What do you think?
Rate this book
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders
“A wanderlust-whetting cabinet of curiosities on paper.�
—New York Times
Praised as the “bestest travel guide ever� (Mary Roach) and “a joy to read and reread� (Neil Gaiman), Atlas Obscura is a phenomenon of travel books: “Odds are you won’t get past three pages without being amazed� (San Francisco Chronicle). It rocketed to the top of bestseller lists and has over 626,000 copies in print since its publication in late 2016. Now the best gets better and the weirdest gets weirder with this completely revised and updated second edition that includes 120 new entries that offer readers even more of the most unusual, curious, bizarre, and mysterious places on earth. In addition, the second edition includes a full-color gatefold Atlas Obscura road trip map, with a dream itinerary.
Created by the founders of AtlasObscura.com, the vibrant travel community that’s grown substantially since the original edition—not only online but in stores, too, with the recent publication of the #1 New York Times bestsellerThe Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid�Atlas Obscura expands the reader’s sense of what’s possible. Oversized, beautifully packaged, compellingly written, scrupulously researched, and filled with photographs, illustrations, maps, charts, and more, it is the book that inspires equal parts wonder and wanderlust. It informs us on every page of something we never knew—and paints a rich panorama of what a marvelously strange world we live in. For the travel lover and curious reader, it’s a gift book that’s literally impossible to put down.
—New York Times
Praised as the “bestest travel guide ever� (Mary Roach) and “a joy to read and reread� (Neil Gaiman), Atlas Obscura is a phenomenon of travel books: “Odds are you won’t get past three pages without being amazed� (San Francisco Chronicle). It rocketed to the top of bestseller lists and has over 626,000 copies in print since its publication in late 2016. Now the best gets better and the weirdest gets weirder with this completely revised and updated second edition that includes 120 new entries that offer readers even more of the most unusual, curious, bizarre, and mysterious places on earth. In addition, the second edition includes a full-color gatefold Atlas Obscura road trip map, with a dream itinerary.
Created by the founders of AtlasObscura.com, the vibrant travel community that’s grown substantially since the original edition—not only online but in stores, too, with the recent publication of the #1 New York Times bestsellerThe Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid�Atlas Obscura expands the reader’s sense of what’s possible. Oversized, beautifully packaged, compellingly written, scrupulously researched, and filled with photographs, illustrations, maps, charts, and more, it is the book that inspires equal parts wonder and wanderlust. It informs us on every page of something we never knew—and paints a rich panorama of what a marvelously strange world we live in. For the travel lover and curious reader, it’s a gift book that’s literally impossible to put down.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2016
3,004 people are currently reading
34.9k people want to read
About the author
Joshua Foer
6books1,028followersPersonal life
Foer is the younger brother of New Republic editor Franklin Foer and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. He is the son of Esther Foer, president of a public relations firm, and Albert Foer, a think-tank president. He was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Georgetown Day School. He then went on to graduate from Yale University, where he lived in Silliman College, in 2004.
Foer is married to Dinah Herlands, a medical student at Yale, whom he met while an undergraduate at Yale.
Career
Foer sold his first book, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, to Penguin for publication in March 2011. He received a $1.2 million advance for the concept when he was just 22 plus a movie option.
In 2006, Foer won the U.S.A. Memory Championship "speed cards" event by memorizing a deck of 52 cards in 1 minute and 40 seconds. Moonwalking with Einstein describes Foer's journey as a participatory journalist to becoming a national champion mnemonist, under the tutelage of British Grand_Master_of_Memory, Ed Cooke.
Foer's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, and The Nation. In 2007, the quarterly art & culture journal Cabinet began publishing Foer's column "A Minor History Of." The column "examines an overlooked cultural phenomenon using a timeline."
Organizations
Foer has organized several websites and organizations based on his interests. He created the Athanasius Kircher Society which had only one session featuring Kim Peek and Joseph Kittinger.". He is the co-founder, along with Dylan Thuras, of the Atlas Obscura, an online compendium of "The World's Wonders, Curiosities, and Esoterica". He is also a co-organizer of Sukkah City.
Foer is the younger brother of New Republic editor Franklin Foer and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. He is the son of Esther Foer, president of a public relations firm, and Albert Foer, a think-tank president. He was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Georgetown Day School. He then went on to graduate from Yale University, where he lived in Silliman College, in 2004.
Foer is married to Dinah Herlands, a medical student at Yale, whom he met while an undergraduate at Yale.
Career
Foer sold his first book, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, to Penguin for publication in March 2011. He received a $1.2 million advance for the concept when he was just 22 plus a movie option.
In 2006, Foer won the U.S.A. Memory Championship "speed cards" event by memorizing a deck of 52 cards in 1 minute and 40 seconds. Moonwalking with Einstein describes Foer's journey as a participatory journalist to becoming a national champion mnemonist, under the tutelage of British Grand_Master_of_Memory, Ed Cooke.
Foer's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, and The Nation. In 2007, the quarterly art & culture journal Cabinet began publishing Foer's column "A Minor History Of." The column "examines an overlooked cultural phenomenon using a timeline."
Organizations
Foer has organized several websites and organizations based on his interests. He created the Athanasius Kircher Society which had only one session featuring Kim Peek and Joseph Kittinger.". He is the co-founder, along with Dylan Thuras, of the Atlas Obscura, an online compendium of "The World's Wonders, Curiosities, and Esoterica". He is also a co-organizer of Sukkah City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 672 reviews
February 7, 2017
Atlas Obscura is a guide to the world's strangest places.
