Taking inspiration from Alberto Giacometti and Lucian Freud, British artist Sean Henry specializes in sculpting lifelike clay and bronze human figures. Two of Henry's sculptures, a man and a woman, can be seen on High Street in Colchester, England, a city around 60 miles northeas … | Continue reading
During the first half of the 20th century, public mosaic works were common across Europe, often combining Symbolist themes with depictions of allegorical figures, historical events, and national heroes. One outstanding example is found in the arched street passage beneath the tow … | Continue reading
Nestled among England's picturesque South Downs, this tiny church is one of the country's smallest. Measuring just 16 square feet, the Church of the Good Shepherd, also known as Lullington Church, can accommodate a congregation of only about 20 people. Interestingly, the church w … | Continue reading
Located in the Polish city of Poznań, about 180 miles west of Warsaw, the Museum of the History of Poznań (or The Town Hall Poznań Museum) traces the city's history from the 10th century until today. The museum is housed in the city's historic town hall, which can trace its earli … | Continue reading
The fountain of books, made of travertine in 1927 by Pietro Lombardi, is located via degli Staderari, which practically divides Palazzo Madama from Palazzo della Sapienza, the current seat of the state archives and the ancient university until 1935. The fountain, enclosed in a ni … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, Dylan sits down with science writer and journalist Rebecca Boyle, who has a new book about all the ways in which the moon has impacted nearly every … | Continue reading
Following the stone steps toward the sea from Ayia Thekla chapel, visitors will find a cross on the left-hand side carved into the stone bedrock. Underneath is an open doorway leading into a small cave entrance which leads to a candle-lit shrine. Believed to have been carved in t … | Continue reading
Harrison's lighthouse stands looking over the Caribbean Sea on the northwest coast of Barbados. The building has been abandoned since circa 2007, but was constructed around the 1920s, some of the outbuildings remain including the keeper's house. | Continue reading
In the far northwestern corner of Italy, the small city of Aosta is situated in a stunning Alpine setting. Founded in 25 B.C. and nestled in a long, steep-sided valley, the city has long been a stopping point on the Via Francigena, the ancient Roman road and pilgrimage route betw … | Continue reading
Skeletal remains with rods clamped across their necks, dirt in their mouths, or spears pinning down their body: These are just a few tactics that Europeans of the past used to ward off the resurrected dead—or zombies, if you will. Several archaeological sites have pointed to “rev … | Continue reading
Experts have determined the Defynnog Yew to be more than 5,000 years old, making it one of the United Kingdom's oldest yew trees. Some have disputed this estimate, instead calculating the tree to be only around 1,500 years old. Either way, the yew is one of Britain’s oldest trees … | Continue reading
Around the corner from the Panshanger Orangery is a large tree fenced off. This is the Panshanger Great Oak. The tree is estimated to be around 500 years old and may have been planted by Queen Elizabeth I. Winston Churchill also visited and planted one of the acorns from the tree … | Continue reading
The Dutch Windmill Museum and neighboring "House of Acadia" are a quirky pair of museums that honor early immigrants to the area. The museums are home to items donated by local families that represent the Netherlands's history. The museum also houses items from country music star … | Continue reading
Since Ian Fleming created James Bond in 1953, the fictional British spy known as 007 has defined the spy thriller. Fast cars, casinos, beautiful women, gun fights, high-tech gadgets, and snappy quips have all become genre staples thanks to Bond. Through the years, actors who have … | Continue reading
One might spot a small museum on the map while exploring the beautiful flora and fauna at Tresco Abbey Gardens, a 19th-century garden surrounding a medieval abbey. The Valhalla Museum houses around 30 ship figureheads and other carved decorations from vessels mounted on garden bu … | Continue reading
Located in Tainan City's historic downtown, the Hayashi Department Store is the oldest operating department store in Taiwan, and the second ever opened. Since its reopening in 2014, Tainan City locals and tourists alike have flocked to peruse its local and limited edition goods, … | Continue reading
