During the 19th century, many European nations pursued the construction of opulent cemeteries with elaborate architectural features and multitudes of mausolea. One of the grandest European cemeteries from this period is the Addolorata Cemetery on the island of Malta, which was pa … | Continue reading
The Katherine Mansfield House was the childhood home of Katherine Mansfield, one of New Zealand's most celebrated writers. Mansfield's works frequently addressed themes that were considered taboo or controversial, such as sexual identity, class differences, and the complexities o … | Continue reading
Cinema Rif or the Cinémathèque de Tanger was established in 1949 during Morocco's colonial period under French rule. Originally named Cinema Royal, it was primarily a venue for showcasing international films. The theater quickly gained popularity among Tangier's residents and bec … | Continue reading
In the middle of Main Street, a sculpture depicts two athletes reaching for the sky, holding long sticks with netting at the end, competing over a ball. A third athlete lays in the scrum, trampled underneath. The game? Lacrosse. The city? La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Lacrosse Player … | Continue reading
Puerto Rico has long been a hub of passion, culture, and creativity, influencing artists across the globe, and our new podcast, Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico, is a celebration of its power to inspire. Narrated by the legendary Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán, th … | Continue reading
Every Arctic country likes to claim Santa Claus for their own. Canadian children write domestic letters to Santa with the specially allocated Canadian zip code H0H 0H0, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2013 "Everyone knows that Santa Claus is Canadian." Finnish children … | Continue reading
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we've got seven little-known stories to tell at the dinner table this year. Learn why dry turkey is on the menu instead of cow tongue or raccoon, and meet the woman who spent 15 years trying to make Thanksgiving an official holiday. Con … | Continue reading
Full disclosure: The Tri-States Monument does not, as is sometimes claimed, actually mark the location where the boundaries of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania meet. The confusion is understandable; the bronze United States Coast and Geodetic survey disc and scored granite … | Continue reading
Sequoias are a marvel of nature. They're some of the largest living beings on the planet, towering above every other type of tree. (A giant sequoia nicknamed General Sherman holds the title of the largest tree in the world by volume). Because these trees take millennia to grow, a … | Continue reading
Walking through Erbil's Arab quarter, it's not immediately obvious what has left the buildings mostly abandoned. Erbil is not a war-torn city. Unlike Mosul just 50 miles away, it was never bombed by the United States during the 2000s invasion, and not taken over by ISIS in the 20 … | Continue reading
The old school privy was constructed in 1870 to serve the school community of Genoa, Ohio. Until 1929, it was the primary bathroom facility for the students and teachers at the Genoa School. The small outdoor bathroom is quite unique, since indoor plumbing was readily available a … | Continue reading
In the year 60, St. Paul was sailing across the Mediterranean Sea as a Roman prisoner when the ship carrying him was caught in a severe storm. After the storm passed, the sailors spotted the island of Malta and tried to land there but got stuck on a sandbar. With heavy surf pound … | Continue reading
Born in a shotgun-style house on this stretch of land in 1871 and 1873, respectively, the Johnson brothers grew up in the Lavilla area of Jacksonville, Florida. Their home life was full of music and literature, and the brothers each became proficient in the arts—James Weldon was … | Continue reading
The clock on Česká Street is a fairly popular meet-up spot in Brno. If you wait for a friend here, there's someone to keep you company, even if you don't see him. He happens to be the smallest public statue in the city. Created by sculptor Václav Sigurson Kostohryz, the 20-centim … | Continue reading
High above the town of Silver Plume, Colorado, lies a solitary grave, marked by a small granite obelisk. The solitude of this tomb is matched only by the loneliness of its occupant, Clifford Griffin. Born to a well-off family in Shropshire, England, Griffin attended Peterhouse Co … | Continue reading
Designed in 1886 by local architect Alan Crombie, this massive building was commissioned for the production of Scottish tweed and became one of several tweed mills in the city. Since closing its doors to textile production in the 1920s, the building has housed many industries, bu … | Continue reading
