story
Win a Trip to Experience Iceland's Hot Springs in the Winter
Learn firsthand why the country is often called the "land of fire and ice."
All Stories
memory
The Extraordinary ‘Cookbooks’ Left Behind by Prisoners of War and Concentration Camp Victims
Their culinary legacies, written on scraps of paper or fabric, tell stories of hope and resistance.
clay
Ancient Fingerprints Help Unravel Just Who Was Making Pots at Chaco Canyon
New research shows it wasn't as gendered as once thought.
the soviet imprint
How Russia's Space Dogs Inspired a Galaxy of Swag
The cutest little cosmonauts launched a zillion tchotchkes.
entomology
In Ancient China, Pet Crickets Spent the Winter in Opulent Gourds
More than functional, these fleshy fruits developed into a striking art form.
archive
The Historic Treaty That Ended Navajo Imprisonment Has Been Returned
One of just two copies thought to survive is back in Navajo Nation.
united kingdom
The Most Remote Places in Britain Are Still Pretty Close to Roads
It's a reminder that there are vanishingly few places on Earth that don’t carry the traces of humans.
geography
Central New Jersey Doesn't Exist, But Don't Tell Central Jerseyans That
Exploring what makes a region distinct.
rituals
The Muslims Who Don't Fast During Ramadan
Members of Baye Fall eat, cook, and deliver food in grand processions.
street names
Meet the Mastermind Behind the Plywood Cartoons Invading Portland, Oregon
Bigfoot sightings are about to increase dramatically.
show & tell
16 Real Castles That Make the World More Wondrous
Atlas Obscura readers recommend their favorites.
seeds
70 Percent of the World’s Macadamia Nuts Came From One Tree in Australia
Call it the Genghis Khan of macadamias.
sandwiches
To Evade Pre-Prohibition Drinking Laws, New Yorkers Created the World's Worst Sandwich
It was everywhere at the turn of the 20th century. It was also inedible.
cats
The Swiss City That’s Full of Cat Ladders
A photographer captured Bern's eclectic and charming feline structures.
earth
A Swarm of Aftershocks Swept Through Yellowstone, From a Quake 60 Years Ago
Earthquakes are just plain inscrutable.
caribbean
Solved: The 300-Year-Old Mystery of Barbados's Pigs
Spoiler alert: They were probably peccaries.
jobs
Wanted: An Expert Gardener to Oversee a Castled Cornish Island
St. Michael’s Mount requires a horticulturalist with the agility of a mountain goat.
snorkeling
It’s Not So Easy to Rename a Species With a Problematic Moniker
One scientist argues that we should reconsider the Bobbit worm.