I've been a fan of road trips almost as long as I've been an obscure facts nerd. This book combines the two in a fashion. I first came across it in an issue of mental_floss and was lucky enough to score a copy for Christmas.
Atlas Obscura has a lot of information on bizarre places around the world crammed into it's 400+ pages, from a penis museum in Iceland to a graveyard in northern Iran with penis-shaped tombstones, to other strange places that have little or nothing to do with penises, like pyramids in the northern part of Sudan or a baobob tree in South Africa with a bar inside. And that's even before America gets any coverage.
The book is organized by region for convenience. The photos in the book are really well done and most entries have one. There are footnotes containing other nearby oddities, which would be a great help if someone was planning an Oddity Odyssey. Some of the articles are on the Atlas Obscura website but many are just for the book.
I could spend paragraph after paragraph rattling off interesting bits from the book but it's best experienced for yourself. This book makes me want to take a drive from the cryptozoology museum in Maine to the ruins of Fordlandia in the Amazon. Four out of five stars.
I've been a fan of road trips almost as long as I've been an obscure facts nerd. This book combines the two in a fashion. I first came across it in an issue of mental_floss and was lucky enough to score a copy for Christmas.
Atlas Obscura has a lot of information on bizarre places around the world crammed into it's 400+ pages, from a penis museum in Iceland to a graveyard in northern Iran with penis-shaped tombstones, to other strange places that have little or nothing to do with penises, like pyramids in the northern part of Sudan or a baobob tree in South Africa with a bar inside. And that's even before America gets any coverage.
The book is organized by region for convenience. The photos in the book are really well done and most entries have one. There are footnotes containing other nearby oddities, which would be a great help if someone was planning an Oddity Odyssey. Some of the articles are on the Atlas Obscura website but many are just for the book.
I could spend paragraph after paragraph rattling off interesting bits from the book but it's best experienced for yourself. This book makes me want to take a drive from the cryptozoology museum in Maine to the ruins of Fordlandia in the Amazon. Four out of five stars.
February 6, 2017
I was once a world-traveler. This had nothing to do with my courage and everything to do with my father being in the US Air Force. I had the privilege of being born in Germany and living in The Philippines, Italy, England, and even Nebraska. And all over the United States.
The funny thing is, though my parents were sure to take me to several tourist destinations while we were abroad, I usually didn't seek out such places myself. This was especially true in Italy, where my friends and I would go explore the extensive tunnel systems under the city of , and visit beach-side World War II bunkers where we would look for (and find) old shell casing from a time when our grandfathers might have been storming the beach. This was also true when I lived in England, where our favorite thing to do was to break into an old, supposedly haunted 12th-century priory, complete with trap doors in the floors and passageways hidden within the walls. They are real. I found them and walked through them myself. But I never did get to the Roman Colosseum, nor did I ever visit the Tower of London. Maybe I had an aversion to doing the touristy things because I LIVED there. Yes, the stay was temporary, no more than three years, but these places were "home" for me. So I didn't feel like a tourist. I'd much rather go watch the bums roll each other on Carnaby Street (affectionately known as "Cannabis Street" to us teenagers and, which has become than when I was a kid hanging out there in the mid-'80s) than step foot in (I even had to cheat to see how to spell that). I've had hookers proposition me on Leicester Square, watched hungry bands busk on the tubes, and, yes, watched bums roll each other in alleyways. This was my idea of "touristing".
So when I saw that the fabled website had put out a book, I had to give it a read. Thankfully, my local library had a copy sitting front and center on a display as I entered in. I couldn't believe that it hadn't been snatched up yet, so I grabbed it fast. The book, like the website, provides GPS coordinates and a "Know before you go" caveat for each location or event, a helpful hint or two that might just save your life, if not save you a lot of embarrassment.
So, from the to to The World's Quietest Room, take this book with you on your travels and discover the hidden strangeness that the world holds. I guarantee it will be much more fulfilling than merely walking like well-behaved sheep along well-manicured routes led by well-spoken tour guides. The world is awkward, grungy, untidy, weird, and broken. Embrace the strange! Sure, you should see some of the normal destinations, but don't forget the abnormal!
The funny thing is, though my parents were sure to take me to several tourist destinations while we were abroad, I usually didn't seek out such places myself. This was especially true in Italy, where my friends and I would go explore the extensive tunnel systems under the city of , and visit beach-side World War II bunkers where we would look for (and find) old shell casing from a time when our grandfathers might have been storming the beach. This was also true when I lived in England, where our favorite thing to do was to break into an old, supposedly haunted 12th-century priory, complete with trap doors in the floors and passageways hidden within the walls. They are real. I found them and walked through them myself. But I never did get to the Roman Colosseum, nor did I ever visit the Tower of London. Maybe I had an aversion to doing the touristy things because I LIVED there. Yes, the stay was temporary, no more than three years, but these places were "home" for me. So I didn't feel like a tourist. I'd much rather go watch the bums roll each other on Carnaby Street (affectionately known as "Cannabis Street" to us teenagers and, which has become than when I was a kid hanging out there in the mid-'80s) than step foot in (I even had to cheat to see how to spell that). I've had hookers proposition me on Leicester Square, watched hungry bands busk on the tubes, and, yes, watched bums roll each other in alleyways. This was my idea of "touristing".
So when I saw that the fabled website had put out a book, I had to give it a read. Thankfully, my local library had a copy sitting front and center on a display as I entered in. I couldn't believe that it hadn't been snatched up yet, so I grabbed it fast. The book, like the website, provides GPS coordinates and a "Know before you go" caveat for each location or event, a helpful hint or two that might just save your life, if not save you a lot of embarrassment.
