Just a short jaunt from Ouray’s Main Street but invisible from town, Cascade Falls Park is a jewel hiding in plain sight. And a jewel it is: the waterfall—a breathtaking, 270-foot ribbon of spray—plummets down a cliff face banded with red sandstone and cream-colored quartzite. It … | Continue reading
Six decades after its founding, the Italian American Club Restaurant of Las Vegas is still going strong. Even on weeknights, singers on stage will serenade a dining room filled with snazzily-dressed eaters. The menu is long on classic Italian cuisine, with hits like chicken parm, … | Continue reading
In 2017, four volunteers stood amid the overgrown ruins of a 20th-century garden. The land seemed to slump beneath the weeds, caught in a snarl of thorny, invasive brambles. But the volunteers weren’t deterred; the parcel abutted the Ute Indian Museum, and they had a vision to ex … | Continue reading
The town of Mayorga in Valladolid is home to an array of medieval architecture, including the churches of Santa María de Arbas and San Salvador. Mayorga is also known for its traditional festivals and local cuisine, which give a taste of authentic Spanish life. On an exterior bri … | Continue reading
Athens has no shortage of tavernas with antique-filled interiors and rooftop terraces offering Acropolis views. But what makes Cafe Avissinia special is the gusto of its live traditional folk music shows held on weekends from September to June. The venue's location in the central … | 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 more than 13,000 ant species around the globe have developed a diverse array of nest protection methods. Some s … | Continue reading
There's a lot to look at inside Golden Tiki, one of Las Vegas's most popular tiki joints. There's the flickering night sky on the ceiling, the (fake) shrunken heads of celebrities hung along the walls, the phallic stained-glass art above the bar, plus the Disney-inspired animatro … | Continue reading
Even Houston’s suburbs have their own Asiatown enclave. Set in an Asiatown 2.0 strip mall in the mega-suburb of Katy, Phat Eatery has emerged as a beacon of Malaysian cuisine, converting Texans to Malay flavors since 2018. It’s the brainchild of late founder and chef Alex Au-Yeun … | Continue reading
The city of Armero, founded in 1895, was once known as the White City owing to its role as the capital of the Colombia’s main cotton-producing region. Located over 100 miles from the national capital of Bogotá, its excellent volcanic soils, warm climate, and location near the ban … | Continue reading
Exploring the outdoors as a child at summer camp often meant splashing in a lake, tromping along a trail, or sharing s'mores with fellow campers as night fell. There's a different way to be present in nature, however, one that can be transformative both for you and the audience y … | Continue reading
Savory pies, or pita, have been part of the Greek diet since the days of Plato and Aristotle. The ancients liked to start their day with a tart enveloped in a sturdy crust made with wine. Over the generations, Greece’s pies evolved into their flaky, present-day incarnation. While … | Continue reading
At Christie's Seafood & Steak, the longest-running restaurant in the greater Houston area, the walls showcase over 106 years of history. Founded in 1917 by Greek immigrant Theodore Christie, the restaurant is now helmed by the third generation of the Christie family, with Alexand … | Continue reading
Malta’s geology is known for its layers of limestone that may contain many naturally-forming caves. This is because limestone is primarily composed of calcium carbonate that is relatively easily dissolved by groundwater passing through the rock. When an underground cave forms wit … | Continue reading
Located in the small town of Witnica roughly halfway between the German-Polish border crossing at Kostrzyn and the city of Gorzów Wielkopolski, this public park has gathered signposts and other objects that focus not just on local history, but on human progress more generally. It … | Continue reading
If you live in the D.C. area, you don't have to travel far to see the famed Spanish Steps... well, sort of. Decatur Terrace Park and Fountain was built in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C. in 1911. Situated among embassies and stately homes, the small park offers a wh … | Continue reading
The city of Al Ain, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famed for its palm oasis and ancient beehive tombs, but there is another archaeological monument dating back to the Bronze Age. Located next to the Omani border, the Hili Archaeological Park is a popular hangout for local famil … | Continue reading
