The steeple of St. Anne's Church in Cork is affectionately known as the "Four-Faced Liar." That's because it boasts a quirky feature: four clocks on its tower, each displaying a slightly different time. The church was originally built in 1722, but the clocks weren't added until m … | Continue reading
From 1934 to 1948, Annie was the ambassador to Fort Collins as the unofficial welcome wagon to train passengers. She was found as a stray by railroad brakeman Chris Demuth. He brought the scrawny dog back to Fort Collins and called her Annie. She was raised at the train depot and … | Continue reading
The Samuel "Uncle Sam" statue in Arlington, Massachusetts, honors the man who may have inspired one of the most iconic American symbols. Sam Wilson was a meat packer who supplied the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, had his crates marked with the initials "U.S." which soldiers j … | Continue reading
By the mid-19th century prospectors and geologists had a good idea of what rock types were most likely to host precious metal deposits, and sandstone was not one of them. So when John Kemple reported silver values in sandstone from the Silver Reef area in the late 1860s, his disc … | Continue reading
Coventry is famous for the legend of Lady Godiva, commemorated by an equestrian statue of her in the city square, but there is another folk story well-known in the area that is represented by a public artwork here. Hailing from the nearby town of Warwick, Sir Guy is a major figur … | Continue reading
You’ve probably heard Austin is a city that marches to the beat of its own drum, but what makes it so different? Spend a day in Austin with producer Elvis Metcalf, armed with the Atlas Obscura app and on a mission to discover Austin’s true eccentricities, from its bat colony unde … | Continue reading
The iron house was built in Belgium in 1892 and is said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel or one of his associates. The house was built for the then-governor of Mozambique, but the politician never actually used it due to the hot climate. (Another iron house can be found in … | Continue reading
In the center of Pune, there is an old mansion built by Shrimant Bhausaheb Lakshman Jawale. His family was in the profession of dyeing royal clothes, hence he was also known by his sobriquet: Bhausaheb Rangari (rang means "color"). Bhausaheb Rangari was a prominent personality in … | Continue reading
Two paths diverged in yellow wood. Sorry she could not travel both, the hiker grabbed her phone to check the map—only to find zero bars of service. Now what? Well, if she properly anticipated this scenario, she’d just grab a paper map from her backpack and ponder it over a handfu … | Continue reading
Deep into the Arctic Circle at a latitude of 71°8’2” north, Kinnarodden is the northernmost point of mainland Europe. Unlike the nearby and more celebrated Nordkapp (North Cape) on the island of Magerøya, no car park, famous monument, or expensive café awaits at Kinnarodden. Inst … | Continue reading
Where can you find something green, leafy, and over 2,040 feet long? Look no further than Dawes Arboretum. While there are over 2,000 acres and 15,000 plants to appreciate here, the highlight might just be the massive evergreen hedge that spells out the attraction's name in 145-f … | Continue reading
In traditional Japanese beliefs, dōsojin is a stele erected on the side of a major road or street as a symbol of some guardian divinity that protects the village, as well as travelers passing by. The deity is sometimes depicted as a pair of man and woman, or as a phallus, but mos … | Continue reading
This small, colorful constellation of bottles and bedsprings accompanies a painted Ziggy Stardust-esque figure along a low chainlink fence on a quiet residential street just around the corner from the main drag of Truth or Consequences. Blink, and you might miss it, but it's wort … | Continue reading
The greeter at Wistariahurst Museum points beyond a room of charming oddities including a penny-farthing bicycle and a lone carousel horse. “And around the corner there you’ll find… a surprise!” Tucked away in the back of the museum’s visitor center is a surprise indeed—taxidermy … | Continue reading
What would you do with an extra 450 chickens? Cecile Long Steele had an answer that changed the world. In Ocean View, Delaware, the decimal place error that led one woman to found the broiler chicken industry is revered and celebrated, and visitors can find a replica of the coop … | Continue reading
London has its fair share of historic pubs, but the George Inn in Southwark has potentially greater value than most. This building is a 17th-century coaching inn with particularly unique historical architectural features, and it is so historically important that it is owned by th … | Continue reading
