally one of the most vexing questions in the archeology of the New World. For decades it was thought that the so-called Clovis culture, named after the area in New Mexico where its artifacts were first documented, was the fi … | Continue reading
Ochobamba is a name that hardly makes any sense to most Japanese people, but is feared by the locals of Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. It refers to an old stele standing in a corner of the neighborhood of Enzo, which is believed to hold a powerful curse. Originally the stele was … | Continue reading
Peeking from behind an industrial building in a busy Reykjavik harbor is this bright green hillock topped by a small wooden house. Its unique look suggest it could be the home of Icelandic elves or some other whimsical creatures. Instead, it is an earthwork art piece by Icelandic … | Continue reading
Located in Matosinhos, just north of Porto, Conservas Pinhais has been putting fish in tins for more than a century. At one point, it had as many as 54 competitors, but due to overfishing and declining interest in tinned fish, they closed one by one, eventually leaving only Pinha … | Continue reading
This story was originally published on The Conversation. It appears here under a Creative Commons license. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, houses a fascinating artifact: a massive cloth shroud that bears the shadowy image of a man who appears to have been c … | Continue reading
Líder, located on the ground floor of a block of bland apartments outside Porto’s historical center, may not look like much, but it’s emerged as a go-to for what is arguably the city’s most emblematic food item. Tripas à moda do Porto, Porto-style tripe, is so synonymous with the … | Continue reading
If you ever find yourself wandering down Greenwood Avenue on Seattle's Phinney Ridge, especially if you're feeling a little down, pay a visit to the Wall of Misfit Art and you'll leave feeling a bit lighter and with a smile on your face. Since 2021, the owners of the wall, inspir … | Continue reading
Charles Wilson, a farmer from Weyburn, Saskatchewan, may seem an unlikely owner for his extensive collection. Wilson traveled the world collecting pieces of dining room silver. On his death, he left all 3,333 pieces, plus some additional glassware and other antiques, to the Soo L … | Continue reading
Afyonkarahisar, commonly known as Afyon, is an ancient city in the Anatolia region of western Turkey. As the world’s largest producer of pharmaceutical opium, its name can be translated as “black poppy fortress,” which also refers to the imposing castle towering over the city. Or … | Continue reading
Taipei City is home to many buses, but there is one that goes nowhere at all, yet still transports visitors to another realm. The whimsical installation is based on a popular storybook, illustrator Jimmy Liao's When the Moon Forgot. The book tells the story of a boy named Jimmy w … | Continue reading
While the charming town of Tomar, Portugal may be better known for attractions like Convent of Christ and the Castle of Tomar, this historical town holds more hidden gems in less suspecting spots. On the local firefighting headquarters, onlookers can find an unsuspecting a mural … | Continue reading
The story of yerba mate, the potent, caffeinated elixir made from the shoots and leaves of a subtropical evergreen, runs from sacred ceremonies held centuries ago in what is now Paraguay to modern-day soccer players in Argentina, techno obsessives in Berlin, and dissidents in Syr … | Continue reading
Each week, Atlas Obscura is providing a new short excerpt from our upcoming book, Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders (September 17, 2024). The 60,000 books in the Joanine Library are all hundreds of years old. Keeping texts readable for that long, safe f … | Continue reading
Ilé offers diners an immersive culinary journey through West Africa with its contemporary three-course tasting menu and family-style concept. This is not your typical restaurant experience. Instead, guests are welcomed into Chef Tolu Eros' personal apartment in Hollywood, making … | Continue reading
If you keep an eye out as you pass The House of Doors in Cheshire, Connecticut, you'll spy a strapping, square-jawed depiction of Paul Bunyan looming incongruously over the landscape. This 26-foot-tall Muffler Man was erected to stand guard in front of a lumber business in the 19 … | Continue reading
In the wake of the Christian Reformation in the 1500s, more than 40,000 people were executed on charges of witchcraft. If you look closely at the pavement in Antwerp, you'll find a memorial to the victims hiding in plain sight. As Catholicism and Protestantism jockeyed for religi … | Continue reading
This curious five-tiered structure, which resembles a wedding cake in house form, has an unusual history behind it. In 1961, Jan Pol, a junk dealer, built the house as a 'monument to injustice' at the intersection of South Kent and Riverview roads in Gaylordsville. A spite house … | Continue reading