Author: Ms. R.

Matosavank stands quietly in the heart of the forest, partially reclaimed by nature, yet still welcoming visitors—its moss-covered stones and silence create a unique, almost sacred atmosphere that feels both forgotten and alive.        …

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In a state known for its colonial and Pueblo-inspired architecture, and particularly in a pueblo itself, a neo-Gothic church seems rather unexpected. However, although the current church itself dates from 1912, there has been one here since 1598. That makes the San Juan Bautista congregation one of the oldest in the United States. Even more impressively, the pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh dates back to around 1200, making it one of the oldest towns in the country. Its founding was……

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On a busy corner of Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, California sits a gem of mid-20th century design. The Casa de Cadillac was built in 1948 and has been in continuous operation as an automotive dealership ever since.  Designed by the architects Randall Duell and Phillip Conklin, the Casa de Cadillac is a well-preserved example of post-World War II car dealerships, an era when roadside America was on an optimistic upswing.  In 2013, the current owners of Casa de……

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Mexico City’s troubled relation with water is fairly well-known: from the Aztec/Mexica city of Tenochtitlán which was based on islands found on a large series of brackish lakes, to the modern metropolis stuck between cycles of drought and flooding. Among draining aquifers causing soil subsidence and lost canals, it may be easy to assume that the rivers that once fed the lake system are gone too. However, some of these still run in Mexico City, intubated and well out……

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Often overlooked in the Morbihan, the northwestern department of France known for its neolithic monuments, is this site at Locmariaquer. The Grand Menhir of Er Grah is also the largest stone moved by humans during the Stone Age. The catch is that it is no longer standing, having been toppled in prehistoric times by uncertain causes.  It is not precisely known how a rock 20.6 meters long and weighing 330 metric tons could have been moved several kilometers and……

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Standing at a height of 1,209 feet (386 meters) on an island in the Daugava River south of Riga’s city center, the Riga Radio and Television Tower is potentially the most notable structure built in Latvia during the Soviet era. The tower was originally conceived of in 1972 as not only a transmission tower but also as a tourist destination with an observation deck and restaurant—much in line with many other towers being built across the world at the……

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Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Hi, Dylan here. You have reached the Atlas Obscura podcast line, the last functioning voicemail message machine in the world. Unfortunately, I’m not home right now, but leave me a message about a trip you took to experience some special event in person, whether it was a concert or a convention or a sporting event, whatever it was that you were dying to see and willing to……

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Not many people know that the small, remote college town of St. Mary’s City was once the capital and chief city of Maryland. Even fewer know that it was one of the first places where the American principle of religious freedom was put into practice. The Province of Maryland was founded in 1632 by the Catholic Cecil Calvert, Baron Baltimore. He and his father wished to create a haven for English Catholics at a time when they were frequently……

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