March 21, 2023

UNUSUAL MAPS  Europe’s Oldest Map  From 2017 to earlier this year, researchers spent quite a lot of time carrying out extensive research on a stone known as the Saint-Bélec slab. Their conclusion: This wasn’t any kind of rock slab; engraved in the early Bronze Age, it’s the earliest known example in Europe of a map for which we can identify the territory it depicts.  READ MORE →   WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH Trailblazing Women Throughout the year, we here at Atlas Obscurahighlight women who have shaped our past, but this Women’s History Month we also want to shout out the scientists, activists, chefs, historians, artists, and adventurers who are making history right now. From the scrubland of Argentina and the kitchens of Japan all the way to the South Pole, these women are writing the next chapter of history. READ MORE →   COLUMBUS, OHIO Johnny Marzetti Unless you’ve grown up in Columbus, Ohio, you’ve probably never heard of Johnny Marzetti. This isn’t a person, by the way. It’s a casserole. The easy-to-love meal is the stuff childhood dreams are made of: macaroni, ground beef, red sauce and cheese, baked together and dished out in thick slices like a lasagna. READ MORE →   GASTRO OBSCURA COURSES Taste Honey Like a Sommelier Honey has a long journey before it lands in your jar. Join beekeeper, author, and premier honey sensory expert C. Marina Marchese to experience honey like never before, tracing what you taste and smell to the flora and landscape it originated from. BOOK NOW →   ATLAS OBSCURA PUZZLES Meet Some Obscure Livestock Think you know your livestock? Prove it by solving today’s crossword puzzle! How quickly can you fill in all the boxes? Ewe better moo-ve quickly. PLAY NOW →   U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Lime Out Dine on ceviche tacos in the sea at this floating restaurant only accessible by boat. Tacos come stuffed with fillings like grouper ceviche with pink grapefruit, jerk-seasoned tuna with pineapple, or pulled pork with a barbecue sauce spiked with locally distilled rum. Yum. READ MORE →   SPONSORED BY VISIT DELAWARE Delaware’s Extraordinary Hidden Wonders The oldest state in the United States of America is chock-full of rich history and natural beauty. Hidden gems abound, from opulent family gardens to fascinating defense structures, we’ve packaged it all into one itinerary guiding you through some of the state’s most extraordinary attractions. Welcome to Delaware. LEARN MORE →   THE GREAT OUTDOORS Appalachian Trail Hike The Appalachian Trail is a 2,000 mile-plus trail that snakes its way up the mountainous spine of the eastern United States. It’s not a trail for the faint of heart, suffice it to say. Yet in the mid-20th century, a 67-year-old grandmother laced up not hiking boots but sneakers, and became the first woman to thru-hike the trail on her own. Her reasoning for doing the hike was simple: It was a nice long walk. READ MORE →   DENVER, COLORADO 'Unsinkable' Molly Brown House Margaret Tobin was born in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri. The wealthy husband she found was J.J. Brown, a man 12 years her senior who struck it big in the Colorado mining scene. He built Margaret this beautiful home in Denver, where she quickly stood out in Denver’s polite society: a bright, principled, and entirely unapologetic young woman. She would prove her mettle during the most storied tragedy of her time: the sinking of the RMS Titanic. READ MORE →   THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST NYC’s Most Beautiful Public Bathroom It’s happened to all of us before. You’re exploring a city, having the time of your life, when it strikes you—you need to find a bathroom. Now, finding a public bathroom can err on the side of difficult. But New York City has a solution, and a gorgeous one at that. This is New York’s most beautiful public bathroom.