Over generations, an 18th-century hunting lodge was passed from owner to owner, eventually becoming the Baroque palace it is today. In 1886, the building became Malta's general post office. In 1898, Marquis Scicluna took ownership of the building, renovating it into a palace betw … | Continue reading
Eric Ducharme has loved mermaids since he was five years old. “One day,” he told a local news station. “I said I was going to open up my own mermaid show." His dream came true in 2021 with the opening of Mertailor's Mermaid Aquarium Encounter in Lecanto, Florida, a small town in … | Continue reading
New technology can be great, but sometimes there’s something special about the way we did things in the past. Printer Jim Anderson thought so. Working as a printer in Tampa since he was 14, Anderson knew the ins and outs of the business, but as digital printing came in vogue, the … | Continue reading
During the late Qing Dynasty at the end of the 19th century, as European powers established a commercial presence in Taiwan. In 1864, British consul Robert Swinhoe leased a plot of land at Takao (also spelled Takow, now Kaohsiung) with the intention of building a consulate there. … | Continue reading
Deep in northern Alaska’s Brooks Range, a network of pristine rivers snakes its way through 600 miles of tundra and glacial valleys. While the waters normally run a cool, crystal blue, scientists have noticed an alarming trend: Dozens of the range’s rivers have taken on an eerie … | Continue reading
Passersby could be forgiven for overlooking the tall loblolly pine a few hundred feet south of Grosvenor Lane in Bethesda, Maryland. After all, the sole indication that it's anything more than a stately conifer is a worn wooden plaque at the base marked only with the number 12. A … | Continue reading
Memorials for terrorist attack victims were relatively rare in France prior to 2015; with just half a dozen plaques commemorating events that occurred between 1974 and 2015. Sadly, this changed, with an increase in attacks on French soil beginning in 2015. One such attack occurre … | Continue reading
Texas is home to not one, not two, but four subtly distinct styles of barbecue: Central, Southern, Hill Country, and East. The latter is often distinguished by its low and slow cooking style; use of oak, hickory, and pecan wood; and emphasis on pork. And in Houston, the best East … | Continue reading
Opened in 1941, Molina's Cantina is Houston’s oldest still-operating Tex-Mex restaurant and a venerated institution. The original location at 1919 West Gray was known as Old Monterrey. It was purchased by Raul Molina Sr., who had worked there for a decade, originally as a dishwas … | Continue reading
Leiden is a historical city with buildings that go back to medieval times, most of which are still inhabited. Like in Amsterdam, these buildings are largely protected and kept in their original state. For this reason, you will rarely see one of these houses painted in a bright co … | Continue reading
Set in an Asiatown strip mall, Cajun Kitchen is Houston’s preeminent destination for Viet-Cajun—a hybrid cuisine that emerged when Vietnamese refugees along the Gulf Coast began applying the techniques of Southeast Asian seafood boils to local crawfish. Though it can be found nat … | Continue reading
Open since 2003, House of Bowls is Houston’s standard bearer for Cantonese cuisine, serving Hong Kong–style comfort food dishes in the heart of the city’s Asiatown enclave. The House of Bowls story started 10 years earlier, when current owner Flora Fung’s parents opened another r … | Continue reading
As far as Houston’s Asian food scene goes, Chinese and Vietnamese are the most common genres. But equally as prolific is Chinese-Vietnamese fusion, a hybrid cuisine rooted in centuries of Chinese presence in Vietnam. Though it can often be hard to know which dishes came from wher … | Continue reading
According to Ancient Greek-Sicilian mythology, the Fonte Ciane was the location where Hades entered the underworld with his bride Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter. As the Roman author Ovid recounts, Ciane—a water nymph and companion to Persephone—attempted to prevent H … | Continue reading
With a huge sign visible from Highway 59, Himalaya beckons commuters to take the Hillcroft exit off the freeway and into a nondescript strip mall that houses an Indian tailor and South Asian grocery store. The neighborhood here, known as the Mahatma Gandhi District, is a hub for … | Continue reading
Cachoeiras do Horto encompasses three waterfalls, which can be accessed by a medium-difficulty hike in the woods. They're some of the many waterfalls found in the Tijuca Forest, a national park in the heart of Rio de Janeiro and the world’s largest urban forest. Tijuca National P … | Continue reading
