December 22, 2021

This Year’s Best Mysteries  There’s nothing like a good mystery—criminal, historical, scientific, artistic, culinary—to make for a great read. This year, Atlas Obscura investigated unsolved cases from around the world and through the centuries—from a 16th-century shipwreck off the coast of Australia that may or may not exist to a modern Midwestern ice cream flavor that just might be made with beaver secretions. A few of these unknowns may eventually become known through technological breakthroughs or newly discovered archival documents, but most are puzzles that will never be solved (or treasure that will never be found).  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Healing Sweets In the North American region of Appalachia, it was once believed that any sweets baked on Christmas Day held the power to prevent and heal illness. For this reason, some families would bake extra cakes and loaves of bread, and preserve them to be eaten throughout the coming months of the year. So this holiday season, enjoy an extra piece of cake, for luck and good health in the year ahead. READ MORE → GIVE THE GIFT OF WONDER 20% Off Gift Cards For Online Courses Use code JOY20 to receive 20% off our gift cards for online courses. Our online courses offer live, interactive learning in underexplored disciplines from taxidermy to honey tasting. And, when you give someone our gift card, they'll be able to choose from our entire lineup to select which course best fits their interests and schedule. Offer expires 12/23/2021 at 11:59 PM ET. BUY NOW → BARCELONA, SPAIN The Güell Pavillions Dragon Gate Modernist architect Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to remodel this summer house, gardens, and adjoining farms located on the outskirts of Barcelona that his patron, Eusebio Güell, had inherited from his father. The Catalan genius designed the gatehouse, the stables, and the brick walls—as well as this dragon, which is actually a symbolic tribute. READ MORE → 15 Unusual Gifts Across History December might be the month of gift-giving, but we bet that the gifts you’ve been preparing for months aren’t quite on the scale of, say, a giant exoskeleton of a Japanese spider crab, or a cherry tree gifted by “Public Enemy No. 1,” Al Capone. From a six-ton wedding gift for King James II of Scotland to a massive Ottoman clock in Mexico, here are a few of our favorite gifts ever given. (Is this inspiration for your last-minute gift ideas? Who’s to say.) READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Pyramids and Petroglyphs of Sudan Join us as we make an epic overland journey to discover the ancient history and hidden gems of Sudan. Following the Nile from Khartoum northward into the desert, we'll encounter the majestic pyramids at Meroe and Jebel Barkal and unlock the secrets of the ancient Nubian Kingdom of Kush and the rule of the Black Pharaohs and Meroitic kings. VIEW FULL ITINERARY → BERLIN, GERMANY Old City Wall of Berlin Centuries before Berlin’s most notorious wall epitomized the Iron Curtain, another wall defined the cityscape. The Berlin Stadtmauer, or City Wall, was erected sometime during the 13th century as a defensive barrier to fortify the city. When the original city wall was eventually rendered useless, its bricks and stones were repurposed over time, and was gradually forgotten until 1948, when the intact remnants of the original Stadtmauer were discovered. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES Dance Marathon Origins In the 1920s, the age of the dance marathon was in full swing, serving as an entertainment form for the masses. But by the time the Great Depression hit, dance marathons evolved into something a little more sinister—to some, it was a survival strategy. Dancing in a marathon didn’t just mean the possibility of a cash prize. It meant being fed and sheltered for the duration of the contest. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool Relisten In this installment of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we bring you a classic episode: a visit to the oldest (maybe) swimming pool in Iceland, a stunning oasis built into the side of a lush hill. FROM THE ARCHIVES The Journey to ‘Dagnabbit’ Among the most hilarious words in the English language is “dagnabbit.” It’s full of very funny hard syllables and, for most Americans, it’s most often heard coming out of the cartoon mouth of Yosemite Sam. But the way the word evolved isn’t as funny. It is dark and ominous and paved with fear. “Dagnabbit,” along with the English words “bear” and “wolf,” are creations of a terrified populace, scared of beings visible and not. READ MORE → BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Bay Ridge Gingerbread House Not far from the western shore of Brooklyn sits an unusual house straight out of a fairytale. The exterior is designed out of uncut stone and the asphalt roof undulates like rolling hills, appropriate given that the house was built to conform to the land it was constructed on. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA TRIPS Istanbul: Exploring the Tastes of Turkey's Two Continents On this culinary journey, we’ll explore the city of Istanbul through its kitchens. We’ll cross the Bosphorus, visiting food bazaars on both continents. We’ll also witness cooking demonstrations in working restaurants and have a hands-on lesson in a private home. It will be a week of constant collision and confluence between the many cultural currents that make Istanbul unique. VIEW FULL ITINERARY →