The Secret Lives of Cities: Ljubljana

How many times can a city be called a “hidden gem” before it stops being hidden? Judging by the enthusiastic throngs wandering its cobbled Baroque streets in summer, Slovenia’s capital has certainly been discovered, but perhaps by the wiser tourists. Though it is popular it is never overcrowded, and each visitor who falls for its charms (and they inevitably do) feels as though they’ve stumbled upon a secret treasure. Perhaps this lingering sense of discovery comes from its tricky-to-pronounce name (Loo-blee-ah-nah) or the fact that Slovenia only gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, making it feel newly accessible to many travelers. But this very quality is part of its appeal—Ljubljana is a city full of surprises. It’s unexpectedly elegant and prosperous (historically the most developed of the former Yugoslav capitals), remarkably easy to visit , impressively green (a former European Green Capital with the highest percentage of pedestrianized streets in Europe), surprisingly well-connected, and effortlessly cool. With a quarter of its 300,000-odd inhabitants being students, Ljubljana has a vibrant, youthful energy combined with refined Central European charm. Though often grouped with “Eastern Europe,” all of Slovenia actually lies west of Vienna, which was historically its greatest influence, having been part of the Habsburg Empire for centuries. The city center is compact, highly walkable, and photogenic, with minimal Socialist-era architecture disrupting its Old World atmosphere—unlike sister cities such as Belgrade. And then there’s its stunning backdrop: a 30-minute drive north, the snow-capped Alps rise majestically above the skyline. Spend just a few hours in Ljubljana, and it will come as no surprise that its name translates to “beloved.”

From Cigar Boom to Culinary Gem: 10 Essential Spots in Ybor City

Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY

In Ybor City, the past and present blend like the perfect café Cubano—rich, bold, and impossible to resist. Situated just northeast of downtown Tampa, Florida, the enclave was founded when Cuban cigar entrepreneur Vincente Martinez-Ybor opened a factory here in the 1880s. That one business move created a boom for cigars (at its height, Ybor City had more than 200 cigar factories), prompting an explosion of lodging, restaurants, shops and nightclubs. Today, it’s still a haven for vibrant cultural touchpoints that blend its Cuban roots with Floridian, Spanish, Italian and global influences from farther-flung locations. On its charming streets, guests will find Cuban eateries ranging from traditional to creative, and cigar shops (and even a working factory) that retains the spirit of its past. From picadillo to hand-rolled cigars, Ybor City has plenty of treasures to offer. A word to the wise: Come hungry for discovery.

The Explorer’s Guide to Wyoming’s Captivating History

Sponsored by Travel Wyoming

From legendary outlaw hideouts and prehistoric fossil beds, to a centuries-old Native American rock formation and a critical landmark along the Oregon Trail, Wyoming is packed with storied sites worth seeing. Here’s 10 fascinating stops to get you started.

A Nature Lover’s Guide to Sarasota: 9 Wild & Tranquil Spots

Sponsored by Visit Sarasota County

With its endangered Florida scrub jays, athletic bobcats, fields of colorful wildflowers, and eerie mangrove tunnels, southwest Florida’s Sarasota County is far from one note. While it offers the requisite Sunshine State landscapes of pristine beaches and lapping waves, there’s so much more for nature lovers to see and experience. With 725 square miles—including 35 miles of beachfront overlooking the glittering Gulf of Mexico—Sarasota County has varied landscapes that support all manner of wildlife. Whether you’re looking for a low-key stroll beneath moss-draped trees, the rush of seeing hundreds of alligators converging in one place, or an exploratory horseback ride, this extraordinary area has you covered. Here, we’ve rounded up nine can’t-miss Sarasota stops, so get ready for the ultimate outdoor lovers’ excursion. Trust us: Sarasota County hits all of the high notes.

California’s Unbelievable Landscapes: A Guide to Nature’s Masterpieces

Sponsored by Visit California

California is a land of dramatic landscapes. It has mountains, volcanoes, sweeping deserts and seashore galore; its natural splendor even extends below the surface of the earth, to cavernous caves and man-made underground gardens. Many of its geological and biological wonders will make you feel like you’re on another planet, or like you’ve been transported to a storybook where trees speak, shrink, or live forever. Whether you’re eager to explore volcanic history, surround yourself with walls of glistening ferns, or summit mountains to see twisting trees and desert views, in California, the most unbelievable landscapes are just around the corner.