So, from the to to The World's Quietest Room, take this book with you on your travels and discover the hidden strangeness that the world holds. I guarantee it will be much more fulfilling than merely walking like well-behaved sheep along well-manicured routes led by well-spoken tour guides. The world is awkward, grungy, untidy, weird, and broken. Embrace the strange! Sure, you should see some of the normal destinations, but don't forget the abnormal!
February 21, 2020
Atlas Obscura reminds readers that the world is a weird and wonderful place full of amazing things to see. It examines extraordinary places from across the globe and includes informational tidbits about each.
This book could be handy as a reference guide for choosing an exotic locale for a vacation or for someone who is seeking information about places of historical significance for a certain YouTube channel that covers forgotten history.
Or, if neither of those things are your jam, it would make a lovely coffee table book. I found curious information about places I'd never heard of on almost every page.
Highly recommended for travelers- traditional and of the armchair variety.
This book could be handy as a reference guide for choosing an exotic locale for a vacation or for someone who is seeking information about places of historical significance for a certain YouTube channel that covers forgotten history.
Or, if neither of those things are your jam, it would make a lovely coffee table book. I found curious information about places I'd never heard of on almost every page.
Highly recommended for travelers- traditional and of the armchair variety.
March 16, 2018
Was this really only published two years ago? The layout and photography looks so... 1989.
And clearly my and the authors' definitions of "obscure" vary.
It's probably better online, both visually and in the sense that you would (I assume) only see one place at a time and could read it or not as it struck your fancy, rather than flipping through searching for the interesting minority entries.
I did learn the neato word "traboule" (from Latin transambulare via vulgar Latin trabulare meaning "to cross") a type of semi-secret passageway or stair.
And clearly my and the authors' definitions of "obscure" vary.
It's probably better online, both visually and in the sense that you would (I assume) only see one place at a time and could read it or not as it struck your fancy, rather than flipping through searching for the interesting minority entries.
I did learn the neato word "traboule" (from Latin transambulare via vulgar Latin trabulare meaning "to cross") a type of semi-secret passageway or stair.
December 9, 2016
Unless you are so dreadfully boring that organizing your toothpick collection while listening to your white noise machine is your version of a rockin' Friday night I'm pretty sure any one who crack's it's cover will find something to love in .
This absolutely gorgeous book began its life as a web site specializing in all places macabre, wackadoo, and eccentrically beautiful. Wanna spend the night on a Japanese island with more cats than people? Fancy a world tour of the astoundingly high number of bone churches currently welcoming visitors (yes churches made ENTIRELY of bones)? Perhaps you'd like to buy a condo in the former asylum that inspired H.P. Lovecraft and Batman Arkham Asylum?
My point is if obscure, off the beaten path weird travel destinations is your thing go buy this book.
Writers Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ellen Morton have put together a sumptuous compendium of some of Obscura's more photogenic oddities. There are tons of fabulous photographs and illustrations throughout and while hardcore weird history buffs might prefer it if descriptions were a tad more in depth the authors smart, gently quippy analysis of each entry is certainly enough to whet the appetite and send fans scurrying to do research of their own.
I adored this. Its one of those amazing books that is so dense with information and images that you'll be occupied for hours. The kind of thing that can be read over and over and shared with friends. Its also the kind of book that inspires awesome conversations and really gets your motor running to learn more about the smaller, less newsworthy places of the world where extraordinary wonder and darkness still exist. There is so much value in something like this website and this book. Its not just about having cool tidbits to share at a cocktail party, its about embracing and understanding every part of this world.
Atlas Obscura is like a more high brow version of the books. Its authors aren't trying to scare you or perpetuate urban myths, they're interested in real world weird. Something that is just as rich and full of history as the Roman colosseum or the great pyramids or the Eiffel Tower.
Weird, in other words, is worth cherishing and celebrating and visiting.
This absolutely gorgeous book began its life as a web site specializing in all places macabre, wackadoo, and eccentrically beautiful. Wanna spend the night on a Japanese island with more cats than people? Fancy a world tour of the astoundingly high number of bone churches currently welcoming visitors (yes churches made ENTIRELY of bones)? Perhaps you'd like to buy a condo in the former asylum that inspired H.P. Lovecraft and Batman Arkham Asylum?
My point is if obscure, off the beaten path weird travel destinations is your thing go buy this book.
Writers Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ellen Morton have put together a sumptuous compendium of some of Obscura's more photogenic oddities. There are tons of fabulous photographs and illustrations throughout and while hardcore weird history buffs might prefer it if descriptions were a tad more in depth the authors smart, gently quippy analysis of each entry is certainly enough to whet the appetite and send fans scurrying to do research of their own.
I adored this. Its one of those amazing books that is so dense with information and images that you'll be occupied for hours. The kind of thing that can be read over and over and shared with friends. Its also the kind of book that inspires awesome conversations and really gets your motor running to learn more about the smaller, less newsworthy places of the world where extraordinary wonder and darkness still exist. There is so much value in something like this website and this book. Its not just about having cool tidbits to share at a cocktail party, its about embracing and understanding every part of this world.
Atlas Obscura is like a more high brow version of the books. Its authors aren't trying to scare you or perpetuate urban myths, they're interested in real world weird. Something that is just as rich and full of history as the Roman colosseum or the great pyramids or the Eiffel Tower.
Weird, in other words, is worth cherishing and celebrating and visiting.
