Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

17 Jaw-Dropping Cliffhangers

Precarious observatories, windswept lighthouses, remote monasteries, and other places that are literally on the edge.

Place of the Day

Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse

At this small shop off a dirt road in the forest, the specialty is eel the owner caught and smoked himself.

The Carolinas' Mysterious Great White Shark Cluster Is Not Mysterious, Not a Cluster

They're just doing what sharks do.

February 14, 2020

Floridians Are Eating Their State Tree to Help Their State Animal

For These Young Street Artists, Amman Is a Beige Canvas

A Fossilized Skull May Solve the Mystery of a Chameleon Migration

What Is the Hardest Language in the World to Lipread?

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Skopje, North Macedonia

Skopje Fortress

This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

mikepgroves

Added by mikepgroves

Leiden, Netherlands

Einstein's Chair

Albert Einstein would often sit in this chair during visits to the observatory to discuss science with Willem de Sitter.

CoolCrab

Added by CoolCrab

Archeological Exhibit at Athens International Airport

These artifacts were discovered during the construction of the airport, with some dating back to the Neolithic period.

Phlizz

Added by Phlizz

Bourail, New Caledonia

Bonhomme de Bourail

A beachside monolith shaped by years of waves crashing against hard quartz.

Added by joerubin

Baden-Baden, Germany

Autobahnkirche St. Christophorus Baden-Baden

This magnificent church allows travelers along one of Germany's busiest roadways a chance to rest and reflect.

Seerauber Aine

Added by Seerauber Aine

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Top Place Tags

art & performance

Extraordinary Island: Puerto Rico's Hidden Wonders

From $1,970 USD

art & performance

Beyond the Quarter: Music and Reinvention in New Orleans

From $1,415 USD

Explore the rich soundscape of New Orleans, tracing the social, political, and spiritual roles these traditions have played throughout history and in contemporary culture.

art & performance

Santa Fe Weekend: New Art, Ancient Traditions

From $1,280 USD

Spend a weekend immersed in the rich history, deeply rooted tradition, and constantly evolving art-scape of northern New Mexico.

art & performance

Vienna: Salon Sonatas and Klimt Up Close

From $2,625 USD

Immerse yourself in Vienna’s rich artistic culture of past and present—from the historic coffee houses that have hosted creative salons for centuries to world-renowned musical venues.

Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi

New York, New York

Walking the Hidden Wonders of Midtown

New York, New York

The Art of Solving a Cold Case

Boulder, Colorado

Inside Look at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

Tour of a Shoemaker's Workshop

Seattle, Washington

The Spies of Georgetown

Washington, D.C.

Explore The US Lunar Space Program

Downey, California

Stargaze through an Apollo 11 Telescope

Berthoud, Colorado

Lost and Long-Gone Graveyards of L.A.

Los Angeles, California

New York City Clock Walk

New York, New York

Behind the Scenes at the City Reliquary

Brooklyn, New York

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The Legend of a Cave and the Traces of the Underground Railroad in Ohio

In 1892, a newspaper described a cave that sheltered 21 formerly enslaved people. Ohioans are still looking for it.

Kevin Williams February 14, 2020

What Tiny Snail Poop Could Mean For Latin America's Coffee Farms

“I just followed a trail of excrement.”

Luke Fater February 13, 2020

How a Minnesota Town Fell In and Out of Love With Its Ginormous Geese

Like most human-fowl relationships, it's complicated.

Molly Monk February 13, 2020

Why the Suez Canal Is a Superhighway for Invasive Species

And the newcomers show no signs of slowing down.

Isaac Schultz February 13, 2020

Peregrine Falcons Came Home to Roost in a Boeing 737 Plant

After pausing production of the 737 MAX, Boeing will get help evicting its resident birds of prey.

Sabrina Imbler February 13, 2020

The Rude, Cruel, and Insulting 'Vinegar Valentines' of the Victorian Era

Nothing like getting surprise hate mail from a would-be lover on February 14.

Natalie Zarrelli February 13, 2020

An Inside Look at Czechia's Grueling Mountain Dogsled Race

Started in 1997, Šediváčkův Long is one of Europe's toughest winter events.

Winnie Lee February 12, 2020

Pablo Escobar’s Hippo Herd Is Treating Colombia's Lakes Like One Big Toilet

They're thriving, pooping, and fouling up the water around the drug lord's former estate.

Jessica Leigh Hester February 12, 2020

The Coral Ark That Hopes to Save Florida’s Ailing Reefs

As a mysterious disease sweeps across the region, dry land might be the last best hope for survival.

Sabrina Imbler February 12, 2020

The Cross-Border Indigenous Battle for Wild Rice

In the Great Lakes region, what some consider a weed is actually a sacred seed.

Darcy Rhyno February 12, 2020

In Buenos Aires, Queer Tango Takes a Revolutionary Dance Back to Its Roots

In traditional tango, men lead and women follow. Queer tango is creating a new paradigm.

Juan Relmucao February 12, 2020

The Unexpected Elegance of Apocalyptic Seed Vaults, In Photos

The images, by artist and professor Dornith Doherty, are ethereal and oddly comforting.

Jessica Leigh Hester February 11, 2020

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