Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Little Jerusalem Badlands

Discover Little Jerusalem Badlands in Winona, Kansas: Once an ancient sea, this landscape of rocky ravines is filled with the fossils of ancient marine life.

Animals of the Huron River Statues

Discover Animals of the Huron River Statues in Ann Arbor, Michigan: These statues pay homage to the "green corridor" of parks and wetlands.

Reliquary of St. Margaret of Scotland

Discover Reliquary of St. Margaret of Scotland in Dunfermline, Scotland: The remains of "The Pearl of Scotland," can be found inside this church.

Mátyás Fountain

Discover Mátyás Fountain in Budapest, Hungary: A triumphant marble and bronze fountain depicting a 15th-century Hungarian king and his hunting party.

Wadi al-Dawasir

Discover Wadi al-Dawasir in Wadi ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia: These desert alfalfa farms redefine the meaning of crop circles.

U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame

Discover U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis, California: A blend of sporting history mixed with childhood nostalgia await visitors to this museum.

Iron Library

Discover Iron Library in Schlatt, Switzerland: Everything from alchemy books to building plans for the Eiffel Tower are housed inside this museum.

Wahpepah’s Kitchen

Discover Wahpepah's Kitchen in Oakland, California: This restaurant features Native American foods from across the country.

Sitting Bull Monument

Discover Sitting Bull Monument in Mobridge, South Dakota: The final resting place of the Hunkpapa Lakota leader Tatanka Iyotaka, commonly known by the English translation Sitting Bull.

Ghetto Wall Memorial

Discover Ghetto Wall Memorial in Budapest, Hungary: The holes in this wall provide a glimpse of Jewish life in Budapest, both past and present.

House of Luis Cantón Marín

Discover House of Luis Cantón Marín in Izamal, Mexico: A house mixing elements of Chinese and Mexican architecture stands as a tribute to the Chinese-Mexican Bishop who lived here.

Dungeness Spit

Discover Dungeness Spit in Old Town, Washington: The longest spit in the United States ends at a lighthouse in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

‘It’s Chaos, Be Kind’

Discover ‘It’s Chaos, Be Kind’ in Florence, Texas: A community-funded monument to kindness in the face of life's difficulties.

Bow of HMS Vindictive

Discover Bow of HMS Vindictive in Oostende, Belgium: A piece of the front end of a British cruiser that was used as a block ship in World War I.

Sonic Runway

Discover Sonic Runway in San Jose, California: At night, this glittering musical tunnel draws skaters and photographers.

Menu

i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 480 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 514 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 642 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 137 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 172 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 98 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 168

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