The foundation of Atlas Obscura is contributed by intrepid users around the world, out exploring the places no one else is noticing, or delving into history that’s been all but forgotten. Here we are highlighting five of our favorite recent additions to the Atlas. Have a place we’ve missed? Create an account and become a part of our community.

TRUNYAN
Bali, Indonesia

TrunyanTrunyan Cemetery (photograph by Yusuf IJsseldijk/Wikimedia)

For centuries in a Bali village, the dead of the Bali Aga people have been placed out in the open beneath a giant banyan tree. The Trunyan cemetery added to Atlas Obscura by cum2tekuiti is actually a practical solution to death’s unpleasant decomposition. The smell from the tree reportedly masks the scent of decay. 

MICROPIA
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

MicropiaSome of the bacteria residents at Micropia (via micropia.nl)

Opened in 2014, Micropia in Amsterdam is the world’s first microbe zoo. Added by labatteg to Atlas Obscura, this incredible space focuses on the bacteria that live on and around us, with exhibitions of petri dishes with cultures. A microbiology lab on site tends to and grows new specimens. 

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL’S SECRET APARTMENT
New York, New York

Roxy's hidden apartment.Radio City’s secret apartment (photograph by Luke J. Spencer)

Even a heavily-trafficked destination like New York’s Radio City Music Hall has its secrets. High above the stage is a hidden apartment. Added by Luke J. Spencer, who also contributed photographs, the apartment is almost perfectly preserved from when it was built in the 1930s, with 20-foot ceilings adorned in gold leaf and plush furnishings. 

COLONIA FARA
Genoa, Italy

Colonia FaraColonia Fara (photograph by progettochiavari/Flickr)

Mussolini himself attended the dedication of Colonia Fara, a seaside resort built by Italy’s National Fascist Party in the 1930s. Contributed to Atlas Obscura by ThomLaB, the complex still stands, although in a state of massive deterioration. The curved tower is covered with graffiti, its windows broken, as it looms as a reminder of the country’s past. 

GRAVE OF JOSEPH PALMER
Leominster, Massachusetts

Joseph Palmer's graveGrave of Joseph Palmer (photograph by Ken Sears)

“Persecuted for Wearing the Beard” reads the epitaph on the grave of Joseph Palmer in Leominster, Massachusetts. Added by Ken Sears along with photographs, the tombstone shows Palmer proudly wearing a great, bushy beard. When he chose this facial hair in the 1820s, he was actually a century out of style, and not only that, physically attacked once by a small mob with razors as it was seen as offensive to good taste. He once famously retorted to a preacher who accused him of being devilish: ”If I remember correctly, Jesus wore a beard not unlike mine.”

Thanks to our intrepid users for uncovering these wondrous places, and we look forward to more! Help us show how incredible and curious the world is by adding your own discoveries.