The Framingham Centre Common is dotted with historical buildings, including the one that houses the Danforth Art Museum. Although not as large or renowned as other art museums near the Boston area, the Danforth has something in their collection no other museum has; the largest co … | Continue reading
From when the Knights of St. John controlled the islands of Malta in 1530 to after they were removed by Napoleonic forces in 1798, they embarked on multiple construction projects across the archipelago. Some of these projects focused on municipal buildings for the general populac … | Continue reading
In Trout Lake, a small community in southwest Washington, the peaks of nearby volcanoes and canopies of old-growth forests draw the eyes up. But when Julie Beeler sets out into the surrounding woods, her gaze points downward. Beeler, an artist, describes her home as a “fungal par … | Continue reading
This Vienna museum was created to keep the history of computers and video games alive. It features a huge collection of gadgets, software, and memorabilia from different decades. The displays show the journey of computing, starting with early machines like the Commodore 64 and At … | Continue reading
The striking nature and relative rarity of red sand dunes means they're usually tourist attractions wherever they occur. Well known examples include the Red Sand near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Sossusvlei in Namibia, and the Mui Ne Red Sand Dunes in Vietnam. While the Merka red dune … | Continue reading
Once upon a time, Prince Semchen Chenpo took a recreational sojourn to the forests of the Himalayan foothills with his parents and two brothers. After finding a place to rest and set up camp, the three brothers went exploring and discovered an ailing tigress lying in a nearby cav … | Continue reading
Despite its name, Futago Park in Inzai City isn't much of a park. It was designed to be a rest stop for cyclists riding along Lake Imba. There's not much to see, except for a pair of elephant statues and a public restroom. Both, however, happen to be noteworthy for different reas … | Continue reading
In April of 1066, a streak of cool fire appeared in the heavens. The comet, called a “bearded star” back then, had appeared before. There are mentions of it around the world dating as far back as the fifth century B.C. It’s now called Halley’s Comet, for the 18th-century scientis … | Continue reading
Looking for more ideas? Check out our recommendations from past years. Maybe this year, you beat the holiday frenzy with gifts unlike the rest. Maybe you finally floor that one person no one knows how to shop for. Maybe you treat yourself to a shirt covered in isopods, pop a bag … | Continue reading
At first glance, tiny Iola, Wisconsin, does not look like the seat of a publishing empire, but maybe it was just a flip of a coin that led to its success. For Iola was the home of Chester L. “Chet” Krause, one of the world’s most famous numismatists, and in 2023, a park was dedic … | Continue reading
The metropolitan area of Bangkok is estimated to be home to at least 400 Buddhist temples (wats), with only about 100 of them no longer operational. The most common sect of Buddhism in Thailand is Theravāda, which places a great value on its monastic orders. As such, most temples … | Continue reading
Hambone Jr. was the beloved canine companion of the U.S. Army’s 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division during World War II. The "scruffy little terrier" brought delight and distraction for the American soldiers stationed in Alresford in 1944 as they prepared for the D-Day Landings. … | Continue reading
Luxembourg may not be the first country to come to your mind when thinking of Roman heritage, but there are quite a number of ruins and sites across the grand duchy, even in its capital city. For instance, there is an unassuming house standing in a corner on Rue du Saint-Esprit a … | Continue reading
The walls of Arthur Brand’s Amsterdam apartment have been graced with masterpieces by Picasso and Van Gogh. Once, he briefly displayed the blood of Jesus Christ on his counter. And for a little while, his finger donned a ring previously owned by Oscar Wilde. These treasures come … | Continue reading
Located on the southern end of Turin’s Valentino Park, the Fontana dei Dodici Mesi (Fountain of the Twelve Months) is a monument sure to catch the eye of anyone interested in architecture, art, and mythology. Two water jets spring from a decorated basin fed by a waterfall. Surrou … | Continue reading
At the start of World War II, the Allied forces immediately recognized that the islands of Malta would be strategically important. Located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea just south of Italy, the islands could be used both to control shipping and to command landing forces … | Continue reading