The Ultimate California Guide to Tide Pools and Coastal Marine Life

Sponsored by Visit California

California’s long coast is beloved by surfers, sure, but it’s also a hotbed for another sort of sunny activity: tide pool exploration. At low tide along California’s shoreline, pools of tiny living wonders appear – home to sea stars, urchins, spiny lobsters, slugs, shells and flowing bits of algae. We’ve rounded up some of the best tide pools in the state, to inspire the budding marine biologist in all of us. Know Before You Go Before you begin your tide pool adventure, there are a few things you should know. 1. First, check the tide schedule before you set off for the beach, as most of these tide pools are only visible at low tide. (Fall and Winter are usually the best seasons for this sort of exploration, as the tides are lower.) 2. In order to preserve the wild world of nature that exists inside each tide pool, you should never remove any animals from their habitats; some state parks even forbid touching the animals inside the tide pools, so follow the local rules at every stop along the way.

Explore California on Foot: Nature’s Year-Round Playground

Sponsored by Visit California

For those of us who live in colder climates, California can seem a legitimate dream: sunny beaches, temperate mountain vistas, and awe-inspiring desert landscape. In every season, the Golden State is rife with opportunities for strolling, hiking, and rambling through its diverse climates and thrilling geographies. You can walk breezy beaches and see a waterfall that crashes directly into the sea, climb the country’s highest sand dunes, explore a glistening green canyon, or even go subterranean. Whatever you choose, we’ve collected 10 great ways to see the state on foot.

Mardi Gras 9 Ways: Parades, Cajun Music, And Courirs Across Louisiana

Sponsored by Explore Louisiana

There’s more to Mardi Gras than the raucous parade on Bourbon Street. Travel outside New Orleans and you’ll find a diverse array of celebrations ranging from the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras to a sustainable parade with no plastic (and no barriers). Each is unique, and most are more family-friendly than NOLA’s well-known Bacchanal. We’ve compiled some ideas for celebrating the holiday while dancing, while supporting a good cause -- and even while getting up close to some swamp creatures. Get ready to see what Louisiana has to offer.

The Explorer’s Guide to Winter in Germany

Sponsored by The German National Tourist Office and Lufthansa

In Germany, the winter holidays are a gift that never stops giving. From Christmas markets to skiing adventures in the Alps, the country’s main seasonal attractions are well known, but the cooler months of December to March also offer much more off the beaten path. Hidden snowscapes, markets, and manors straight out of the Brothers Grimm books promise a unique turn to the wintertide. Here are some of the best, lesser-known places for outdoor fun and indoor warm-ups across the country. And if you’re ready to book your next trip, Lufthansa operates direct flights from 20 U.S. cities to Germany, making it easier than ever to plan the perfect German winter adventure.

Ancient California: A Journey Through Time and Prehistoric Places

Sponsored by Visit California

What makes California an absolute playground for prehistoric artifacts? Is it because so much of the state is undeveloped desert? Is it because the entire state was once a warm, shallow sea roughly 500 million years ago? Or is it because California was home to some of the earliest human settlements in North America? If you answered “all of the above,” you’re correct! Here in California, the distant past has a habit of poking its nose into the present in weird and wonderful ways—the stops on this prehistoric itinerary will show you why.

The Wildest West: Explore California’s Ghost Towns and Gold Fever Legacy

Sponsored by Visit California

Once gold was discovered in the deserts of the American West, people from all over the world converged there in the middle of the 1800s. It took some time, however, for law enforcement and civil society to catch up—hence the period of American history now dubbed “the Wild West.” While the gold is gone and the desert towns of California’s interior are now calm, law-abiding communities, that historical spirit lives on in the towns, architecture, and museums along this daring itinerary. This is the Wild West like you’ve never seen it before.

Sweet California: A Culinary Guide to Tasty Treats Across the State

Sponsored by Visit California

Many different cultures have called California home over the years, from the Chinese to the Dutch to the Japanese, and what they all had in common was an insatiable sweet tooth. This delicious itinerary explores this legacy in the form of fortune cookies, sodas, donuts, cupcakes, and more. Finish your dinner—you’re definitely going to want what California’s got for dessert!

