Atlas Obscura

Praised as the “bestest travel guide ever” (Mary Roach) and “a joy to read and reread” (Neil Gaiman), Atlas Obscura is a phenomenon of travel books: “Odds are you won’t get past three pages without being amazed” (San Francisco Chronicle). It rocketed to the top of bestseller lists and has over 626,000 copies in print since its publication in late 2016.

Now the best gets better and the weirdest gets weirder with this completely revised and updated second edition that includes 120 new entries that offer readers even more of the most unusual, curious, bizarre, and mysterious places on earth. In addition, the second edition includes a full-colour gatefold Atlas Obscura road trip map, with a dream itinerary.

Oversized, beautifully packaged, compellingly written, scrupulously researched, and filled with photographs, illustrations, maps, charts, and more, it is the book that inspires equal parts wonder and wanderlust. It informs us on every page of something we never knew – and paints a rich panorama of what a marvellously strange world we live in. For the travel lover and curious reader, it’s a gift book that’s literally impossible to put down.

Atlas Obscura Quotes

“According to Icelandic folklore, thousands of elves, fairies, dwarves, and gnomes – collectively known as “hidden people” – live in rocks and trees throughout the country. It is no wonder, then, that the world’s only elf school is located in Reykjavík.”