Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Guadalupe Cemetery

Discover Guadalupe Cemetery in Tempe, Arizona: A colorful, century-old cemetery of the Yaqui Indian Tribe hidden amid the suburban sprawl of Tempe, Arizona.

Port Logan Fish Pond

Discover Port Logan Fish Pond in Port Logan, Scotland: The oldest natural aquarium in the United Kingdom.

Centum Cellas

Discover Centum Cellas in Belmonte, Portugal: This enigmatic Roman tower lurks just outside Belmonte.

Bells of the Prairie

Discover Bells of the Prairie in Elgin, Nebraska: More than 150 working bells from churches and one-room-schoolhouses across the Great Plains are assembled in one man's yard.

Casa Reforma

Discover Casa Reforma in Guadalajara, Mexico: Inside one of Guadalajara's oldest houses, you can find puppets and foam models of the city's missing buildings.

Blagaj’s Dervish Monastery

Discover Blagaj's Dervish Monastery in Blagaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina: This picturesque monastery at the base of a cliff is a peaceful oasis open to all visitors.

Preserved Victorian Wedding Cake

Discover Preserved Victorian Wedding Cake in Hampshire, England: Baked in 1898 and still almost flawless, this floral masterpiece is considered the world's oldest complete wedding cake.

Hadrian’s Gate

Discover Hadrian’s Gate in Kemer, Turkey: This arch granting triumphal entrance into Antalya was designed to honor the emperor's visit.

Utica Mills Covered Bridge

Discover Utica Mills Covered Bridge in Thurmont, Maryland: Washed out by the Johnstown Flood in 1889, the surviving portion of the original two-span bridge now resides at Fishing Creek.

The Triadelphia Bell

Discover The Triadelphia Bell in Ashton-Sandy Spring, Maryland: This bell is one of the last remnants of the lost city of Triadelphia.

The Unmarked Grave of Christer Pettersson

Discover The Unmarked Grave of Christer Pettersson in Hagalund, Sweden: Not far from where one of the most famous Swedes of all time is buried, an infamous man was put to rest.

Murals of Hellissandur

Discover Murals of Hellissandur in Hellissandur, Iceland: Dozens of large, brightly-colored paintings adorn the walls of the "street art capital of Iceland.".

The Laurel and Hardy Museum

Discover The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston, England: This museum dedicated to the famous comedy duo is located in the town where Stan Laurel was born.

Via degli Asini (The Donkey’s Road)

Discover Via degli Asini (The Donkey's Road) in Brisighella, Italy: Built as a defensive structure, this medieval walkway road offers a unique view of the village of Brisighella.

Grave of Arland D. Williams, Jr.

Discover Grave of Arland D. Williams, Jr. in Mattoon, Illinois: The final resting place of the hero of Air Florida Flight 90 known as "the man in the water.".

Chiquihuitillos

Discover Chiquihuitillos in Mina, Mexico: A rocky shelter in the desert hides one of the largest concentrations of cave paintings in Mexico.

The Linden Oak

Discover The Linden Oak in Bethesda, Maryland: This mighty white oak in Bethesda survived both the American Revolution and the construction of Washington D.C.'s metro red line.

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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