Author: Ms. R.

Stretching nearly 4,000 square miles across the altiplano at an elevation of about 12,000 feet, Bolivia‘s Salar de Uyuni usually looks, to a satellite, like a whole lot of nothing: flat, white, featureless. The world’s largest salt flat is, of course, much livelier from the ground. It hosts large numbers of breeding flamingoes each November and is home to other species adapted to the salty surroundings, including several other birds and the adorably plump, bunny-eared viscacha, a rodent related……

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Peninsula State Park in Wisconsin is a perfect place to visit for outdoor enthusiasts. Its position jutting into Lake Michigan makes it a desirable location for campers, hikers, fishers, and all manner of watercraft users. There are also a variety of lookouts along the peninsula for views of the lake. One such location, Eagle Tower, has provided elevated views for over 100 years. Originally built in 1914 as a fire lookout, the tower quickly became a popular observation deck……

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There is a grave in the churchyard of St. John the Baptist’s church in Pinner that stands apart—or rather above— the rest. A stone, triangular monument protrudes out from the ground, and thrust through its center is a single coffin. The monument is dedicated to William Loudon and his wife, Agnes Loudon. Several stories surround this odd, in some ways occult, monument. The most intriguing is the one that suggests the coffin hangs because it was decreed by the……

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This rustic Victorian waterwheel is situated in the Groudle Glen area of the Isle of Man, just outside the main Capital of Douglas. This water wheel was originally built in 1893 to support the construction of the Manx Electric Railway being built at the time. It was also designed to pump water to the Groudle Hotel and power lights in the area. The wheelhouse was rebuilt in 1954 when the Groudle Glen was attracting tourists due to rumors that the……

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While New Orleans might be known for its food and drink scene and party atmosphere, for fans of gothic literature it brings to mind one name: Anne Rice. The best-selling author was born and raised in the city, and would set many of her works there, even featuring the various houses she owned as the residences of characters like Lestat and the Mayfair Witches. After her husband, poet and painter Stan Rice, died in 2002, Anne sold some of……

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A local legend states that the Devil himself offered to help build Durham Cathedral. As the Devil, he had the ability to fly, and spent time flying up and down the length of the Dene collecting stones for the building project. His intention was to construct the foundations using the crumbly rock found in the Dene gorge, which would cause the cathedral building to collapse, killing everyone inside. One day as he was flying up and down the Dene……

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Tucked away in Nova Scotia‘s scenic Annapolis Valley is the quiet hamlet of Centreville, home to one of the most unique houses you will find in the Canadian Maritimes. Originally built as his concrete factory, Charlie Macdonald converted this hand-constructed cement building to a unique home for his bride Mabel Misner. The landmark, known locally as the “concrete house” is a unique property surrounded by Charlie’s concrete lawn sculptures of deer, a mountain lion, giant mushrooms, and other fanciful……

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For Women’s History Month, Atlas Obscura delves into the world of espionage, where being overlooked and underestimated has been an asset for centuries of women spies. Read about more of history’s hidden Secret Agent Women. The month before Japanese forces entered Shanghai in summer of 1937 at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Zheng Pingru was featured on the cover of Liángyǒu (translated as The Young Companion for its English edition). The Shanghai-based magazine celebrated the glamorous “modern……

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History often memorializes the deeds and adventures of men. Female adventurers, if mentioned at all, are usually only included as a footnote. But adventuring is far from a gendered activity. From the Black motorcycle queen of the 1930s to Britain’s most famous 18th-century sailor, women have been journeying to little-traveled places for as long as men have been at it. As part of our continued celebration of Women’s History Month, Atlas Obscura brings you some of our favorite stories……

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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 take a trip to Wausau, Florida, where a monument and annual festival celebrate the community contributions of North America’s only marsupial. 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 and hear their……

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Rome’s Circus Maximus, once the largest stadium in history, is now a massive green space: nondescript enough for dogs to defecate on, yet far too important to bulldoze. The city is stuffed with such examples of well-preserved but long-disused monuments that Romans have proudly built to uphold their culture and civilization as the world’s apex. Of late, however, a growing community of Italians are turning to a more vivid way of honoring the past. Both restaurants and a museum……

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