BAARLE-HERTOG, BELGIUM  The House with Two Numbers  The town of Baarle is home to perhaps the craziest border situation in the world. Dozens of enclaves and exclaves dot the area, with the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands running criss-cross through everything—including houses. It was eventually determined that a house on the border belongs to the country in which it has its front door, which is uh, not a perfect solution. Exhibit A: The house which is simultaneously at Loveren 2 in Baarle-Hertog and Loveren 19 in Baarle-Nassau, where the front door is exactly on the border.  READ MORE → I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE Who’s Tracking These Icebergs? Lots of people, actually. Call them iceberg trackers. Or iceberg-ologists. Or ice scientists, perhaps. They peer through clouds using radar and satellite technology, and descend through fog in specially equipped cargo planes to get close-up looks at the meandering giants and environmental conditions that impact the way they drift, move, and deteriorate. READ MORE → NOT AS IT SEEMS 7 Edible Imposters In the summer of 2020, the world faced many challenging questions, but the Internet chose to fixate on just one: Is it cake? You might have seen the slew of videos where slicing through an object revealed it to be an incredible cake creation. But the trend of deceptive desserts actually stretches back centuries before the Internet ever obsessed over an edible Croc. Here are seven extraordinary edible imposters, from ice cream disguised as spaghetti to snacks that mimic a museum’s priceless artifacts. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Hidden Histories in Sicily Sicily has served as the landscape of Greek myths, Byzantine mysteries, and Islamic mysticism. On this journey you’ll discover the hidden histories of Sicily behind the doors of its lavish churches, private palaces, and uncanny catacombs. And explore the island’s enigmatic past, from the Knights Templar to the lavish villas of Bagheria. Save 10% on the June 20–27 departure when you book before April 15th. BOOK YOUR TRIP → HIDDEN WORLDS Life Under Ice The Thwaites Ice Shelf—an extension of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that protrudes from the coastline, 1,000 feet thick in this location and 2,000 square miles in area—floats on the ocean. In 2019, scientists arrived to measure currents that are melting this ice from beneath. But they would soon discover something else entirely: an entire world made of strange communities that cling to the underside of the ice. READ MORE → VICTOR, COLORADO Black Monarch Hotel Victor, Colorado is an old mining town that was established in 1895. It was once home to 18,000 people during the gold rush, but these days Victor has a population of just over 400 people and is a semi-ghost town. Like many of the buildings in Victor, the Monarch was originally left to languish, but has since been renovated with a gothic Victorian theme. The hotel opened in 2019 and currently has seven themed rooms named after famous figures from history and fiction: H.H. Holmes, Elizabeth Bathory, Lizzie Borden, Dracula, Jack the Ripper, Black Annis, and Tesla. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Rotary Jail Museum In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit the only remaining operational rotary jail in Crawfordsville, Indiana, which shows visitors how inmates were once locked within the building’s walls. While the jail no longer holds criminals, the massive gear beneath the cells can still rotate, standing as a strange example of innovation outstripping utility. LISTEN ON OUR SITE →    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →    LISTEN ON STITCHER → TIME TRAVEL Look Inside a 105-Year-Old Time Capsule In April 2020, conservators and historians were pleasantly surprised to find that—thanks to smartly designed copper boxes—the ephemera tucked inside a time capsule buried in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery had aged gracefully, a century after being sealed. READ MORE → TOKYO, JAPAN Book and Bed Hostel This Shinjuku hostel is a remarkably wide-open space, filled with spaces to sit, relax, and crack open one of the many pieces of literature scattered about the room. Bed capsules are surrounded by bookshelves, filled with reading material in a variety of languages. Pages of manga are hung decoratively from the ceiling, so you are surrounded by literature and artwork no matter where you look. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA COURSES Tropical Mixology In this four-part lecture series, trace the history of the Tiki drink, learning the backstories and recipes of the early cocktails that brought the category international fame. We’ll dive into the history and recipes behind iconic, quasi-ubiquitous, and often underrated drink templates. ENROLL TODAY →