Michelle Cassidy's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cachoeiras do Horto (Horto Waterfalls)

A trio of waterfalls inside the world’s largest urban forest.
Wimborne Saint Giles, England

Philosopher's Tower

A small tower where a philosopher once speculated on human nature and morality.
Gozo, Malta

Our Lady of Hope

One of Malta’s most popular beaches features a seemingly out-of-place statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.
Birmingham, England

'A Life in the Year of the Chinchillas'

The ceiling of this shopping arcade is adorned with six trompe-l’œil artworks, including a grim funeral scene.
Lleida, Spain

Casa dels Gegants

Discover everything there is to know about Catalan giants and "Big-Heads."
El Paso, Texas

Lincoln Park aka Chicano Park

Local artists have long claimed these highway pylons as a place to celebrate Mexican-American history through artwork.
Matsusaka, Japan

Gojōban Yashiki Samurai Residences

Descendants of the samurai who guarded Matsusaka Castle during the Edo period still live in these charming historic houses (and visitors can enter one of them for free).
Lisnagrave, Ireland

Dunlough Castle

The eerie remains of one of Ireland's oldest castles, said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who brings ill fate.
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Bison of Trexler Nature Preserve

An American industrialist hoped this nature preserve could help save the North American bison.
London, England

Victoria Park's Old London Bridge Alcoves

These remnants of Old London Bridge possess unique acoustics that allow for whispered conversations to carry from one side to the other.
West Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Solitude Stone

This solitary stone engraved with a poem from 1852 has a mysterious and tragic past.
Pune, India

Parvati Nandan Ganpati Temple

This 17th-century temple gave the area of Ganeshkhind its name.
Williams, Arizona

Poozeum

This small museum is dedicated to the study of coprolites, or fossilized poop.
Babingley, England

Village Signs of Babingley

Signs illustrate the bizarre legend of St. Felix's arrival in this English village, which led to the consecration of a beaver.
Ciechocinek, Poland

Ciechocinek Salt Graduation Tower

For 200 years, people have flocked to this Polish town to experience the healing powers of salt.
George Town, Malaysia

Dhammikarama Burmese Temple

This Theravada Buddhist temple is a peaceful oasis steeped in history.
Woerden, Netherlands

Woerden Elagabal Inscription

This ancient stele gives a testimony to the presence of the Syrian sun god Elagabalus on the Roman Empire's western frontier.
Szolnok, Hungary

RepTár Szolnok Aviation Museum

A museum of Hungarian military aviation in the middle of a small city.
Villaspesa, Spain

Rambla de Barrachina

The geomorphology of the Turia Valley could easily be mistaken for Utah or Arizona.
Elk City, Oklahoma

National Route 66 Museum

An Oklahoma museum that celebrates the history of the "Mother Road."
Ibusuki, Japan

Nishi-Ōyama Station

Japan Railways' southernmost train station offers a view of a volcano and a mailbox said to grant happiness.
Visaginas, Lithuania

Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Saint John

Originally built for nuclear power plant workers, this church sits between apartment buildings.
Richmond, Virginia

The Triple Crossing

Where three rails and three centuries of transportation meet.
Green Island, Taiwan

Confucius Rock

On Green Island, a rock resembling the ancient Chinese sage gazes contemplatively out at sea.