Located on a seemingly unnamed dirt track, Argonne, South Dakota, has been a ghost town since the closure of its elementary school in the 1970s. Today all that's left of the town is a small sign, a derelict grain silo, and the vault of a former bank. Louis Gotthelf, a Prussian-bo … | Continue reading
From the moment visitors enter the garden of Joaquín Sorolla's house, they are drawn into the artist's inner world. Joaquín Sorolla was a renowned Spanish painter known for his luminous, vibrant depictions of landscapes, seascapes, and scenes of Spanish life. Influenced by Impres … | Continue reading
Any tourist visiting the Greek capital is bound to see its prestigious World Heritage site, the Acropolis of Athens, sooner or later. It's the most recognizable landmark visible from any corner of the city. Athens's other World Heritage property, however, remains lesser-known and … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we empty out our change purse and visit Dan Zelinsky—the owner and head mechanic of the Musée Mécanique—one of the few remaining vintage arcades in … | Continue reading
This location provides direct access to the gold mining underworld of Bendigo, which was responsible for Australia's Victorian gold rush. In addition to the well-maintained surface facilities, this location offers explorers the option to go deep below the earth's surface and trav … | Continue reading
Eden V, also known by the name Etsuyo Maru, was a Japanese cargo ship built in 1968. On December 16, 1988, the ship was grounded on the coast near Lesina Marina, despite not having sent a mayday call. The shipwreck has been left to rot for several decades and reportedly contained … | Continue reading
At the northern end of the Uniwersytecki bridge in Wroclaw, you might just miss this creepy hand that appears to be reaching out from between the stones that make up the bridge. As Wroclaw is said to be one of the most haunted cities in Poland, this hand may be connected to one o … | Continue reading
A brightly-colored bonanza of shopping, the Ima or "Mother's" Market covers three large buildings in the city of Imphal, India. Established in the 16th century, the market hosts around 5,000 vendors who sell a variety of products, from fruit and vegetables to seafood and spices t … | Continue reading
Though there is a lot of greenery even in the heart of Tokyo, from public parks to riverbanks, there remains only one natural gorge: the Todoroki Valley in Setagaya City. Carved by a river of spring water eroding layers of soft loam, the Todoroki Valley runs about half a mile thr … | Continue reading
The forested island of Ilha Grande, located off the of the coast of Brazil, is largely undeveloped. But towards the eastern end of the island, just outside the village of Abraão, you can find the ruins of a stone aqueduct. Built in 1893 at the request of Emperor Dom Pedro II, the … | Continue reading
The Sherman tank, known as Duguay Trouin, participated in the liberation of Dijon. On September 6, 1944, the tank, at the head of a platoon of five others in Dijon, was hit by two German anti-tank shells: three of the six men of the crew lost their lives there: Second Lieutenant … | Continue reading
Who can you count on when the chips are down? For one rural city in Kansas, the answer is easy. In the town square of Great Bend, visitors can find a bronze statue dedicated to Jack Kilby, the inventor of the microchip, who once called Great Bend home. Jack St. Clair Kilby was bo … | Continue reading
Just outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas, lies an extraordinary botanical garden. Built on a peninsula on Lake Hamilton, it has everything one expects in a garden of its size—large rose bushes, perfectly manicured tulip beds, a Japanese koi pond, an area dedicated to local flora, an … | Continue reading
Churches around the world are often adorned with representations of fish, owing to the Greek ikhthū́s (ichthys), appearing in the acrostic phrase ‘Iēsous CHristos THeou HYios Sōtēr’ meaning ‘Jesus Christ Son of God Savior’. But one church in Lewes, England, features a far larger … | Continue reading
The Dilmun Burial Mounds in Bahrain stand as poignant testaments to ancient civilizations and their reverence for the afterlife. Built between 2200 and 1750 B.C., these burial sites offer a glimpse into the beliefs and customs of the Dilmun civilization, which flourished in the r … | Continue reading
In the serene churchyard of St Mary the Virgin Parish Church, in the village of Friston on England's south coast is a small but poignant wooden cross. Its unpretentious, unadorned, design is simple yet striking, for it's boldly inscribed with the phrase "Washed Ashore," an indica … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we learn about the Beauly Elm, a gnarly looking elm tree rumored to be older than Britain itself. The tree was the anchor in a community—until beet … | Continue reading
