Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Ponte 516 Arouca

Suspended more than 500 feet above a river in Portugal, Ponte 516 Arouca has been described as "frighteningly beautiful."

Gunung Bromo

Discover Gunung Bromo in Tosari, Indonesia: Of five volcanoes located in the massive Tengger caldera, this cone is the youngest and most active.

Pan Am Flight 812 Memorial

Discover Pan Am Flight 812 Memorial in Denpasar, Indonesia: A lonely memorial to the 107 victims of Pan Am Flight 812, which crashed in Bali in 1974.

The Sacramento Cannon Monument

Discover The Sacramento Cannon Monument in Gqeberha, South Africa: Artillery recovered from the sea floor marks the spot of an extraordinary shipwreck.

Independence Mine

Discover Independence Mine in Palmer, Alaska: This abandoned mine offers a glimpse at what life was like for those who came to Alaska seeking Gold Rush riches.

Cannock Chase Military Training Grounds

Discover Cannock Chase Military Training Grounds in Staffordshire, England: Parts of this former military training ground may have inspired parts of J.R.R. Tolkien's famous fantasy series.

‘WEB FRAME’

Discover 'WEB FRAME' in Tokyo, Japan: Designed by a computer, this intricate network of fluorescent green pipes has taken over a subway station.

Jongmyo Shrine

Discover Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, South Korea: The supreme shrine of the state.

Mayna Treanor Avent Studio

Discover Mayna Treanor Avent Studio in Gatlinburg, Tennessee: The art studio of an early 20th-century painter, hidden amid the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Giant Spoon

Discover The Giant Spoon in Northumberland, England: A giant piece of cutlery designed to remind us about the origins of our food.

Muang Ngoi Neua

Discover Muang Ngoi Neua in Muang Ngoy, Laos: A quaint village where bomb casings from the Second Indochina War have been repurposed into mundane objects.

Wavine Cyrique (Secret Beach)

Discover Wavine Cyrique (Secret Beach) in Rosalie, Dominica: The hike to this stunning waterfall on a black sand beach is not for the faint of heart.

Santa Maria della Lode in Vescovio

Discover Santa Maria della Lode in Vescovio in Torri in Sabina, Italy: This beautiful Romanesque church preserves stunning medieval frescoes and the excavations of a Roman market town.

Featherstone War Horse

Discover Featherstone War Horse in Streethouse, England: This memorial is dedicated to the hundreds of soldiers from Featherstone who died fighting World War I.

Galle Fort

Discover Galle Fort in Galle, Sri Lanka: This fort dates back to 1588 and was colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch, and English and sits prominently on the Indian Ocean where azure water lap the coast.

Corviano

Discover Corviano in Soriano nel Cimino, Italy: This archaeological site built into a tuff outcrop is filled with rock dwellings, the ruins of a medieval castle, and a necropolis.

Vie Cave

Discover Vie Cave in Sorano, Italy: This network of roads is one of the most unique Etruscan creations ever discovered.

Hidden Cove Petroglyph Park

Discover Hidden Cove Petroglyph Park in Holbrook, Arizona: Petroglyphs, bird watching, and a 100-year-old Ranch in one location.

Riverside Pub Mural

Discover Riverside Pub Mural in Sheffield, England: Located behind the Riverside Pub is a nautical fantasy from one of the area's renowned street artists.

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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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