Author: Ms. R.

A large volcanic rock with a flat top and steep sides in the shadow of Mt. Erebus in Antarctica, Castle Rock gets its name from its distinct shape. Ropes have been installed to assist climbers with the ascent. Robert Falcon Scott named the unusual formation after the British National Antarctic Expedition from 1901 to 1904. Subsequent early Arctic explorers continued to use Castle Rock as a navigational landmark. Today, visitors to the southernmost continent in the summer months can still……

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These manicured gardens in the Sydney suburb of Paddington include a pool, benches, tree ferns and other vegetation, and a flat grassy area. Paddington Reservoir was once used to store drinking water for part of the city of Sydney. Designed in 1857 and completed in 1866, the reservoir could store a maximum of 2 million gallons at its close in 1899. The reservoir then served as storage, a garage, a workspace, and a petrol station until part of the roof……

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Have you ever asked yourself how loud fish can get, or which birds are the best architects? Have you been itching for a list of the world’s most notable trees, a map of impressive migrations, or a guide to exactly which of the planet’s animals are fluorescent? Are you curious about the best place to meet a tent-making bat, an enormous stick insect, the world’s largest fungus, or a rare ghost dog? We have great news for you: There’s……

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El Barrio de Las Letras is located in the center of Madrid and is considered one of the most important locations in the city from a literary perspective. Some of Spain’s most respected writers lived in the area, from Lope de Vega and Miguel de Cervantes to Federico García Lorca.  To celebrate, the Madrid town hall included several famous quotes from said writers on the pavement of Calle Huertas. The inscriptions have letters made of brass and are embedded in……

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During the day, this church offers stunning views of Lake Tekapo and New Zealand‘s Southern Alps. When it was constructed in 1935, the church was intended to blend in with its surroundings. It was built with local stone, and any rocks that happened to be located in the wall line were left whole and incorporated into the building. The surrounding matagouri bushes and other plants were also left undisturbed. Because of its location on the shores of the famously……

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The eclipse is coming. Preparations are underway, and everyone is buzzing with anticipation. You are getting anxious. It is early June, in the year later known as 763 B.C. You are a prisoner of war in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and you have good reason to be afraid. The Assyrians worship the Sun God, the Moon God, and other sky deities, so a total eclipse of the Sun—even though you are not quite sure what, exactly,……

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In Flat Iron Park, next to the bustling tourist center of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, stands an unusual statue of a mustachioed cartoon character, looking out over the grand lake with one foot propped up on a globe. That character is Andy Gump. Although unknown to many, Gump was the first daily newspaper comic strip character. He first appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1917. His creator, Sidney Smith, was a resident of Lake Geneva. According to the very first……

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This remarkable building in Genova, northern Italy, was designed by Gino Coppedè at the instigation of Scottish businessman Evan Mackenzie. This insurance magnate was a “hands-on” client and the form of the building as we see it is owed much to the changes of mind and requests made by Mackenzie during the building phase. Much of the interior woodwork was produced by a firm owned by Coppedé’s family. After its completion in 1905, it remained a family home for……

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Excerpted and adapted with permission from Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of by Valorie Castellanos Clark, published March 5, 2023 by Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. Like many Indigenous peoples’ stories, those of Tarenorerer were dismissed by colonizers. Large swaths of her record are lost to time. Even her name is often obscured by the name white enslavers gave her: Walyer. It’s hard to say why they changed her name to……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we hear a snippet of a new show from LeVar Burton called SOUND DETECTIVES—a funny, engaging, and thought provoking podcast that invites elementary school-aged kids to explore the magic and mystery of sound. Equal parts fun and informative, SOUND DETECTIVES encourages listeners to engage with the sound mysteries that surround us, while unlocking the door to people and……

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This free-to-enter park and museum, right next to the Central Station in Vilnius, is home to many historic locomotives, railcars, and wagons. There is also a collection of railway infrastructure and artifacts. Information boards explain the various models and other items. On a disused platform next to the tracks, there is also a small play park for children. It is not possible to go into the trains, but some have steps so you can look inside….

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This open-air mosaic is from the Roman/Byzantine era and is free to visit. The floor of the ancient villa looks perfect despite the time it was buried underground. Mosaics include various types of birds and a collection of other animals. The mosaics are located near Caesarea National Park and include sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea….

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