gwenleif's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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New Iberia, Louisiana

Lake Peigneur

A miscalculation turns a very shallow freshwater lake into a very deep saltwater lake.
Lake Tarawera, New Zealand

Te Wairoa Buried Village

A Maori village obliterated by an 1886 volcanic eruption.
Venice, Italy

Lazzaretto Nuovo

The plague quarantine island home to the alleged "Vampire of Venice."
Otsuchi, Japan

Wind Telephone

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.
Leavenworth, Washington

Iron Goat Trail

The site of the Wellington avalanche, one of the America's worst railroad disasters.
Montserrat

AIR Studio Ruins

George Martin's Caribbean recording studio now rots within the shadow of an active volcano.
Fleury-devant-Douaumont, France

Zone Rouge

A swath of France so devastated by war it is still forbidden to go there.
San Francisco, California

Gjoa Monument

Standing in for the first ship to navigate the Northwest Passage.
Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

The Grave of Ernest Shackleton

Final resting place of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

"The Bug Pit" at Zindon Prison

Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit.
Montreal, Québec

Beaudry Metro

Montreal's colorful subway station shows its support of the local LGBT+ community.
Montreal, Québec

Marché Bonsecours

A historic Montreal market that was the city's agricultural hub for over century.
Mpulungu, Zambia

Niamkolo Church

Now abandoned, this stone church was part of the missionary efforts that initiated the Christianization of Zambia.
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

Beatles Park

This small Arkansas town once had a close encounter with the Beatles, and are determined never to let anyone forget that. Ever.
Jadwin, Missouri

Welch Spring Hospital Ruins

Once an ambitious nature spa, these forest ruins now provide a serene monument to failure.
Camdenton, Missouri

Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins

European castle ruins in an American state park are actually the product of death and grief.
West Fork, Arkansas

Wattle Hollow Retreat

A peaceful place in the woods where everything is a work in progress.
Springfield, Missouri

Fantastic Caverns

The show pony of cave systems, Fantastic Caverns manages to live up to its name.
Önneköp, Sweden

Republic of Önneköp

This micronation's flag honors its favorite drink, Kaffegöken, or "cuckoo-coffee."
Eskilstuna, Sweden

Sigurdsristningen (Sigurd Carving)

Stone carvings record the Norse myth of Sigurd, providing a glimpse into Scandinavia's transition from paganism to Christianity.
Stockholm, Sweden

Kymlinge Metro Station

"Only the dead get off at Kymlinge."
Lund, Sweden

Horologium mirabile Lundense

This Swedish astronomical clock was in storage for almost a century before its glorious workings were put on display once more.
Linköping, Sweden

Winter Lights

For a couple of months each year this Swedish city turns into a festive neon phantasmagoria.
Stockholm, Sweden

Ytterby Mine

The single richest source of elemental discoveries in the world.