Sea of Wonders: An Itinerary Through California’s Stunning Shoreline

Sponsored by Visit California

With shoreline from end to end, it’s no wonder California has some of the wildest marine excursions, architecture, and animal life in the country. Grab your surfboard, pack your binoculars, and bring a towel—there’s a world of wonder packed in this itinerary along California’s curious coastline.

10 Places to Taste Catalonia’s Gastronomic Treasures

Sponsored by Catalunya

When it comes to food, Catalans do it better. Despite having a population of just over eight million—smaller than the state of Virginia—the region is home to 54 Michelin-starred restaurants, 12 designated wine regions, and nine official wine routes. Catalonia also has more than four million acres of farmland, with many of its 54,000 farms adhering to organic practices. But to understand Catalan food culture, you must look beyond the statistics: to the secret herb formulas for making vermouth and the family recipes passed down through generations; the ancient rice paddies, olive mills, and an entire tradition built around a humble vegetable, the calçot. You’ll need to look, too, to the people of Catalonia, whose deep-rooted love of all things gastronòmica means that every moment of the day, week, or year is a potential culinary celebration. Here’s where and how to experience 10 of the best Catalan food traditions on your next visit to the region.

Atlas Obscura’s Guide to Palm Springs

Sponsored by Visit Palm Springs

A paradise in the desert, Palm Springs is a city of contrasts. Kitsch sidles up to luxury, natural beauty serves as the backdrop to architectural marvels, and when you soak in an ancient hot spring, you might catch the latest TV star doing the same. One of the biggest contrasts is this: while Palm Springs is a beloved vacation spot, it still holds lesser-known wonders waiting to be discovered. Looking for something you’ll find nowhere else? Head down a nondescript residential street and find an army of enormous pink robots. If you’ve got a case of the shoppies, there’s an antique mall to explore and an artist community full of galleries and studios. If you want to learn about the area’s human history, look no further than the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza (and take a soak in the spring-fed waters while you’re at it). Natural areas allow you to explore canyons and waterfalls; restaurants and bars let you feel like you’re flying on a midcentury airline or in the audience of a vintage game show; heck, you can even get up close and personal with a windmill farm. And if you’d rather just see all of it from above, you can ride the world’s largest rotating tram car from the desert floor up to the San Jacinto Mountains. The question isn’t “Does Palm Springs have something for me?” but “How am I going to fit it all in?” Start with this list.

Atlas Obscura’s Guide to the 10 Most Mystifying Places in Illinois

Sponsored by The Illinois Office of Tourism

A presidential tomb that carries endless drama. A thriving prehistoric society that vanished without a trace. A haunted fun house with a wine cellar apparition.When you think of Illinois, you probably don't think of mysterious mounds, creepy clowns, and a park filled with dragons and wizards. We figure it’s time we changed that. Jump in and join us for a whirling tour through some of Illinois’s most inexplicable, unexpected, and unsuspecting sites.

10 Fascinating Sites That Bring Idaho History to Life

Sponsored by Visit Idaho

From its remote log cabins and carbonated natural springs to the tale of how the Nez Perce people came to be, Idaho is a land brimming with curious wonder. There’s so much to see and do in this northwestern state, whether it’s taking a drive along a 135-mile-long scenic byway dedicated to Sacajawea—the only woman to accompany Lewis and Clark on their historic expedition—or discovering the history of the Basque people at a museum that sits smack dab in the middle of the largest Basque community in the US. We’ve rounded up 10 captivating sites that help bring the incredible story of Idaho to life—get ready for the ultimate road trip.

North Carolina's Paranormal Places, Scary Stories, & Local Haunts

Sponsored by Visit North Carolina

With its wooded mountains, industrial history, and wide, sweeping bluffs, North Carolina is a surprisingly haunted state, an ideal site for lingering ghosts and bumps in the night. While many visitors flock to the esse Quam Videri State for pulled pork barbecue, pristine beaches, and towering mountains, it’s also rich in hauntings, and perfect for a ghost tour. In the Appalachian mountains, you’ll find a Vanderbilt mansion with spooky hidden passageways; in Cape Lookout, you can take a ferry to a long-forgotten island village, home only to ruins and specters. And beneath the waters of the state’s largest man-made lake, you may just find a monster to rival that of Loch Ness. Below, we’ve collected the state’s best, spookiest, most haunted sites home to hidden histories.