Archives: Atlas Obscuras

‘The Boules Player’

Discover 'The Boules Player' in Leeds, England: This sculpture celebrates a boules tournament and the link between Leeds and its twin city Lille.

Mission San Xavier Del Bac

Discover Mission San Xavier Del Bac in Tucson, Arizona: This church on a Tohono O'Odham reservation has stood since 1797.

Brotherhood Bridge Fireweed Field

Discover Brotherhood Bridge Fireweed Field in Juneau, Alaska: Every summer, the Mendenhall River greenbelt comes alive with an explosion of magenta flowers.

Finger Lakes Drive-In

Discover Finger Lakes Drive-In in Auburn, New York: Opened in 1947, this is the oldest continuously-operating drive-in theater in New York.

Smallest Gothic Window in Bruges

Discover Smallest Gothic Window in Bruges in Bruges, Belgium: You can spot this teeny tiny stained-glass window from the Bonifacius bridge.

Fort Churchill

Discover Fort Churchill in Silver Springs, Nevada: The ruins of a military outpost from the 1860s form the centerpiece of a Nevada state park.

Salem Art Works

Discover Salem Art Works in Salem, New York: This sprawling art park is filled with sculptures, nature trails, and art workshops.

Everard t’Serclaes Monument

Discover Everard t'Serclaes Monument in Brussels, Belgium: A shining memorial to a Belgian hero is said to bring luck to anyone who touches it.

Emo War of Metro Insurgentes

Discover Emo War of Metro Insurgentes in Mexico City, Mexico: In 2008, this Mexico City metro station was the site of an hours-long fight between emo, punk, and goth groups.

Yerington Pit (Anaconda Copper Mine)

Discover Yerington Pit (Anaconda Copper Mine) in Yerington, Nevada: A deep toxic lake fills this abandoned open-pit copper mine, now a Superfund site.

Koshi Barrage

Discover Koshi Barrage in Bhardaha, Nepal: This structure, built more than 60 years ago to manage devastating seasonal floods, is known to attract a rare species of freshwater dolphin.

Layd Church Ruins

Discover Layd Church Ruins in Cushendall, Northern Ireland: The father of Belfast medicine is buried in the graveyard of this 13th-century church, which now lies in ruins.

Tu Viện A Nan

Discover Tu Viện A Nan in Gainesville, Florida: This Buddhist temple is home to a number of towering statues spread over a peaceful wooded park.

Torre de TV Digital

Discover Torre de TV Digital in Brasília, Brazil: One of the last designs from architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Temple of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl

Discover Temple of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl in Mexico City, Mexico: Underneath the historic center of Mexico City, the remains of a temple dedicated to the Aztec god of the wind.

James Marshall Monument

Discover James Marshall Monument in Coloma, California: His discovery kicked off the Gold Rush. One of the hands on this commemorative statue points to the spot where he found the precious metal.

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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

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