In some parts of France, World War I has never ended. These are the Zones rouges—an archipelago of former battlegrounds so pockmarked and polluted by war that, more than a century after the end of hostilities, they remain unfit to live or even farm on. WWI was the first industrial war and a laboratory for all kinds of military innovations, including...

Each week, Atlas Obscura is providing a new short excerpt from our upcoming book, Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders (September 17, 2024). Once a year, the corals of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef pull off an orgy so massive it can be seen from space. Warmed by the water, tugged by the tides, and sparked by the full...

Macarons may be distinctly French confections, but they're far from monolithic. In addition to the famous Parisian macaron, there are several other key regional variants. One particular kind is the macaron d'Amiens, which, as its name suggests, is a specialty from the city of Amiens in the Picardy region. Introduced in the 16th century and said to...

There’s no shortage of British colonial history in Hong Kong, with rule spanning over 150 years, these post boxes serve as a subtle reminder of the British postal services during its time. In 1892, 14 pillar boxes were installed across the city—12 during King George V's reign and two more during King George VI’s reign. After the British handover, the...

The story of the Piece of Cheese Cottage began in 1878, when it was built on a small piece of land left over by two brothers, George and Stephen Starr, after they had built nine cottages. The cottage is situated on an awkward plot, and the two brothers made a wager of £5 (equivalent to about £300 in 2024), that a functional building could not be built...

Circus Liquor is a regular San Fernando Valley liquor store that is set apart by the 32-foot-tall clown who watches over the adjacent intersection with a decidedly creepy expression on his face. Perhaps it's the two crosses he has for eyes or his fixed, maniacal grin, but he seems to be enticing you to buy some booze and get up to no good. Now a...