Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

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Trying to core the ground to take samples last year was like trying to "drill through concrete," Gaffney says. So the team got a bigger drill.

Not Far From Stonehenge, an Even Bigger Neolithic Site Is Hidden Underground

A giant circle of pits is the largest Neolithic site found in Britain to date.

by Isaac Schultz

Place of the Day

Cologne Central Mosque

The largest mosque in Germany.

An Italian Ski Resort Fights Glacial Melting With Giant Tarps

Climate change is shrinking Alpine glaciers. The tourism industry has a stake in keeping them around.

The Master Baker Giving San Francisco Sourdough a New Shape

Welcome to Atlas Obscura's 50 States of Wonder

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Wonder From Home

How to Make Smoked Foods From Around the World on Your Stovetop

How Students Built a 16th-Century Engineer's Book-Reading Machine

Top Countries

Top Cities

Fort Nelson, British Columbia

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum

Home to vintage vehicles and local artifacts, this museum also houses a rare taxidermy specimens.

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Limhamn Limestone Quarry

This quarry filled with 65 million-year-old limestone is now home to a nature reserve.

Added by alexisp

Mito Daiich High School

An old-fashioned school with interesting grounds and deep history, including the original Mito Castle gate.

Added by arlene

Glasgow, Scotland

Clydeside Expressway Mural Wall

Paintings that stretch across 600 feet of derelict railway.

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Mkhomazi Wilderness area, South Africa

Sani Pass

Brace yourself for the slowest, scariest, most spectacular drive, down the Drakensberg Escarpment.

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Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia

From $2,865 USD

Alongside local experts, we'll munch our way through Slovenia's stunning alpine pastures, forests, and lakes—gathering wild foods, making mountain tea, and crafting a charismatic cheese.

wildlife & nature

Science After Dark: Spotting Squid in the Tides of Oahu

From $3,535 USD

Just beneath the waves off the Hawaiian coast, there are schools of tropical fish, flotillas of sea turtles, and squads of squid. We’re diving in to explore some of their secrets.

wildlife & nature

Wings & Wonders: Birds of New Zealand

From $5,360 USD

Explore the spectacular birdlife, biodiversity, and natural wonder of Aotearoa alongside seasoned conservationists.

Searching for Russia’s Northern Lights

From $3,830 USD

Bear witness to the ethereal glow of the Northern Lights, explore Arctic Russia, and see life in the Polar Circle up close.

The West Is Being Won by Tiny Bits of Plastic

Natural landscapes are seeing huge amounts of microplastics tumbling from the sky.

Jessica Leigh Hester June 26, 2020

This Restaurant Pivoted From Molecular Gastronomy to a 5-Course Drive-Through

A server squeegees the window, too.

Darcy Rhyno June 26, 2020

Why Did This Ancient Marsupial Have Saber Teeth?

Turns out they're useful if you want to slurp up your food.

Isaac Schultz June 26, 2020

The South Carolina Forest That Looks Like Melted Ice Cream

When conditions are right, the waters of Congaree National Park can look like bright scoops pooling on a sidewalk.

Jessica Leigh Hester June 25, 2020

In Mexico City, the Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Aztec-Era ‘Floating Gardens’

Business is booming for farmers who plant on man-made islands.

Amanda Gokee June 25, 2020

Meet the Caretakers of Sealand, the World's Most Stubborn Micronation

Maintaining an aging offshore platform is no easy task.

Dylan Taylor-Lehman June 25, 2020

How a Tiny Island's Trash Heap Is Revealing Its History

An old dump beneath the airport on Michigan's Mackinac Island was brimming with stories from summers past.

Jessica Leigh Hester June 24, 2020

A New Archive Digitizes More Than a Century of Black American Funeral Programs

A chronicle of lives lived from before the Civil War to today.

Matthew Taub June 24, 2020

Europe's Last Sail-Powered Fishing Fleet Faces a Stormy Future

Can this age-old industry weather both COVID-19 and climate change?

Katherine Waters June 24, 2020

Did an Alaskan Volcano Help Change the Face of the Mediterranean World?

At the time, unrest roiled Egypt and an empire rose in Rome.

Isaac Schultz June 23, 2020

The Astonishing Variety of Street Trees in Hackney, London

Hackney has a more diverse population of trees than any borough in London.

Jo Caird June 23, 2020

In Canada, Gold Rush-Era Garbage Reveals a History of Chinese Immigrant Cuisine

Archaeologists unearthed evidence of pig roasts and boozy gatherings at an 1870s British Columbia eatery.

Reina Gattuso June 23, 2020

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