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Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
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The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
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AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?
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What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan
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The Definitive Guide To
The World’s
Hidden Wonders

From ancient relics to roadside oddities, we connect you to the best of what’s out there.

Chausath Yogini Temple of Hirapur, Odisha

Chausath Yogini Temple

This ancient goddess temple inspired the design of India’s Parliament House.

Added By Mariellen Ward

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Editor’s Picks

Destinations From Across the Atlas

Destinations From Across the Atlas

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Chicago

Illinois

Places 161
Stories 55
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Denver

Colorado

Places 45
Stories 12
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San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50
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Rome

Italy

Places 149
Stories 25
Featured Trips

Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest

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Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals

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Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.

poison

Toxicologist Liz Dauncey invites you to admire the marvels of plants (carefully).

By Andrew Coletti April 18, 2025

Featured Trips

Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest

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More Stories

What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan

travel writing

By Stacey Brugeman June 20, 2025

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roads

By Aaron Joel Santos June 20, 2025

What I Found Driving Through Appalachia

travel writing

By Mason Adams June 20, 2025

Who Swarmed Langley Air Force Base With Drones?

Podcast

By The Podcast Team June 19, 2025

Explore the Atlas

Hidden Wonders

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Featured Most Recent
  • Bridge and quay used in the shark attack scene.

    Edgartown, Massachusetts

    ‘Jaws’ Bridge

    The filming location of a shark attack in Steven Spielberg’s famous shark movie.

    Added By
    J.W. Ocker
  • The Juneteenth Monument at Ashton Villa.

    Galveston, Texas

    Juneteenth Monument at Ashton Villa

    The statue, located at a mansion-turned-emancipation museum, honors Galveston’s history as the birthplace of Juneteenth.

    Added By
    Barbara Woolsey
  • Kowloon Soy Co. Ltd. has been making condiments for more than a century.

    Hong Kong

    Kowloon Soy Co. Ltd.

    One of the last soy sauce-makers in Hong Kong has been in the artisanal condiment business since 1917.

    Added By
    Austin Bush
  • Is the tree in the way of the shop, or was the shop built in the way of tree?

    Monterrey, Mexico

    The Tree Growing Inside a 7-Eleven

    This store may be part of a well-known chain, but it stands out due to the tree growing through the middle of it.

    Added By
    linkogecko
  • Sweny’s Pharmacy exterior

    Dublin, Ireland

    Sweny's Pharmacy

    The 19th-century pharmacy (now a used bookstore) was featured in James Joyce’s "Ulysses," and has changed very little to this day.

    Added By
    Noel Donnellon
  • Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross

    İkizler Köyü, Turkey

    Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross

    An ancient church on a tiny island covered in stone bible stories has controversially been turned into a museum.

    Added By
    philoursmars
  • This is NOT the flag pole in question

    Washington, D.C.

    Flag Office Elevator

    The elevator that makes it possible to fly American flags in bulk over the U.S. Capitol

    Added By
    Elliot Carter
  • Lake Retba, also known as Lac Rose

    Rufisque, Senegal

    Lake Retba

    This deceptively salty lake looks like blushing pink lemonade.

    Added By
    Rachel James
  • Las Vegas, Nevada

    Parking Lot Shoeprints

    A bizarre example of collective behavior resulted in thousands of shoe prints in Vegas parking lots.

    Added By
    CoolCrab
  • Boston, Massachusetts

    Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38

    These structures serve as a memorial to one of Boston’s most ambitious and controversial urban redevelopment projects.

    Added By
    Josh Woolstenhulme
  • Pungo Andongo, Angola

    Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo

    These giant volcanic rocks towering above the Angolan savannah once served as a natural fortification.

    Added By
    cdanesh
  • Chisinau, Moldova

    Abandoned Observatory of the Pioneer Palace

    Once built to inspire young Soviet minds through astronomy, this dome now stands as a quiet relic of a vanished era.

    Added By
    Johan SWE
  • Path at Camp Coxcomb.

    Chiriaco Summit, California

    Desert Training Center

    Traces of General Patton’s Mojave Desert training camps for the North Africa campaign.

    Added By
    slgwv
  • The mosaics give the cathedral a resemblance to Byzantine/Orthodox architecture.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Porta Coeli Cathedral

    One of Mexico City's seats of the Catholic faith, although not the majoritarian Latin Roman rite.

    Added By
    linkogecko
  • Gashouder Westergas.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Westergasfabriek

    One of Amsterdam’s most popular cultural and recreational complexes is on the site of a former gas works.

    Added By
    Dark Nebula Deluxe
  • Taipei, Taiwan

    Wulixue Irrigation Canal

    A preserved segment of the old irrigation canal recalls Taipei’s history as a “Water City.”

    Added By
    John ChungEn Liu
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Discover Our Stories

Articles, Videos, and Podcast

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Most Popular Most Recent
The 17th-century blood jam recipe recommended using fluid drained from “persons of warm, moist temperament.”

vampires

The Strange Endurance of Consuming Human Blood for Our Health

From draining slain gladiators to modern-day "sangs," people have long looked to blood as a panacea.

Read more
Written By
Mark Hay
October 31, 2022
  • For years, this slab engraved with the name “Charlotte Temple” and no other information drew crowds of mourners to the graveyard at New York’s Trinity Church.

    cemeteries

    What Lies Beneath the Gravestone of a Fictional It Girl?

    By Allegra Rosenberg

  • She’ll get you and your little dog too.

    witchcraft

    Dear Atlas: Where Can I Explore Witch History Without the Kitsch?

    By Sarah Durn

  • astronomy

    How to Take the Ultimate American Stargazing Road Trip

    By Rebecca Boyle

  • restaurants

    The Fantastic, Fading Retro Diners of Hong Kong

    By Austin Bush

  • Our journey begins in Texas—more specifically in Big Bend National Park.

    The Atlas Obscura (Audio) Guide to the National Parks

    Sponsored by GMC Terrain

  • The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.

    trails

    Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving

    By Laura Kiniry

Two suitcases in an empty airport hall.

Podcast

AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?

Our hosts offer unsolicited relationship advice.

Read more
Written By
The Podcast Team
June 21, 2025
  • Kolaches

    Podcast

    How Texas Became an Unlikely Epicenter for Czech Pastries

    By The Podcast Team

  • travel writing

    What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan

    By Stacey Brugeman

  • roads

    What I Found Driving Down Highway 61

    By Aaron Joel Santos

  • travel writing

    What I Found Driving Through Appalachia

    By Mason Adams

  • U.S. Air Force Capt. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander, passes over the flight line at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 9, 2024

    Podcast

    Who Swarmed Langley Air Force Base With Drones?

    By The Podcast Team

  • Our producer Manolo Morales would spend his final days perusing the shelves at Book Off.

    Podcast

    Where Would You Go to Wait for the Apocalypse?

    By The Podcast Team

  • This event showcasing the bounty of the Traverse City region’s amazing agriculture, craft, and creativity culminates with a Grand Tasting on August 23.

    The Atlas Obscura Guide to Traverse City’s Event Season

    Sponsored by Traverse City Tourism

View all Stories

Plan Your Adventure

Guides, lists, and itineraries

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Toronto

Ontario

Places 55
Stories 8
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New Orleans

Louisiana

Places 122
Stories 25
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Amsterdam

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Stories 6

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Trips and Videos

Tunisia - Sahara desert at night stargazing

Africa

Tunisia: The Sahara, Mosaics & Star Wars Relics

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Sea Critters of Charlotte Harbor

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An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders


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