In early medieval Japan, Onmyōdō or "the way of yin and yang" was a complex system of natural science, astronomy, divination, and magic that had its own bureau in the Imperial Court, consisting of official mystics known as Onmyōji. The most famous of such yin-and-yang practitione … | Continue reading
Towering above Amir Temir Square in Tashkent, the Hotel Uzbekistan was founded in 1974 as the leading luxury hotel during the Communist era. Though its prime is long past, it remains arguably the most notable example of Soviet-style Brutalist architecture in Central Asia. The ext … | Continue reading
Just off a main road, nestled among unassuming small businesses, the Sevasi Vav, or stepwell, might be missed if you are not looking for it. This stepwell dates from the mid-15th century and is located just a few miles from Vadodara city's center. Historically, Indian stepwells s … | Continue reading
Benson House, on the grounds of Camp DeWolfe, was once used by the FBI to transmit disinformation to the Nazis during World War II. Between 1942 and 1945, FBI agents pretending to be Nazi spies in the U.S. transmitted false information from Benson House to the German High Command … | Continue reading
Inaugurated on December 12, 1997, this post office sits inside a small tin house on the banks of the Beagle Channel. The walls are decorated with stamps and stickers left behind by travelers who made it here to the southernmost post office in South America. Navigators and adventu … | Continue reading
The small town of Bromölla in southern Sweden is known for its prominent toilet manufacturer, Ifö Sanitär, and for being one of the country’s richest fossil regions. In the heart of town, the iconic Scanisaurus fountain links Bromölla's industrial legacy with its prehistoric past … | Continue reading
Desert dry lake beds (also commonly called "playas," from the Spanish for "beach") are among the flattest and most extensive natural surfaces on Earth. Since the early 20th century, their flatness and extent have been exploited as courses for high-speed wheeled vehicles, such as … | Continue reading
Limestone is found throughout the substrata of the islands of Malta, and since limestone consists of calcium carbonate that may be dissolved in groundwater, naturally occurring caves can also be found throughout the islands. However, the cave of Għar Dalam, which in English means … | Continue reading
For many, the appeal of time outdoors lies in its slowed-down simplicity: soaking tired feet in a cold stream, cooking over a fire, sleeping under the stars. But there are moments when even the most hardcore hikers long for modern conveniences—namely, when it’s time to go number … | Continue reading
Among the rolling green fields of Dorset, England, lies a set of terraced, ascending circles known as the Badbury Rings. The raised land isn't the site of some strange space landing, but the product of an Iron Age hill fort, earning the status of scheduled ancient monument. For c … | Continue reading
In the Italian capital, the Museo Barracco, which specializes in ancient sculptural art, is one of eight city-run museums. The museum's collection, acquired by collector Giovanni Barracco, encompasses works from ancient Rome, Etruria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. As a wealthy baron wh … | Continue reading
The trailer-style eatery known for its half-smokes, hot dogs, and pork sandwiches that sits in the Shirlington neighborhood in Arlington, was the first of a chain of six restaurants that flourished under the Weenie Beenie name. This original location is also the last one still in … | Continue reading
From the outside, the Ocean Fantasy Museum, located in the Chengcing Lake Recreation Area in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, doesn't look like your typical aquarium. A kitschy mermaid statue lounges under a fountain and the path to the entrance is covered in a mural of sealife, but the buildi … | Continue reading
THIS ARTICLE IS ADAPTED FROM THE JUNE 22, 2024, EDITION OF GASTRO OBSCURA’S FAVORITE THINGS NEWSLETTER. YOU CAN SIGN UP HERE. On a recent backpacking trip, three damp days of nearly non-stop rain in the Hoh Rainforest of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, I watched as my fellow hike … | Continue reading
Tropical Penang, located in northwest Malaysia, is known for having one of Asia’s best street food scenes, boasting delicacies from tangy assam laksa to otak otak, a spiced fish cake that is unique to Penang for being steamed, not grilled. But Penang’s culinary history encompasse … | Continue reading
Layers of limestone are found underground throughout the Maltese Islands, and limestone is typically associated with the formation of underground caves with stalactites and stalagmites. This mineral contains calcium carbonate that may dissolve in water, so groundwater seeping thr … | Continue reading
