Author: Ms. R.

Just outside the Grand Place of Brussels, a monument to Belgian hero Everard t’Serclaes shines and stands out on the side of a building. The story of Everard t’Serclaes dates back to the 14th century, when Brussels was contested between the ruling Duke of Brabant and the Count of Flanders. After a disputed succession in Brabant, the Flemish troops occupied the city in 1356. On the night of October 24, 1356, Everard secretly entered Brussels with a group of patriots after……

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In the mid-to-late decade of the 2000s, subcultures in Mexico were often referred to negatively as “urban tribes,” and many were united by considering emos, the newest tribe, as their enemy. The emo subculture that reached its peak in this decade differed from the “original” emo movement of the 1980s and many of its characteristics were seen as having been plagiarized from early subcultures. Glam rock pioneered the androgyny, the dark and frizzled hair owes a lot to new……

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From 1952 to 1978, Anaconda Copper Company operated the open-pit Yerington Copper Mine. During that time, the mine produced approximately 165 million tons of copper. Anaconda got out of the copper-mining business, it was rumored, in part to avoid tightening environmental regulations, although falling copper prices were certainly a factor. Later, there was some small-scale mining involving reprocessing stockpiled ore and spoil with newer technology, but all that activity is also now defunct. Once the mine stopped operating and pumping……

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Beginning high up in Tibet and snaking its way through Nepal and India, the Koshi River eventually empties into the storied Ganges near the town of Kursela after a journey of 450 miles. Notoriously fickle about its exact path, the river is often called “the Sorrow of Bihar” because of its devastating floods during monsoon season near Bihar, India. This prompted the building of a barrage (aka a weir or sluice) near Nepal’s border with India in the late……

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Today, all that remains of this 13th-century Franciscan friary is the foundation and some gravestones. The Layd Old Church has seen its fair share of history, including the Taxation of Pope Nicholas (1291-1292), the dissolution of monasteries under the rule of Henry VII (1536-1540), and conversion into a Church of Ireland under three generations of the McArthur family (1696-1796), who often preached in the Irish Language and finally is abandonment in 1800 and is now a protected site of……

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One could easily miss Tu Viện A Nan. In fact, many long-time locals aren’t even aware of its existence. Peacefully nestled amongst both natural woods and manicured gardens, this Buddhist temple and statue park in Gainesville, Florida, is open to everyone, regardless of their religious or spiritual background. The park was established in 2010, and is home to four large-scale statues, the tallest standing nearly 50 feet tall. These statues were hand-crafted in Vietnam and carefully delivered to Gainesville…….

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The Digital TV Tower was built to distribute telecommunications signals to the city of Brasília and was opened to the public in 2012. Later, it was remodeled to provide breathtaking views of the city. In keeping with the Brasiliense architectural style of weird buildings and white-washed modernist concrete, the tower was designed to be seen from afar.  One of the last designs from renowned modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer, the building resembles a curious flower if seen from a distance—hence……

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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 from you, our audience, about your encounters with the unknown. Prepare yourselves for stories from two of our podcast listeners, Maggie and Melissa. 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 site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people……

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Anyone strolling past Pasticceria il Boccione in the late afternoon might not see anything special. By that point, the window display set into its rust-colored, crumbling facade might very well be empty. Perhaps there will be one or two rounds of left-over crostata. But these, too, might mislead unknowing passersby: Burnt to a crisp on top, they look almost like mistakes.  Like its humble exterior, the bakery’s blackened crostata hide delicious contents and serious history. Local legend holds that……

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At first glance, you might think you’re looking at a tunnel on the set of a sci-fi series, or a cranny of a coral reef, or maybe a piece of digital art. Focus your gaze a bit, though, and you’ll notice an intent gaze coming right back—from an argus pheasant, also called a great argus. Like a stage director peeking around the curtain’s edge, he wants to know whether his audience is enjoying the show. This image, taken at……

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In the basement of a colonial building, the remains of an Aztec temple dedicated to the god of the wind were found. The site was uncovered in 2014 and two constructions were identified: the remains of the north side of the pre-Hispanic ball court and the base of the temple of Ehécatl, the Aztec wind god. The entire complex was witness to the Spanish war of conquest in 1521. Upon the victory of the Spanish, a large part of the……

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