October 2, 2020
This is a beautiful book, whether you are an armchair traveler, a geography buff, or just interested in the odd things that can be found around our world. The author breaks the book down by geographic areas and lists those unusual places and in some instances, customs, unknown to most of us. I was familiar with some of the items in this large illustrated guide but for the most part, I wondered why I had not heard of them. Each listing has a illustration/photograph of the subject matter, an explanation of where and what, and notes at the end as to how to reach these little known geographic wonders or even whether they can or should be reached, since several of them say "If you visit here, do it at your own risk", or "It is not suggested that you visit this site". After reading some of the descriptions, I think most people would be somewhat hesitant to visit, for example, the Temple of Rats, home of thousands of rats, considered sacred by the residents. If you enter, you must take off your shoes......the author suggest the traveler take along a pair of very heavy socks!
A fascinating look at the world at its best (and worst). Highly recommended.
A fascinating look at the world at its best (and worst). Highly recommended.
February 23, 2020
A great book full of the more interesting places to see and that can be explored at your own pace without hordes of tourists getting in your way.
To see some fantastic images of a few of the places listed check out this blog of a journey around the EU (a sort of farewell before we left).
To see some fantastic images of a few of the places listed check out this blog of a journey around the EU (a sort of farewell before we left).
March 16, 2024
A wonderful book chockfull of interesting places to explore. I was pleased to find some that I had already visited a handful of the places included: The Chained Books of Hereford Cathedral, Hereford, UK, Teufelsberg Spy Station, and Tempelhof Field in Berlin, Germany, Golden Fire Hydrant, The Castro, San Francisco, California, USA, and Chicago Cultural Center's Tiffany Dome, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
December 16, 2016
an atlas but really more of a travelogue of the earth the has a page or two description of natural and unnatural wonders
covering all the continent's with several colour illustrations this book deserves at least an extra half star as the physical copy is gorgeous but I read the ebook. which had it's pros and cons but I would recommend a physical copy of this one to have the full benefit
covering all the continent's with several colour illustrations this book deserves at least an extra half star as the physical copy is gorgeous but I read the ebook. which had it's pros and cons but I would recommend a physical copy of this one to have the full benefit
December 29, 2016
The world is full of wonderful and magnificent things, from spectacular beaches, to amazing vistas, beautiful creatures and breath-taking waterfalls. But look a little harder and you can find a whole lot of other remarkable, wonderful and weird thing to amuse and entertain. If you are looking for those sorts of things, then this is the book for you.
Split into regions, the authors have brought together the most strange collection of naturally created objects, places and human artefacts. And there is everything that you could imagine in here; diamond encrusted skeletons, museums of strange things, buildings, boats, caves full of glow-worms, scrap sculptures and even car henge. It is filled full of photos of these weird and strange places, with a little background on each and a description on how to get there. It is well researched, and regardless of what page you open, you will find that there is always something to fascinate and marvel at.
Oh, and the website is fascinating too
Split into regions, the authors have brought together the most strange collection of naturally created objects, places and human artefacts. And there is everything that you could imagine in here; diamond encrusted skeletons, museums of strange things, buildings, boats, caves full of glow-worms, scrap sculptures and even car henge. It is filled full of photos of these weird and strange places, with a little background on each and a description on how to get there. It is well researched, and regardless of what page you open, you will find that there is always something to fascinate and marvel at.
Oh, and the website is fascinating too
September 20, 2017
A few days ago I had read a cool book on strange places to visit in the world. It was an interesting book and gave me some cool ideas. If I had a complaint it was the book was not that big and highlighted 51 places to visit.
Well that problem is now solved with the Atlas Obscura. Coming in at a beefy 400+ pages and with hundreds of entries throughout the world this Atlas has no such issue.
Wonderfully done, with neat little sections on the individual site and directions and pictures, this is a world traveler's dream. I have visited some of the places highlighted but I have found so many new places to check out. Some examples:
In Gosport, Hampshire, England- No Man's Land Luxury Sea Fort
In London- Highgate cemetary (apparently on friday the 13th of March,1970. Two "magicians" and a mob overpowered the Police lines and broke into Highgate to "kill vampires")
The Skelligs, Kerry, Ireland- Skellig Michael (a 1,4000 year old monastery-well preserved)
Salzburg, Austria- the trick fountains of Hellbrunn Palace
Besancon, Franche-Comte, France- the astronomical clock of Besancon cathedral.
It covers all the continents and is full of information on cool things (I will certainly knock out all the US sites). A superb book highlighting why it is so much fun to travel and see different things. There is an entire world out there that I haven't seen (though I have seen my fair share) and I intend to see as much of it as possible before I'm done. This book will become a great reference guide for me, especially when I am overseas.
Well that problem is now solved with the Atlas Obscura. Coming in at a beefy 400+ pages and with hundreds of entries throughout the world this Atlas has no such issue.
Wonderfully done, with neat little sections on the individual site and directions and pictures, this is a world traveler's dream. I have visited some of the places highlighted but I have found so many new places to check out. Some examples:
In Gosport, Hampshire, England- No Man's Land Luxury Sea Fort
In London- Highgate cemetary (apparently on friday the 13th of March,1970. Two "magicians" and a mob overpowered the Police lines and broke into Highgate to "kill vampires")
The Skelligs, Kerry, Ireland- Skellig Michael (a 1,4000 year old monastery-well preserved)
Salzburg, Austria- the trick fountains of Hellbrunn Palace
Besancon, Franche-Comte, France- the astronomical clock of Besancon cathedral.
