Order Atlas Obscura: Wild Life today!

Venture into nature's unseen realms with our new book Wild Life

Order Now

Places near me Random place

The Definitive Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

Destinations from the Atlas

Photo of San Diego

Photo of Chicago

Photo of Berlin

Photo of Tokyo

Featured Trips

Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music

Trip

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Trip

The Color of St. Patrick's Day Wasn't Always Green

saints

Ireland’s patron saint was once dressed in blue—before his holiday got its signature hue.

Featured Trips

Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music

Trip

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Trip

More Stories

The Circus Capital of the World

Podcast

Meet the Man Who Finds Melodies Inside Mushrooms

flora

For Sale: A 19th-Century Portrait Painted on a Spiderweb

paintings

Find Your Escape With Atlas Obscura’s Best Places to Travel in 2025

exploration

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Get your daily burst of wonder with all-new episodes of The Atlas Obscura Podcast.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Amazon Music

Explore the Atlas

Hidden Wonders

View all Places

Slemish as seen from Buckna.

Place of the Day

Slemish Mountain

Ballymena, Northern Ireland

A brisk climb up this solitary peak leads to the origin story of a towering figure in Irish history.

Added By

Matthew Moore

Featured

Most Recent

Barcelona, Spain

Bar Marsella

A centuries-old bar once frequented by Picasso, Hemingway, and Dalí.

Added By

berenicegohel
Helensburgh, Australia

Glowworm Tunnel

An abandoned railroad tunnel is now filled with bioluminescent bugs.

Added By

Kerry Wolfe
Leiden, Netherlands

Ludolph van Ceulen Memorial

A monument to the 16th-century mathemetician who dedicated his life to calculating the numerical value of pi.

Added By

CoolCrab
Monticello, Utah

Home of Truth

This ghost town was once a cult-like religious utopian settlement.

Added By

mollyfaircloth
San Francisco, California

Jack Kerouac Alley

Wander down a side street dedicated to one of the members of the Beat Generation.

Added By

SEANETTA ALLSASS
Luxor, Egypt

Deir el-Medina

The ancient village known as Set Maat, or the 'Place of Truth,' located on this site served as a hub for intellectual and artistic endeavors.

Added By

Josh Garman
Concord, New Hampshire

Donkey Kong Mural

A real-life hidden Easter Egg in New Hampshire's capital city

Added By

bakedinthehole
Torrevieja, Spain

The Pink Lake of Torrevieja

Bacteria and algae give the salty water its bubblegum hue.

Added By

Kerry Wolfe

Maza, Greece

Church of Saint Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Church)

A mystery of a buried artist and a 14th century church.

Added By

Theodora Tsevas
Taipei, Taiwan

Hexing Coal Mine

A glimpse into Taiwan's coal-mining past.

Added By

John ChungEn Liu
Ikaruga, Japan

Funazuka Burial Mound

Once a heap of dirt with a shrubbery on it, this unassuming mound in a parking lot turned out to be an ancient tumulus.

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden
Pune, India

Albert Edward Institute Library

A library built to commemorate Edward VII's visit to Pune.

Added By

Vivek Gadre
Ballarat, Australia

Prime Ministers Avenue

A collection of busts honor the first 29 prime ministers of Australia.

Added By

cdanesh
London, England

St. James’s Theatre Reliefs

Stone carvings celebrate the legacy of a now-defunct theatre.

Added By

SEANETTA ALLSASS
Mexico City, Mexico

Justo Sierra Historical Synagogue

Mexico’s first synagogue set up by and for the Ashkenazi Jewish community.

Added By

linkogecko
Hamburg, Germany

Feldstraße Bunker

A mammoth WWII anti-air defense tower has been repurposed as a hotel with a rooftop garden.

Added By

cdanesh

View all Places

Join the Community

The Atlas is always evolving thanks to our community. Here’s how to get involved:

Add & Edit Places

Tell us about all the amazing places we don’t know yet. Anyone can contribute, anywhere in the world.

Become a Member

Join our community to see far fewer ads, get a members-only newsletter, receive credit toward your next Atlas Obscura trip, and more.

Explore the Benefits

Download the App

Explore our guide to over 24,000 curious and unexpected places, right from your mobile device.

Download the App

Discover Our Stories

Articles, Videos, and Podcast

View all Stories

Most Popular

Most Recent

Meeting locals while traveling to a new place isn’t impossible.

travel

Dear Atlas: How Do I Actually Meet Locals When I Travel?

For when you want to make a genuine connection with someone who isn’t your tour guide.

Written By

Atlas Obscura

March 11, 2025

food
One Man’s Lifelong Quest to Create a Lettuce Cigarette
By Mark Hay
language
How Capicola Became Gabagool: The Italian New Jersey Accent, Explained
By Dan Nosowitz
animals
When Crocodiles Attack: The Ramree Island Massacre
By Eric Grundhauser
festivals
Sex Work Throughout History: Our Favorite Reads
By Roxanne Hoorn
astronomy
These 2,000-Year-Old Mounds Trace the Path of the Moon
By Olivia Young
food
A Guide to the Peppers of the World
By Andrew Coletti
rats
As Cities Get Warmer, Rat Populations Are on the Rise
By Matt Simon

food

Make Nowruz Magic With Samanu

Eat the spring.

Written By

Andrew Coletti

March 17, 2025

victorian
The Undercover Woman Who Changed Asylum Tourism Forever
By Sarah Gleim
Podcast
The Circus Capital of the World
Sponsored by Visit Sarasota County
flora
Meet the Man Who Finds Melodies Inside Mushrooms
By Radhika Iyengar
paintings
For Sale: A 19th-Century Portrait Painted on a Spiderweb
By Diana Hubbell
food
One Man’s Lifelong Quest to Create a Lettuce Cigarette
By Mark Hay
climate change
For Nova Scotians, Local Maple Syrup Is a Disappearing Pleasure
By Sarah Lohman
travel
Dear Atlas: How Do I Actually Meet Locals When I Travel?
By Atlas Obscura

View all Stories

Plan Your Adventure

Guides, lists, and itineraries

View all Destinations

Photo of Edinburgh

Photo of Stockholm

Photo of Amsterdam

Top Countries

Top Cities

View all Destinations

Explore the World

Trips and Videos

Brazil Lençóis Maranhenses National Park dunes

South America

NEW - Wild Brazil: Rivers, Dunes & the Amazon

Discover Our Trips

We travel to incredible, often overlooked places. Our global community of local experts grants you access to unique, small-group experiences.

Video

Why Your Michelin Star Meal Is Dog 💩

Discover Our Videos

View all Videos

Complete Your Bookshelf

Books and Box Sets

The Wild Life book lays on a bright blue surface next to a pair of binoculars and a foldable field guide for small critters.

Our Newest Book: Wild Life

An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders

Two Atlas Obscura books with book sleeve lay on a light wooden table surrounded by spices and dinnerware.

The Explorer’s Library

Combination of Two Bestsellers

Follow Atlas Obscura for more Wonders everyday

Follow Atlas Obscura