Overlooking the serene countryside of Wimborne Saint Giles, the Philosopher's Tower was built around 1700 by Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury. Cooper was a renowned philosopher whose beliefs centered on the innate human capacity to discern order and harmony, gui … | Continue reading
One of the most popular sandy beaches in the Maltese Islands is Ramla Beach on the north shore of Gozo, the second largest island in the archipelago. This reddish-sand beach borders a bay with hills on either side, and is a popular swimming and sunbathing location for both touris … | Continue reading
Originally built as a cinema in 1910, the Birmingham Piccadilly was turned into a shopping arcade in 1925. Today, locals use it more as a shortcut to the train station than a go-to retail space. But look up as you walk through and you'll get to see something many rushing commuter … | Continue reading
When it comes to essential American regional breakfast dishes, Texan kolaches could give New York bagels a run for their money. Much like bagels, kolaches arrived in the United States via European immigration. A pastry originally of Czech origin, Texan kolaches feature a pillowy … | Continue reading
A flicker of firelight illuminated the campers’ faces as they leaned in to hear the lost legends of the forest. “It was a night kind of like this,” began award-winning storyteller Gary Ferguson. “The river was whispering in the distance. The smell of pine was in the air.” Just th … | Continue reading
With historical sites like the imposing Seu Vella Cathedral and the medieval Templar castle of Gardeny, Lleida offers a rich cultural experience. Visitors can also explore the Casa dels Gegants ("House of Giants"), part of the Museum of Popular Culture of Lleida. The Festivals of … | Continue reading
While everyone else is talking about the Tour de France, we here at Atlas Obscura are focused on the off-beat cycling competitions you’ve probably never heard of, from the all-uphill 30-second sprint of the George Hill Challenge in Worcester, Massachusetts, to the sleepless night … | Continue reading
It's not difficult to tell whether the official tourist organizations in El Paso consider Lincoln Park a plus or a minus. It doesn't appear in any of their brochures or promos and only rarely does any city official venture there—usually on one of the four celebrations held there … | Continue reading
Matsusaka is a city that excels at hiding its treasures. Its city center is a haphazard collection of abandoned buildings from the 1980s, yet two steps away are the manicured hedges of the largest existing samurai residence complex from the Edo period. These residences were home … | Continue reading
Perched majestically atop the rugged cliffs at the northern edge of the Mizen Peninsula, Dunlough Castle, also known as Three Castle Head, commands a striking view over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean in southwestern Ireland. Founded in 1207 by Donagh O’Mahony, it is one o … | Continue reading
The Trexler Nature Preserve is a 1,108-acre park that is owned and maintained by Leigh County. Purchased in 1901 by General Harry Trexler, it was originally Trexler's desire to stock the preserve with big game animals such as bison, elk, and deer. General Trexler wanted to have a … | Continue reading
On either side of Victoria Park’s Cadogan Gate entrance, you can see, and sit within, a part of Old London Bridge. Bridges have crossed the Thames in the same area of London for millennia, at least since the Romans constructed a wooden crossing in the first century. The longest-s … | Continue reading
Located on the side of the road of a very quiet neighborhood right next to the Nunckatessett River is the Solitude Stone. There's a bench nearby where visitors can sit down to read the engraved poem and one might assume the name is referring to the area to enjoy some peace and qu … | Continue reading
Once upon a time, the area of Ganeshkhind near Savitribai Phule Pune University was considered the northwestern border of the city. The word khind means a gorge or a hill pass. There is a 17th-century temple of Lord Ganesh here. It is called Parvati Nandan Ganpati Temple. Parvati … | Continue reading
Tie-dyeing, one of the quintessential summer camp arts and crafts activities, leaves the camper with a souvenir t-shirt or bandana that’s both unique to them and a wearable memory. We asked Atlas Obscura Course Instructor Aaron Sanders Head, a textiles artist who focuses on natur … | Continue reading
Trash cans are generally not the first thing one notices about a restaurant, but after trekking to more than 50 countries on six continents to visit McDonald's franchises, something stood out to Gary He. All of the garbage receptacles say “Thank you,” but not necessarily in Engli … | Continue reading