It covers all the continents and is full of information on cool things (I will certainly knock out all the US sites). A superb book highlighting why it is so much fun to travel and see different things. There is an entire world out there that I haven't seen (though I have seen my fair share) and I intend to see as much of it as possible before I'm done. This book will become a great reference guide for me, especially when I am overseas.
February 11, 2025
This was such an in-depth, captivating journey around the world. I found myself Google-mapping some places to get closer looks, and I learned so much historically about cultures worldwide. This one is not to be missed.
July 6, 2019
Ох і багато всього цікавого у світі є, і чомусь дуже багато всього пов'язано з мощами :D У нас людей, явно якийсь пунктик щодо цього. Не варто цю книгу сприймати як дорожній щоденник чи збірку оповідань про подорожі, як я спочатку думала, це атлас незвичайних місць розкиданих по-всьому світові. Тому тепер їдучи кудись обов'язково заглядатиму в Atlas Obscura, і шукатиму не тільки звичні туристичні пункти, які потрібно відвідати, а й щось екзотичне.
Доречі оформлення чудове!
Доречі оформлення чудове!
November 4, 2016
Is there anything quite like ? And now it’s a book! And having read several cool-blog-got-a-book-deal books, this is decidedly in the better half of that genre, which tends to be shit, because blogs and books are very different media, and they often can’t be translated from one to the other. The Atlas made the jump, which is nice, because more people will discover it.
I do not travel much, am a very bad traveler married to a very bad traveler. I have a few health problems, I use my GPS 5 miles from my house like a safety blanket, and I have this cool thing I do where I confidently turn left when you said right because I can’t keep them straight unless I rub my writer’s callous first. My husband has bad motion sickness and can’t be a car passenger for more than 30 minutes, and makes stewardesses very nervous because he likes to alternate between distractedly fingering the barf bag and then burying his head in his hands through most of the flight. Any place my husband alone cannot drive to in a day is a place we are likely to talk ourselves out of visiting. But I would love to be a Traveler� you know the women, who casually walk into the terminal in a perfectly polished outfit, precisely the right time to not be early or late, zip their little tiny suitcases full of Essentials into the overheads, and then manage to somehow look like they are not on a plane for the next 4 hours.
Where I’m going is: I love this book because I can’t travel. Atlas Obscura is, oddly, the perfect travel book/blog for the non-traveler; it’s the travel manual of imaginary travel. Most travel books start from the assumption you are actually going to go to Colonial Williamsburg and want to know things to further this action. Atlas Obscura doesn’t make this mistake. It is not even focused on pictures, photography in the book and the site is very light, it’s not that kinda travel blog, one to five modest-res pictures will suffice, and you can imagine the rest. Some sites are actually (well for a slim majority of the world’s citizens) others some you could visit but it would be ... and that’s the best part. For most of the sites, it’s enough to just know that they exist somewhere. I will never stay in an authentic Soviet-era Latvian military prison, but I love to know about it. And that is what makes Atlas Obscura such a majestic unique thing that it successfully made the very hard jump from blog to book.
If you are already a long and devoted reader of AO you will not find anything new here, but if you want a book of weird and wondrous slices of the world to thumb through, or looking for your Christmas books for weird-loving moms/dads/etc, it’s a good egg.
I do not travel much, am a very bad traveler married to a very bad traveler. I have a few health problems, I use my GPS 5 miles from my house like a safety blanket, and I have this cool thing I do where I confidently turn left when you said right because I can’t keep them straight unless I rub my writer’s callous first. My husband has bad motion sickness and can’t be a car passenger for more than 30 minutes, and makes stewardesses very nervous because he likes to alternate between distractedly fingering the barf bag and then burying his head in his hands through most of the flight. Any place my husband alone cannot drive to in a day is a place we are likely to talk ourselves out of visiting. But I would love to be a Traveler� you know the women, who casually walk into the terminal in a perfectly polished outfit, precisely the right time to not be early or late, zip their little tiny suitcases full of Essentials into the overheads, and then manage to somehow look like they are not on a plane for the next 4 hours.
Where I’m going is: I love this book because I can’t travel. Atlas Obscura is, oddly, the perfect travel book/blog for the non-traveler; it’s the travel manual of imaginary travel. Most travel books start from the assumption you are actually going to go to Colonial Williamsburg and want to know things to further this action. Atlas Obscura doesn’t make this mistake. It is not even focused on pictures, photography in the book and the site is very light, it’s not that kinda travel blog, one to five modest-res pictures will suffice, and you can imagine the rest. Some sites are actually (well for a slim majority of the world’s citizens) others some you could visit but it would be ... and that’s the best part. For most of the sites, it’s enough to just know that they exist somewhere. I will never stay in an authentic Soviet-era Latvian military prison, but I love to know about it. And that is what makes Atlas Obscura such a majestic unique thing that it successfully made the very hard jump from blog to book.
If you are already a long and devoted reader of AO you will not find anything new here, but if you want a book of weird and wondrous slices of the world to thumb through, or looking for your Christmas books for weird-loving moms/dads/etc, it’s a good egg.
November 5, 2016
Read all my reviews on
I've been a fan of the website () for a long time, and when I heard there was going to be a book, I just knew I had to read it.
And like the website, this is a very curious collection of interesting things from all over the world. Those who have been browsing, might recognize some of the entries, but this didn't bother me in the slightest. The entries are all short and often accompanied by pictures, making it perfect to read a small part at a time.
Would recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've been a fan of the website () for a long time, and when I heard there was going to be a book, I just knew I had to read it.