THIS ARTICLE IS ADAPTED FROM THE MAY 4, 2024, EDITION OF GASTRO OBSCURA’S FAVORITE THINGS NEWSLETTER. YOU CAN SIGN UP HERE. I’ve had strawberries on my mind lately. We just wrapped up “Rites of Spring,” a week where Atlas Obscura explores how people around the world celebrate the … | Continue reading
From 1934 to 1962, Kamakura was known for its summer carnival. It was a huge event launched by a group of local writers and artists, inspired by a carnival that playwright Masao Kume saw in Nice, France. Though it was put on an eight-year hiatus during and after World War II, the … | Continue reading
The Longshoreman's Museum is a hidden gem most visitors haven't heard of. Celebrating the rich maritime history of the seaside town of Ventnor, the museum is housed in a small gift shop near the waterfront, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the lives and work of the is … | Continue reading
In 1665, Zheng Jing, the son of pirate lord Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga), created the first Confucius temple and center for Confucian learning in Taiwan. When the Qing Dynasty conquered Taiwan in 1683, they quickly adapted it to their own regime. To this day, the elegant 350-year-ol … | Continue reading
The fertile fields of the Wabash River Valley in western Indiana are home to geological treasures. In the farming community of Williamsport, visitors can find the tallest waterfall in Indiana. Fall Creek, a short tributary of the Wabash River, feeds Williamsport Falls. Williamspo … | Continue reading
The EUR district of Rome is a strange place, a somewhat dystopian cityscape with monumental Fascist-era architecture commissioned by Benito Mussolini. Even its post-World War II landmark, a water tower built in 1957, is a unique structure that gives visitors a glimpse of the retr … | Continue reading
Next to the Archaeological Museum of Goa in the historic precinct of Old Goa is an impressive collection of stones from across the centuries. They have been kept along the side of the walkway like an open-air museum. These crumbling grey and green stone vestiges show details from … | Continue reading
Nebraskans know how to throw a party, and the weirder and more wondrous, the better. After all, this is where locals utilize steel water tanks for river floating, and an automotive replica of England’s Stonehenge rises from the plains. In fact, Nebraska’s wide-open landscape invi … | Continue reading
In Durrington, the Cuckoo Stone lies as a silent enigma while many flock to see its neighbor, Stonehenge. This squat sarsen stone, similar to those that tower tourists in Stonehenge, exudes esotericism and intrigues captivated scholars and archaeologists for centuries. Once a foc … | Continue reading
This piece was originally published in The Guardian and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. One of the most comprehensive biodiversity surveys ever carried out in a mangrove forest has revealed that an astonishing array of wildlife makes its home in these key, … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we go to Haiti to visit a royal residence once called the Versailles of the Caribbean. But though Sans-Souci Palace, once home to Haiti’s only king … | Continue reading
Atlas Obscura’s weekly crossword comes to us from Natan Last, a writer who also helps develop policy and digital products for refugees and asylum seekers. His work can be found in The Atlantic, Los Angeles Review of Books, The New Yorker, and other publications, and he's currentl … | Continue reading
Red and blue are a highly evocative color pairing. Put them together, and you can’t help but think hot or cold. Or left and right. A map of red and blue, but not politics Ironically, their political symbolism is reversed on either side of the Atlantic. In the U.S., red states are … | Continue reading
It’s hard to imagine how a building as grand as the City Methodist Church in Gary, Indiana, could ever become abandoned. Completed in 1926, the spectacular nine-story complex also included, at one time, a 1,000-seat theater, offices, a dining hall, and a gymnasium. Built at a cos … | Continue reading
In Latin, as well as in English, the toponym "Avernus" is synonymous with "hell" or "underworld." It comes from the name of a volcanic crater lake in Campania, Italy. It means "birdless" in Ancient Greek (áornos), likely named so for the toxic fumes seeping from the area, which i … | Continue reading