Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Hopewell Culture National Historic Park

Discover Hopewell Culture National Historic Park in Chillicothe, Ohio: The mounds at this site were reconstructed with the help of archaeologists and historians.

Al Yanfa

Discover Al Yanfa in Tamniah, Saudi Arabia: A network of tunnels runs underneath the buildings of this ancient village.

Gagnef Flottbron

Discover Gagnef Flottbron in Gagnef, Sweden: This unique bridge is one of the last of its kind in Sweden.

Burling Cabin Site

Discover Burling Cabin Site in McLean, Virginia: The local community brought back this land to transform it into a nature preserve.

Hollywood Theater

Discover Hollywood Theater in Portland, Oregon: This airport "microcinema" lets you catch a film before you catch a flight.

Pico Basilé

Discover Pico Basilé in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea: It's been nearly a century since this volcano, the tallest mountain in Equatorial Guinea, erupted.

Mihály Kolodko’s Mini Statues

Discover Mihály Kolodko's Mini Statues in Budapest, Hungary: From cartoon characters to tiny tanks, a guerilla sculptor's little bronze statues are hidden throughout the city of Budapest.

Hadiyah Railway Station

Discover Hadiyah Railway Station in Hadiyah, Saudi Arabia: Once a major stop on the Hejaz Railway, this desert station (complete with steam locomotive) has been abandoned for decades.

Torr Heads Ruins

Discover Torr Heads Ruins in County Antrim, Northern Ireland: Beautiful scenery provides the backdrop for an abandoned coastguard facility.

Pinsapar de Grazalema

Discover Pinsapar de Grazalema in Grazalema, Spain: A reservation-only highland forest reserve of endangered Pinsapar firs stands above a village in Andalucía.

Ningyocho Mechanical Clock Towers

Discover Ningyocho Mechanical Clock Towers in Tokyo, Japan: When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

Cova des Coloms

Discover Cova des Coloms in Es Migjorn Gran, Spain: The largest cave on the island of Menorca was likely the site of Iron Age rites and rituals.

Don Quixote Iconographic Museum

Discover Don Quixote Iconographic Museum in Guanajuato, Mexico: The world's largest collection of Don Quixote-inspired art.

Lawrence Brook Carvings

Discover Lawrence Brook Carvings in New Brunswick, New Jersey: A mixture of strange symbols, ciphers, words and cryptograms carved in 1876 remain unsolved to this day.

Foundling Wheel, Mâcon

Discover Foundling Wheel, Mâcon in Mâcon, France: During the 17th-century, orphaned infants were placed in this barrel to be cared for by the hospital.

Lone Tree of Milarrochy

Discover Lone Tree of Milarrochy in Milarrochy, Scotland: A single oak tree rises out of the waters of Loch Lomond.

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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

PP ToS