And like the website, this is a very curious collection of interesting things from all over the world. Those who have been browsing, might recognize some of the entries, but this didn't bother me in the slightest. The entries are all short and often accompanied by pictures, making it perfect to read a small part at a time.
Would recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 10, 2020
Having been a fan of the website, I was so excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.
Even though the internet age has brought us 24 access to all things wondrous and strange, it's sometimes difficult to find things unless you know exactly what you're looking for. This book collects places, objects, and monuments that you didn't know you wanted to find, but that you definitely need to know about. I highly recommend this for anyone who is curious about the most unusual and fascinating parts of our world.
Even though the internet age has brought us 24 access to all things wondrous and strange, it's sometimes difficult to find things unless you know exactly what you're looking for. This book collects places, objects, and monuments that you didn't know you wanted to find, but that you definitely need to know about. I highly recommend this for anyone who is curious about the most unusual and fascinating parts of our world.
January 26, 2019
I have been a long time fan of the website and was fascinated to discover that Foer, author of "Moonwalking With Einstein", was responsible for it. Like I loved that book, this one was a pleasure. A definite must for any fan of novel adventures, roadside attractions, and random amazingness. The full color illustrations were awesome. The only negative? How I hate to read about all the places I will never be able to actually experience.
Or is it have yet to experience?
Alas, one can dream.
Or is it have yet to experience?
Alas, one can dream.
May 19, 2019
Дуже гарна книга, щоб мати красивою на полиці і витягати і зачитувати химерні факти, коли гості збираються на посиденьки. Не дуже гарна, щоб просто читати - стає нудно від кількості «музеїв мумій» або «місць інопланетян», якими кишить земля. Звісно, це атлас, і побудований він географічно, щоб освітити бодай щось цікаве у кожному куточку землі. Якби це була звичайна книга, було б краще все-таки сконцентруватися на меншій кількості дивацтв, зробивши їх тим самим яскравішими.
Все ж наведу кілька, що запали в душу:
- Біографія Джеймса Аллена, книга, обкладинка якої зроблена зі шкіри автора. Що називається «вклав душу і тіло в письмо»
- інструмент Джорджа Меррівезер зроблений із піявок, для прогнозу погоди.
- «Зникаюче озеро» північної Ірландії
- Токі Пона - мова для мінімалістів з 123 словами
- республіка Кугельмугель та інші мікронації
- серф спорт в річці в Мюнхені
- підземні палаци Даманхур в Італії таємно викопані ентузіастом, який не зміг отримати дозвіл на будівництво
- Канарські острови, де жителі спілкуються мовою свисту
- Музей «розірваних стосунків» у Хорватії, де зберігаються речі колишніх. Крім ведмедиків і любовних листів, там наприклад є пакетик для блювотини з літака, який жінка зберігала через свої стосунки на відстані.
- «Веселий цвинтар» в Румунії з картінками і віршиками про життя померлих.
Все ж наведу кілька, що запали в душу:
- Біографія Джеймса Аллена, книга, обкладинка якої зроблена зі шкіри автора. Що називається «вклав душу і тіло в письмо»
- інструмент Джорджа Меррівезер зроблений із піявок, для прогнозу погоди.
- «Зникаюче озеро» північної Ірландії
- Токі Пона - мова для мінімалістів з 123 словами
- республіка Кугельмугель та інші мікронації
- серф спорт в річці в Мюнхені
- підземні палаци Даманхур в Італії таємно викопані ентузіастом, який не зміг отримати дозвіл на будівництво
- Канарські острови, де жителі спілкуються мовою свисту
- Музей «розірваних стосунків» у Хорватії, де зберігаються речі колишніх. Крім ведмедиків і любовних листів, там наприклад є пакетик для блювотини з літака, який жінка зберігала через свої стосунки на відстані.
- «Веселий цвинтар» в Румунії з картінками і віршиками про життя померлих.
June 25, 2022
Canada really could have used more entries, to be honest. It's nice to read in bits, but the definition of obscure is bit off.
September 4, 2019
This book is one of those that is jam-packed with interesting tidbits of information about rarely known facts from around the globe and then some.
It is one of those books that you can just curl up and go through page by page or just pick one at random and enjoy. Every page is a wonder and I found myself itching to turn the page and see what wonders came next.
The information runs the gamut, from mummies to monuments to secrets to unusual travel destinations to weird science facts. Not interested in that mummy? Turn the page and you might find an unusual museum or an unusual collection of items.
It is one of those books that you can just curl up and go through page by page or just pick one at random and enjoy. Every page is a wonder and I found myself itching to turn the page and see what wonders came next.
The information runs the gamut, from mummies to monuments to secrets to unusual travel destinations to weird science facts. Not interested in that mummy? Turn the page and you might find an unusual museum or an unusual collection of items.
December 30, 2016
This is interesting, but also has some shoddy editing.
I skipped ahead to the bit about California and read something about the city of Guadalupe being in the Colorado Desert. I've driven through Guadalupe. It's not in the desert. The sand involved in the story is ocean sand.
Then I got to Washington, and a story about the Spruce Goose. I'm from southern California. The Spruce Goose was in Long Beach when I was a kid, in the '80s. So when the book says "After Hughes died in 1976, the Spruce Goose ended up at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, where it remains to this day" it's not technically wrong, but it's also misleading.
Ten minutes of reading and two such glaring mistakes jumped out soooo....I'm over it.