As your plane descends onto the island of São Miguel, the largest and most populated island in Portugal’s Azores archipelago, the first thing you’ll notice are verdant rolling hills. These not only give the island its nickname, Ilha Verde, or “Green Island,” but they’re a preview … | Continue reading
On the Las Vegas Strip, giant LED signs allow you to count Gordon Ramsey’s pores as he advertises his Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace. Celebrity chef–run restaurants and chains abound along the city’s main drag, but for a culinary adventure, you’ll have to step off th … | Continue reading
The bones of the Magi have traded hands many times over history and have slowly made their way north. They were first found by Helena, mother of Constantine I, who was an avid collector of holy relics. She found many relics during her search (including an alleged portion of the c … | Continue reading
For thousands of years, Aboriginal Australians built middens from leftover shells and bones. The remarkable mounds recorded what they’d eaten, and ensured they didn’t over-consume oysters and other sea creatures. These monuments to sustainability were much more than remnants, tho … | Continue reading
The food of a city reflects the mindset of its people. The people of Beijing value inclusivity, forthrightness, and pragmatism. They also possess a deep sense of pride in their history, which is reflected in their local cuisine. With a keen awareness of their cultural heritage, B … | Continue reading
The geology in the vicinity of Lake Mead is complicated, reflecting a long history of overlapping deformation due to varying tectonic stresses, and this has led to some spectacular geologic features. Anniversary Narrows, in a slot canyon on Lovell Wash, is one such place. Here th … | Continue reading
Unlike its larger neighbors Peru and Argentina, whose foods are found in restaurants around the world, Chilean cuisine can be more of a mystery for the uninitiated. Traditional dishes are rarely seen abroad, and they’re often hard to find in the nation’s capital, Santiago, where … | Continue reading
The Durbar Room at Osborne House, a splendid Italianate summer residence situated in East Cowes, is a hidden gem on the Isle of Wight. Constructed between 1890 and 1891, the Durbar Room was a final, significant addition to Osborne House. It was conceived by Queen Victoria as an " … | Continue reading
You’ll find a cluster of craft breweries within Sydney’s Inner West neighborhood, but Wildflower is unlike anything else you’ll encounter in the city. Owners Topher Boehm and Chris Allen keep things truly local: Their ales are fermented with wild yeasts derived from native flower … | Continue reading
When you think of Italian herbs, cilantro (also known as coriander) is probably not the first one that comes to mind. Yet crack open the fifth-century Roman cookbook Apicius, and you’ll find it included in 18 percent of all recipes. Roman chefs prized both the citrusy seeds and p … | Continue reading
At first glance, Sydney may seem like it’s powered by sunshine, flat whites, and avocado toast. But that much-exported postcard image doesn’t reveal the harbor city’s entire culinary story. There’s also the significant imprint of Aboriginal Australians, the oldest continuous cult … | Continue reading
Lagos, on the southwestern coast of Nigeria, is the country’s most diverse city, welcoming Nigerians from different regions, Africans from East to West (especially from the neighboring Benin, Togo, and Ghana), and immigrants from further afield, like Brazil, China, Lebanon, and S … | Continue reading
Athens has been a dining destination since the 5th century B.C. More than a thousand years before Parisians coined the term “restaurant,” ancient Athenians boasted both public places to eat and a fledgling tourism industry. Archaeologists digging around in the Tholos, a rotund ru … | Continue reading
Spanning almost 17,000 acres and acting as a vital nature preserve to numerous plant and animal species, the Hockomock Swamp is the largest freshwater swampland in the state, acting as a natural flood control mechanism for the region. This natural place is more than meets the eye … | Continue reading
Though it has a relatively unassuming reputation, Houston is city of many superlatives. For one, it’s the largest city in Texas—and the entire South. It’s home to NASA and the Houston Medical Center, the world’s largest complex for life sciences. And that’s not to mention the Hou … | Continue reading
When the Saruhan Bey Foundation decided to build its Center of Science, Culture, and Education in Manisa, Turkey, they faced a major problem: The construction site-to-be was already home to a tall pine tree, estimated to be over 325 years old. The foundation had already purchased … | Continue reading