Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

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Sulfurous springs in the Danakil Depression discharge brine and acidic liquid.

Searching for the Limits of Life in Earth’s Most Extreme Environment

In Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, there's an ecosystem unlike anything else on the planet.

by Robin George Andrews

Place of the Day

National Railway Museum

After Sierra Leone's railways shut down in 1974, a collection of engines and other artifacts spent decades hidden away in this old workshop, now a museum.

Come Hell or High Water, Mail Arrives Weekly in This Remote Canyon

Jill and Jim Koch have been delivering mail by boat to Hells Canyon for decades, following a century-old route.

November 24, 2021

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How Old Is Zimbabwe’s Famed ‘Big Tree’?

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Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide

14 Places to Celebrate Native American Heritage Day

Podcast: Looking for Pawpaws

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Top Countries

Top Cities

Salem, Massachusetts

Stephen Phillips House

Built in 1821 using rooms from another estate, the Phillips House is the only historic home on scenic Chestnut Street open to the public.

TheDiscoveryService

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Ceres, Scotland

'Provost of Ceres'

A well-traveled statuette of a much-beloved village icon.

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Mishawaka, Indiana

Shiojiri Garden

One of the few authentic Japanese gardens in the state of Indiana and perhaps the most peaceful place in the city of Mishawaka.

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Stirling, Scotland

The Star Pyramid

This pyramid is dedicated to all those who suffered martyrdom for civil and religious liberty in Scotland.

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Tchorek Plaques

These plaques found across Warsaw commemorate the sites where executions or battles took place during the German occupation.

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Online

Atlas Obscura x Literati Book Club Trivia Night

Online

Feather, Bone, Skin: Taxidermy for Art & Design With Allis Markham

Starts Tue, Nov 30

Online

Historical Nonfiction: Research-Based Writing With Hadley Meares

Starts Wed, Dec 1

$195 per person

+ 4 other dates

Online

Cheese: History, Tasting, and Pairing With Erika Kubick

Starts Wed, Dec 1

Online

An Evening Inside the Rare Book Room at The New York Public Library

Discover some of the oldest and most rare printed materials from the NYPL's collection!

Online

Recreating Ancient Recipes With VAWAA

Starts Sat, Dec 4

$235 per person

Online

Podcasting & the Art of the Interview With Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder

Starts Sun, Dec 5

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Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell

Mar 18–27, 2022

From $3,475 USD

On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell.

+ 2 other dates

Pyramids and Petroglyphs of Sudan

Mar 22–Apr 1, 2022

From $5,680 USD

Journey along the Nile, across the Sudanese desert, and discover the pyramids and archaeological treasures of ancient civilizations.

+ 1 other date

The Culinary Crossroads of Marseille

Jun 6–12, 2022

From $5,130 USD

wildlife & nature

Rewilding: Tracking Wolves in the Forests of Sweden

Jul 4–9, 2022

From $3,450 USD

Explore Sweden’s boreal forests by day and hear the howling of wild wolves by night.

+ 2 other dates

Podcast: The Jagannath Temple

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team November 23, 2021

America’s Most Unique Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Show some state pride with persimmon bread or frog eye salad.

Anne Ewbank November 22, 2021

Otter-ly Adorable Climate Change Warriors May Save California's Coastal Ecosystems

Too-cute sea otters are ravenous predators that feast on purple urchins and other destructive species.

Matt Simon November 22, 2021

Podcast: Sunny Jim Cave

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team November 22, 2021

5 Recipes From Indigenous Chefs to Add to Your Thanksgiving Spread

From maple-glazed squash to hominy-turkey stew, these dishes celebrate the people and flavors of this land.

The Gastro Obscura Team November 19, 2021

A Photographer's Journey With the Ancient Baobabs of Madagascar

The death of a sacred tree led to the discovery of other wonders.

Winnie Lee November 19, 2021

10 Massively Inedible Roadside Attractions

These works of art will surely tease the palate.

Jonathan Carey November 19, 2021

How to Find ‘Comets’ and Other Wonders Just Around the Corner

A nature photographer uses clever camera work to turn his own neighborhood into a visual wonderland.

Gemma Tarlach November 19, 2021

The ‘Torture Orchard’ Is a Testing Ground for the Coming Climate Crisis

Which trees will live and which ones will die?

Diana Hubbell November 18, 2021

Studying New Life in the Shadow of Venezuela's Last Glacier

When ice goes, lichens and mosses move in and an entirely new ecosystem starts to take shape.

Jonathan Moens November 18, 2021

The Centuries-Old Plays Helping to Revitalize a Once-Lost Language

One challenge: finding actors who speak Cornish.

Richard Collett November 18, 2021

Podcast: Red Sea Blue Hole

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team November 18, 2021

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