I skipped ahead to the bit about California and read something about the city of Guadalupe being in the Colorado Desert. I've driven through Guadalupe. It's not in the desert. The sand involved in the story is ocean sand.
Then I got to Washington, and a story about the Spruce Goose. I'm from southern California. The Spruce Goose was in Long Beach when I was a kid, in the '80s. So when the book says "After Hughes died in 1976, the Spruce Goose ended up at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, where it remains to this day" it's not technically wrong, but it's also misleading.
Ten minutes of reading and two such glaring mistakes jumped out soooo....I'm over it.
November 14, 2016
Atlas Obscura was founded in 2009 and began as a website that brought you a guide to the world's wondrous and weird places. It is a collaborative project with founders Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras, along with their community of explorers who help discover hidden spots to share with the world. They wanted to celebrate a different way of looking at the world, so whether you are looking miniature cities, books bound in human skin, or bone churches, Atlas Obsura is where to find them.
Now you can travel across the globe, discovering hidden gems right from your comfy spot on the couch with their best-selling book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders. Authors Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton set out to create a catalog of all the places, people, and things that inspire wonder. It celebrates more than 600 of the strangest and most curious places in the world. Included are hundreds of photographs, charts, and maps for every region of the world, and compelling descriptions on each place. If weird travel destinations intrigue you, this book is a must to pick up.
You'll be occupied for hours, discovering Fingal's Cave in Scotland, a sea cave with walls perfectly hexagonal columns, or the Tree Cathedral in Italy, a piece of living architecture that continues to grow. There are also morbid findings, like did you know that the Overtoun Bridge, located in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, is known as the dog suicide bridge? Since the 1960s, around 50 dogs have perished after leaping to their deaths from the same spot on the bridge.
This book is so rich with information, research, and photographs. It brings new locations, objects, and monuments to light in a unique way with showcasing the strange and outstanding corners of the world that will bring out numerous emotions from disbelief to wonder. It is an entertaining travel book that makes me want to reach out of my comfort zone and begin exploring the world, but it is also filled with history on places and people that I would have not otherwise learned, which makes it all the more captivating.
It opened my eyes to parts of the world I had never seen, and quite honestly did not know existed. I spent hours engrossed in the pages, reading the facts and viewing the charts and maps that were included throughout. It brought on discussions on just how fascinating the world is, and how people should take the time to appreciate the natural wonders. I adore this book, and I can only hope that the authors publish a second book with new findings in the future.
I received a copy in exchange for an unbiased review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Now you can travel across the globe, discovering hidden gems right from your comfy spot on the couch with their best-selling book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders. Authors Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton set out to create a catalog of all the places, people, and things that inspire wonder. It celebrates more than 600 of the strangest and most curious places in the world. Included are hundreds of photographs, charts, and maps for every region of the world, and compelling descriptions on each place. If weird travel destinations intrigue you, this book is a must to pick up.
You'll be occupied for hours, discovering Fingal's Cave in Scotland, a sea cave with walls perfectly hexagonal columns, or the Tree Cathedral in Italy, a piece of living architecture that continues to grow. There are also morbid findings, like did you know that the Overtoun Bridge, located in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, is known as the dog suicide bridge? Since the 1960s, around 50 dogs have perished after leaping to their deaths from the same spot on the bridge.
This book is so rich with information, research, and photographs. It brings new locations, objects, and monuments to light in a unique way with showcasing the strange and outstanding corners of the world that will bring out numerous emotions from disbelief to wonder. It is an entertaining travel book that makes me want to reach out of my comfort zone and begin exploring the world, but it is also filled with history on places and people that I would have not otherwise learned, which makes it all the more captivating.
It opened my eyes to parts of the world I had never seen, and quite honestly did not know existed. I spent hours engrossed in the pages, reading the facts and viewing the charts and maps that were included throughout. It brought on discussions on just how fascinating the world is, and how people should take the time to appreciate the natural wonders. I adore this book, and I can only hope that the authors publish a second book with new findings in the future.
I received a copy in exchange for an unbiased review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
October 11, 2016
The world is a weird and wonderful place, and the Atlas Obscura does a bang the hell up job of showing the strange, amazing and downright bizarre corners of this big blue ball we live on.
I am a information junkie and between this beautiful book and the website, my jones is fed on many levels. If you have a wanderlust, this book will make you extremely happy, if you are like me and just like knowing things..this book will make you extremely happy. (do you get my point)
So get your passports out, load this puppy on your tablet, and on the way to the airport or out of town, stop and get you a physical copy too, (its a great addition to your shelf, for whenever you return from parts unknown)
12 stars out of 5, that's a steal of a deal of a meal (something like that)
I am a information junkie and between this beautiful book and the website, my jones is fed on many levels. If you have a wanderlust, this book will make you extremely happy, if you are like me and just like knowing things..this book will make you extremely happy. (do you get my point)
So get your passports out, load this puppy on your tablet, and on the way to the airport or out of town, stop and get you a physical copy too, (its a great addition to your shelf, for whenever you return from parts unknown)
12 stars out of 5, that's a steal of a deal of a meal (something like that)
July 29, 2017
Me gustan las guías de viajes, pero las que no son convencionales y van más allá de cualquier Lonely Planet. Empecé a leer este libro a comienzos de año y me tomó casi 6 meses terminarlo: hay que decicar un buen tiempo a investigar y maravillarse de esos lugares mórbidos, maravillosos y desconocidos para la mayoría de los turistas. No por nada Atlas Obscura es uno de mis sitios favoritos para visitar antes de hacer cualquier viaje. Para curiosos de los lugares tétricos y con historia de cada país, esta guía resultará bastante util: cementerios, fábricas, ruinas detenidas en el tiempo, túneles, refugios... hay para todos los gustos.