Angono is known as the "art capital of the Philippines." The town is home to several museums and art galleries, and is known for being the birthplace of several nationally known artists. Its most celebrated son is Carlos "Botong" Francisco. Botong's obra maestro is the mural Hist … | Continue reading
Along a clean, modern street in Derbyshire, walking through the right door can take you back in time, and down a mine. At the Peak District Lead Mining Museum, visitors can explore models of mines and shafts to see how lead miners did their jobs in this town for generations. Acro … | Continue reading
In the heritage precinct of Old Goa, there are several buildings from the Portuguese Era. At its peak, Old Goa was called "Rome of the East." Today, the monuments of Old Goa are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A short distance west of Se Cathedral stands a church and the Convent of … | Continue reading
The Universel in Katwijk is a spiritual landmark situated in the dune-covered landscape near Katwijk. The building is connected to Sufism, a spiritual movement not connected to any one specific religious doctrine. This temple was built on the very spot where Sufi mystic Hazrat In … | Continue reading
The geology around Bend, Oregon, has been dominated by extensive volcanism over the last few million years. Repeated glacial advances and retreats have also extensively modified the terrain, and the interplay of these processes has led to spectacular scenery. Tumalo (pronounced " … | Continue reading
This article is adapted from the November 18, 2024, edition of Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Things newsletter. You can sign up here. When I recently Googled “Thanksgiving salad,” the results were recipes for vibrant, fresh vegetable mixtures, thoughtfully tossed with seasonal nuts a … | Continue reading
This three-story black and white home, once called the Old House, was built in 1621. It almost appears striped, outfitted with dark wooden beams and white panels, typical of England’s Tudor and Stuart eras. Its upper floors jut out, making it a recognizable part of Hereford’s his … | Continue reading
In downtown Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, you'll find a yellow brick road leading visitors through a whimsical park. The path ends in a swirl just like in The Wizard of Oz. Oconomowoc was among a few Midwestern communities chosen to premiere the 1939 movie before it made its national de … | Continue reading
This piece was originally published in Vox and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. In the warm blue waters of the Solomon Islands, an island chain in the South Pacific, lies one of the world’s largest sea creatures. Roughly the size of two basketball courts, i … | Continue reading
I just wrapped up my first year of gardening in the Mojave Desert, specifically in the Las Vegas Valley. I watched as plants sizzled in the sun after one missed watering, and most of my vegetables simply gave up on life as temperatures topped 115 degrees in May. But one plant I p … | Continue reading
A U-boat bunker located in the Nyhavna port district in northern Trondheim, Norway, stands as a testament to the city’s wartime history. It was constructed during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Norway in World War II, when the city became the hub of the most important German Naval … | Continue reading
At first glance, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin seems like a place filled with quintessential small-town American charm. The town’s motto is “Life here is good,” and the most famous resident of Beaver Dam is the actor Fred MacMurray, star of such family-friendly fare as My Three Sons and … | Continue reading
Route 135 through Ashland, Massachusetts, is a relatively quiet area. But one day per year, in April, this road is packed with thousands of people running the Boston Marathon cheered on by spectators. There are several historical markers commemorating the event, but one located d … | Continue reading
Pretty stones are often high on the list of things to bring back from a faraway country, but now that more and more places are cracking down on this kind of environmental theft, it's important to find ethical alternatives. In Cape Town, a place called the Scratch Patch offers jus … | Continue reading
This 18th-century windmill produces pigments the old-fashioned way: with wind power. The windmill has a fascinating history tied to the Dutch Golden Age when the Netherlands was not only a maritime power but also a center for fine arts, supplying vibrant pigments to the likes of … | Continue reading
The Basilica di San Petronio at the center of Bologna may stand out at first glance because it is an impressively large Italian Gothic cathedral—the largest church in Bologna, in fact. But while the church's vaulted ceilings and richly decorated chapels may be noteworthy, what tr … | Continue reading