Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Bare Dark Sky Observatory

Discover Bare Dark Sky Observatory in Burnsville, North Carolina: A mountaintop space observatory that is certified dark.

Ein Keshatot (Spring of the Arches)

Discover Ein Keshatot (Spring of the Arches) in Golan: This sixth-century synagogue was first reconstructed digitally, then in real life.

Apollo Pavilion

Discover Apollo Pavilion in Peterlee, England: A Brutalist monument in the middle of a housing estate by artist Victor Pasmore.

Riverside Plant Hotel

Discover Riverside Plant Hotel in Savannah, Georgia: A once-groundbreaking power plant turned into a hotel and mini-museum of archeological and geological wonders.

Miniature Park Boheminium

Discover Miniature Park Boheminium in Mariánské Lázně, Czechia: Stroll past dozens of intricately-detailed scale replicas of buildings from all over Czechia.

Dale’s Wheels Through Time

Discover Dale’s Wheels Through Time in Maggie Valley, North Carolina: A museum celebrating rare American motorcycles where everything runs—and none of it quietly.

Roman Columns of Brindisi

Discover Roman Columns of Brindisi in Brindisi, Italy: It's believed that these columns marked the end of the Via Appia.

Carroll Creek Covered Bridge

Discover Carroll Creek Covered Bridge in Frederick, Maryland: This hidden treasure provides a charming access point along the south side of Baker Park.

Skite Sainte Foy

Discover Skite Sainte Foy in Saint-Julien-des-Points, France: Cloistered comestibles are served with style at this French Orthodox monastery.

North Creek Mosaic Project

Discover North Creek Mosaic Project in North Creek, New York: This magnificent work of art captures the spirit of the region.

Queen Bertha and King Æthelberht

Discover Queen Bertha and King Æthelberht in Kent, England: Today, Kent's medieval monarchs hold court on a busy pedestrian thoroughfare—or at least their statues do.

Alder Mine

Discover Alder Mine in Twisp, Washington: Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc were once extracted at this abandoned mine near Lookout Mountain.

Sea Palace

Discover Sea Palace in Amsterdam, Netherlands: Europe's first floating restaurant is home to a hilarious legend.

Egyptian Building

Discover Egyptian Building in Chino Hills, California: A shockingly detailed small scale recreation of the temples of Abu Simbel.

German-Italian Memorial Cemetery

Discover German-Italian Memorial Cemetery in Anniston, Alabama: This small cemetery contains the graves of prisoners of war who were interred at Fort McClellan during World War II.

VC Bird Monument

Discover VC Bird Monument in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda: An imposing statue of the first prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda stands in the middle of a traffic intersection.

Gilliarey

Discover Gilliarey in Torgnon, Italy: High in the Italian Alps, a lonely chapel with a striking view of the Matterhorn.

Menu

i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 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. 474 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. 499 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. 633 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. 135 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. 167 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). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 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. 96 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. 166

PP ToS