ilyakats's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Tomkins Cove, New York

Bear Mountain Walt Whitman Statue

The poet's been ambling through these New York woods since 1940.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Curator's Office

A Borgesian work of art that may blur the line between fiction and reality a little too convincingly.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mill City Museum and site of "The Great Mill Disaster"

When flour explodes, it's not a pretty sight.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Sidewalk Harp

A whimsical sensor instrument for Minneapolitans to play on their walks to work.
North Yorkshire, England

Brimham Rocks

Astonishing rock formations dot the Brimham Moor landscape.
Kenilworth, England

Kenilworth Castle

This ruined medieval castle was the scene of Lord Robert Dudley’s seductive reception for Queen Elizabeth I.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Greyfriars Bobby

The most loyal of little dogs, or a Victorian era publicity stunt?
Edinburgh, Scotland

Wojtek the Soldier Bear Memorial

A statue in the heart of Edinburgh honors a bear that served in the Polish military during World War II.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Holyrood Abbey Ruins

Ruined 11th century abbey built by King David I in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Edinburgh, Scotland

David Hume's Statue

Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.
Edinburgh, Scotland

The Writers' Museum

This small museum in a 17th-century building honors three iconic Scottish writers.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Dunbar's Close

A verdant 17th-century-style garden hidden along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Edinburgh, Scotland

World's End Close

This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.
Edinburgh, Scotland

St Giles' Cathedral Thistle Chapel

The 20th-century chapel’s intricate woodwork includes amazing details, most notably angels playing bagpipes.
London, England

The Embassy of the Republic of Texas

An alleyway plaque is all that remains of the independent Texas' envoy that forgot to pay their rent for over a century.
London, England

The Churchill War Rooms

The perfectly preserved underground rooms where Churchill plotted the war against Germany.
London, England

Pelicans of St James's Park

Giant, friendly pelicans in Central London, the most unlikely of places.
London, England

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries

This long-hidden space above Westminster Abbey now displays the battle gear of the legendary King Henry V.
London, England

Dirac Equation

The "beautiful" equation predicting the movement of all electromagnetic particles is engraved in front of Newton's tomb.
Caltagirone, Italy

Ceramic Steps of Caltagirone

142 ceramic steps become a mosaic once a year.
Palermo, Italy

Arabic Inscription of Palermo Cathedral

Why a column on the entrance is inscribed with a verse from the Quran is one of Sicily's many mysteries.
Syracuse, Italy

Ear of Dionysius

Italian cave with exceptional acoustics and an unsavory history.
Belpasso, Italy

Mount Etna

The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.
Catania, Italy

Elephant Fountain

A mysterious ancient elephant said to possess magic powers is now the symbol of a Sicilian city.