Step inside the ruins of an Estonian ghost town

The world's shortest war, montebore cheese, and a park's hidden history. Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser. July 31, 2019 Estonia Ghost Town Once a bustling 1920s mining hub, Viivikonna, Estonia, began to lose its townspeople once the oil shale deposit dried up. After the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Viivikonna became a ghost town with only 50 permanent residents. Watch now → World’s Shortest War The Anglo-Zanzibar War ended less than an hour after it started. But due to the murky matters of the rules of engagement, inconsistent reporting, and an extreme lack of clocks on the scene, it’s impossible to say how long the “shortest war” truly lasted. Read more → Atlas Obscura Trips Barcelona Behind the Scenes Join us February 2020 for a six-day trip to Barcelona during one of the most exciting times of year: Carnival. We’ll dive into the city’s history from every angle, enjoy a private concert in a Masonic library turned residence, and conclude the trip with a private Carnival Gala inside a Belle Époque atelier. Learn more → Just south of Ocean City, it has long white sand beaches. The wild ponies are an extra attraction. They are everywhere in the dunes and grasslands. —Riversend Visit the forums → BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Class of 1959 Chapel Funded by Harvard Business School’s Class of 1959, this strikingly modern structure stands out among the brick buildings on Harvard University's campus. Read more → Hidden Park History Ballwin, Missouri, a suburb southwest of St. Louis, is home to the nearly 2,000-acre Castlewood State Park. But in the early 20th century, Castlewood was a very different place. It was a bustling resort town. Read more → SALAMANCA, SPAIN Masonic Lodge Museum An unusual but excellent display created in the 1930s as propaganda against the Freemasons is hidden inside a small museum in the old city of Salamanca. Read more → Food & Drink Montebore Made of cow and sheep milk, yeasty and sour in flavor, with notes of mushroom and nuts, montebore was allegedly Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite cheese. Read more → Visit AtlasObscura.com · View in Browser · Unsubscribe · See All Newsletters 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222