Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

A participant in the Šediváčkův Long has its game face on.

An Inside Look at Czechia's Grueling Mountain Dogsled Race

Started in 1997, Šediváčkův Long is one of Europe's toughest winter events.

Place of the Day

Torre Sant'Andrea

Dramatic sea stacks adorn the coast of this small village on the Adriatic coast.

In Buenos Aires, Queer Tango Takes a Revolutionary Dance Back to Its Roots

In traditional tango, men lead and women follow. Queer tango is creating a new paradigm.

February 12, 2020

How a Trashed Italian Manuscript Got Sewn Into a Sweet Silk Purse

The Legend of a Cave and the Traces of the Underground Railroad in Ohio

The Carolinas' Mysterious Great White Shark Cluster Is Not Mysterious, Not a Cluster

What Tiny Snail Poop Could Mean For Latin America's Coffee Farms

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Peach Springs, Arizona

Caverns Grotto

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

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Alnwick, England

The Treehouse Restaurant at Alnwick Gardens

This giant wooden treehouse within a sprawling garden has its own eatery.

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Baker City, Oregon

The Armstrong Nugget

This 80.33 troy ounces of solid gold is believed to be the largest nugget from Oregon still in its original form.

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Bundaberg North, Australia

Bundaberg Botanic Gardens

Peanut butter trees and miracle berries are just the beginning.

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San Francisco Mazapa, Mexico

Palacio de Tepantitla

This archeological site hidden behind Teotihuacán's pyramids shelters 1600-year-old murals.

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Top Place Tags

history & culture

Tunisia Through the Sands of Time

From $3,660 USD

art & performance

Extraordinary Island: Puerto Rico's Hidden Wonders

From $1,970 USD

history & culture

Uganda and the Mysteries of the Nile

From $4,435 USD

Journey to the shores of Lake Victoria to see the source of the Nile, and follow the river through the diverse cultural and ecological landscape of modern-day Uganda—from its traditional kingdoms to the rainforests and savannah.

art & performance

Santa Fe Weekend: New Art, Ancient Traditions

From $1,280 USD

Spend a weekend immersed in the rich history, deeply rooted tradition, and constantly evolving art-scape of northern New Mexico.

Exploring a Secret Fort

Washington, D.C.

Exploring Historic Homes of the Stars

Santa Monica, California

The World of Beekeeping & Native Bees

Chicago, Illinois

Bug-Eating Adventures with The Bug Chef

Shoreline, Washington

Explore the Burns Archive's Collection

New York, New York

New York City Clock Walk

New York, New York

Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi

New York, New York

Walking the Hidden Wonders of Midtown

New York, New York

The Art of Solving a Cold Case

Boulder, Colorado

A Hoppin' Good Time at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

Tour of a Shoemaker's Workshop

Seattle, Washington

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The Coral Ark That Hopes to Save Florida’s Ailing Reefs

As a mysterious disease sweeps across the region, dry land might be the last best hope for survival.

Sabrina Imbler February 12, 2020

The Cross-Border Indigenous Battle for Wild Rice

In the Great Lakes region, what some consider a weed is actually a sacred seed.

Darcy Rhyno February 12, 2020

The Unexpected Elegance of Apocalyptic Seed Vaults, In Photos

The images, by artist and professor Dornith Doherty, are ethereal and oddly comforting.

Jessica Leigh Hester February 11, 2020

How the United Arab Emirates Became the Center of Falconry’s Gyre

And the hub of a world-spanning market for champion raptors.

Joshua Hammer February 11, 2020

Found: The First Anglo-Saxon Building in Bath

The discovery, in a city famed for its Roman ruins, may mark the site of England’s first coronation.

Isaac Schultz February 11, 2020

These Scots Still Fish Like the Vikings

But it's not clear whether future generations will keep the tradition alive.

Matthew Taub February 11, 2020

What a Viral Video of a Coyote and Badger Says About Interspecies Duos

Sometimes they're buddies. Sometimes it's strictly business.

Jennifer S. Holland February 10, 2020

Generations of Handwritten Mexican Cookbooks Are Now Online

North America's largest-known Mexican cookbook collection inspires both tears and restaurant dishes.

Nils Bernstein February 10, 2020

Burying the Dead in Taipei's Public Parks

The eco-friendly approach reflects Taiwan's shifting funerary practices.

Amandas Ong February 10, 2020

native americans

Indigenous People Are at the Forefront of Climate Change Planning in North America

“Tribes have local, place-based cultures and their cultural survival depends on the land."

Naveena Sadasivam February 10, 2020

7 Spots to Strike Explorer’s Gold

Follow the footsteps of 100,000 prospectors to these Klondike Gold Rush spots in the Yukon.

Sponsored by Filson

The Uncertain Future of a Border-Straddling Liquor

Sotol could bring Texans and Mexicans together, or divide them.

Luke Fater February 7, 2020

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