August 1, 2016
This rating/review is based on an ARC from Netgalley.
I'll admit I definitely didn't read every page of this, but if I had the time I certainly would try. I've been a fan of the website for ages and I'm thrilled it's a real print book now. I really wish I had gotten my hands on this before my trip to Madrid! Or, at the very least, remembered to look up Madrid on the Atlas Obscura website before going. If you enjoy oddball attractions, this is a must-consult before travel. Even if you don't plan to travel, it's worth reading for zany destinations the world over.
I'll admit I definitely didn't read every page of this, but if I had the time I certainly would try. I've been a fan of the website for ages and I'm thrilled it's a real print book now. I really wish I had gotten my hands on this before my trip to Madrid! Or, at the very least, remembered to look up Madrid on the Atlas Obscura website before going. If you enjoy oddball attractions, this is a must-consult before travel. Even if you don't plan to travel, it's worth reading for zany destinations the world over.
July 11, 2017
A fascinating mix of natural wonders and man-made oddities.
March 31, 2020
Легка і пахуча книжка з фотографіями. Найкращий спосіб мандрувати в умовах карантину.
October 31, 2018
Compiled from elements of a decades-old online project that's , this printed version of the is a big, beautiful compendium that spans every continent (yes, including Antarctica) to showcase the unusual, the endangered, the dangerous and the just plain weird. It's not a complete list, of course—even leaving aside the physical limitations of the printed page, not to mention the subjective nature of what counts as obscure—but editors , and have made sure it's a comprehensive one.
My own travels, minimal as they've been, have taken me to a few of these, and I can personally attest to their worthiness for inclusion. The utterly deadpan in Culver City, California, for example (p.281), whose website offers the merest glimpse of the concentrated weirdness within. Philadelphia's (p.364) is another —this one focused on real medical oddities—that will leave you, as they say, "disturbingly informed." I've also stepped inside Howard Hughes' herculean plane, the Spruce Goose—twice, in fact, once back when it was in Long Beach, California, and then in its current location at the in McMinnville, Oregon (p.290), and crept up close to the Fremont Troll in Seattle (p.295) without being eaten—and you can too.
But these, I freely admit, are just a few scattered examples—and they're among the easiest for U.S. residents like me to visit, to boot. Many of the landmarks in are significantly less accessible—even if you're a wealthy and seasoned world traveler, even if you happen to be in the same country (or even on the same continent) they're in, or near. The presence of an entry in the Atlas must not be read as encouragement, a promise of availability, or any guarantee of safety. Geography, politics, radiation, wild beasts, structural issues... the barriers are as diverse as the entries themselves—which is exactly why (or at least one big reason why) this collection is such a treasure.
You don't have to read straight through just because I did. However, as an armchair adventurer (mostly) who grew up reading encyclopedias, almanacs and, yes, atlases cover-to-cover, was great fun for me in just that way—I felt my knowledge of the world and its wonders being expanded again and again. Your mileage (heh) may vary, but I'd be willing to bet that, if you have any interest at all in the quirkier aspects of the physical world, you'll find many things within these pages that fascinate you too.
My own travels, minimal as they've been, have taken me to a few of these, and I can personally attest to their worthiness for inclusion. The utterly deadpan in Culver City, California, for example (p.281), whose website offers the merest glimpse of the concentrated weirdness within. Philadelphia's (p.364) is another —this one focused on real medical oddities—that will leave you, as they say, "disturbingly informed." I've also stepped inside Howard Hughes' herculean plane, the Spruce Goose—twice, in fact, once back when it was in Long Beach, California, and then in its current location at the in McMinnville, Oregon (p.290), and crept up close to the Fremont Troll in Seattle (p.295) without being eaten—and you can too.
But these, I freely admit, are just a few scattered examples—and they're among the easiest for U.S. residents like me to visit, to boot. Many of the landmarks in are significantly less accessible—even if you're a wealthy and seasoned world traveler, even if you happen to be in the same country (or even on the same continent) they're in, or near. The presence of an entry in the Atlas must not be read as encouragement, a promise of availability, or any guarantee of safety. Geography, politics, radiation, wild beasts, structural issues... the barriers are as diverse as the entries themselves—which is exactly why (or at least one big reason why) this collection is such a treasure.
You don't have to read straight through just because I did. However, as an armchair adventurer (mostly) who grew up reading encyclopedias, almanacs and, yes, atlases cover-to-cover, was great fun for me in just that way—I felt my knowledge of the world and its wonders being expanded again and again. Your mileage (heh) may vary, but I'd be willing to bet that, if you have any interest at all in the quirkier aspects of the physical world, you'll find many things within these pages that fascinate you too.
March 6, 2025
Very fun to peruse through, although still not as fun as exploring the website, where you can go down never-ending rabbit holes of the multitudes of places that aren't included in the book.
March 14, 2023
This is a worldwide tour guide of places to visit. Unlike most tour guides of this type, there are very few of the type that would be ones you would select to go to on a regularly planned vacation. There are some that are kind of odd, but fun sounding, like the two churches on a greek island that shoot fireworks at each other as part of a religious celebration others though are a bit... creepy. The Carousel at the Bronx Zoo which has insects instead of horses or mythical creatures. For the most part, I don't really see myself going to very many of these places, but at least it didn't list a whole bunch of places with golf courses to visit and it was a very interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 672 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.