Author: Ms. R.

He roamed the streets of Havana in bizarre clothing but could quote classic Spanish literature. Today his bones rest in an unlikely place. El Caballero de Paris (the Gentleman from Paris) was a familiar sight in the mid-20th century of Havana. He was a thin man with wavy blond hair and a long beard who dressed in elaborate costumes reminiscent of the elegant European upper classes; a black cloak over a black suit with a flower in the jacket’s……

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At Rosenstein, a Hungarian-Jewish family is gloriously preserving their generational cuisine and forging a new chapter in Budapest’s gastronomic scene. Opened in 1996 by Tibor Rosenstein, the family business is run by the semi-retired chef, his wife, and kids. Today, Rosenstein is the centerpiece of Budapest’s historic Jewish Quarter, which has flourished in recent years with kosher establishments revitalizing once derelict buildings with modern takes on Hungarian-Jewish culture.  An evening at Rosenstein is a timeless experience fueled by fine Hungarian……

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This isolated sculpture found at the edge of a fjord at the beginning of the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway provides the visitor with a unique opportunity to simultaneously see the landscape from two angles. It’s part of a network of artwork called the Skulpturland Nordland, a project to scatter art throughout 34 municipalities in this part of Norway. This piece reflects the quiet solitude of this region, especially in the winter when the area is sparsely populated and……

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The mineral baths at Vichy Springs clock in at a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). The naturally-carbonated water flows from deep underground into the adjacent spring, which fills tubs that have been at this California resort for more than 150 years. Vichy Springs Resort was established in 1854. Over the decades, the springs have welcomed notable guests including Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and more….

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Tokyo Disney Resort infamously cannot be found within Tokyo’s metropolitan area, but rather in the neighboring prefecture of Chiba, right across the Kyuedo River. It’s not an uncommon practice in Chiba, especially in the areas along the coastline of Tokyo Bay, since the name of Tokyo attracts more visitors. Much in the same way, Tokyo German Village, or Doitsumura, is a bit of a misnomer. This German-themed “amusement park” is located in the Chiba city of Sodegaura, roughly two……

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Standing more than 267 feet tall with a trunk that measures 107.6 feet in circumference, the tree known as “General Grant” is one of the largest in the world. The giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) located in Grant Grove in California’s Kings Canyon National Park was named in 1867 after Ulysses S. Grant, Union Army general and the 18th President of the United States. It trails just a few feet behind another notable giant sequoia named for a Civil War general: General……

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The Balbo Monument is a column that is said to be approximately 2,000 years old dating from between 117 and 38 B.C., set on a contemporary stone base. Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, removed the original artifact from the Italian ancient port region in Ostia, 200 meters outside of Porta Marina in Ostia. The building that the column originated from is called the Prospetto a Mare, which translates to the Prospectus to Sea of Rome. The column was given……

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Frank Furness was a Philadelphia-based architect who is known for his innovative designs, particularly of banks. Lewis Mumford described his style as “bold, unabashed, ugly and yet somehow healthily pregnant architecture”. Furness served as an officer in the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for action in Virginia in 1864. Furness fought in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 and designed the monument which stands to this day as a……

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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 check out one of the oldest—and most misunderstood—books in the world. A medievalist tells us all about the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, in the collection of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible……

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The 704,000 acres of Basin and Range National Monument, created in 2015, preserve a large area having the eponymous geologic structure: long, north-south trending, fault-bounded mountain ranges separated by broad valleys, so characteristic of Nevada and environs. (Note that “Basin and Range” is not synonymous with “Great Basin.” The Great Basin has Basin and Range geologic structure but the basins have no exterior drainage to the sea. Las Vegas Valley, for example, is in the Basin and Range but……

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There’s a parking lot at 1440 Forest Avenue on Staten Island that’s surrounded by a 7-11, Sherwin-Williams, Liberty Tax, and trash that might blow in your face if you’re not careful. It’s also covering a historically Black cemetery, deeded in 1850, illegally seized in 1954, and paved over in the 1960s. It had been the Cherry Lane Cemetery. Now, it’s the 1440 Forest Avenue Shopping Plaza. The cemetery was the final resting place of men, women, babies, children, and……

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Near the New Hampshire border in North Berwick, Maine, sits a remnant from the heyday of New England mills that was used in the classic 1995 film Jumanji. While most of the filming for Jumanji was done in the town of Keene, New Hampshire, this factory building was put to use in the movie as the Parrish Shoe Factory. In the movie, the factory was owned and operated by the main character’s family and is the locale of an iconic……

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Over the years, the Atlas Obscura community has scoured the globe to bring you the most fascinating, unique, and unusual places—some in plain sight, others way off the beaten path. Last week we hit a big milestone when we added our 25,000th place to that database: The medieval ruins of Songo Mnara on an island off the coast of Tanzania. Atlas Obscura began with the Atlas itself, and this collection of wonder continues to be a central part of……

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