Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Thomas Bewick Bust

Discover Thomas Bewick Bust in Newcastle upon Tyne, England: This sculpture commemorates a naturalist and an illustrator whose work was a forerunner to modern field guides.

Caen Hill Locks

Discover Caen Hill Locks in Rowde, England: This section of the Kennet and Avon Canal has been designated the same level of heritage protection as Stonehenge.

North Fork Survivors

Discover North Fork Survivors in Toutle, Washington: Outside this souvenir shop is a statue of Bigfoot composed of volcanic ash, and plenty more to see inside.

Cathedral of Thorns

Discover Cathedral of Thorns in Willemstad, Curaçao: This living labyrinth made entirely of thorns is filled with art.

‘Mètre à Ruban’

Discover 'Mètre à Ruban' in Nantes, France: A massively oversized measuring tape sculpture sits inside a hidden yard.

Dixie Flyer Crash

Discover Dixie Flyer Crash in Ballum, Netherlands: Found in the waddenzee, this propeller has been put on public display as a reminder of the Second World War.

San Tash Burial Mound

Discover San Tash Burial Mound in Kyrgyzstan: According to one story, this burial mound is made up of stones that represent the casualties of a major battle.

‘Evropska Unija’

Discover 'Evropska Unija' in Belgrade, Serbia: This statue of a goat in boots is meant to represent the European Union.

Fort Belle Fontaine

Discover Fort Belle Fontaine in St. Louis, Missouri: During the 19th-century, this park was a vital trading fort.

Juan Ponce de León Landing Park

Discover Juan Ponce de León Landing Park in Melbourne Beach, Florida: This small beachside park commemorates the possibilities of discovery.

Täby kyrka (Täby Church)

Discover Täby kyrka (Täby Church) in Täby Kyrkby, Sweden: A medieval church that contains murals from famed artist Albertus Pictor.

Limski Kanal

Discover Limski Kanal in Croatia: This narrow fjord-like bay is the largest ria in the Mediterranean Sea.

Bizarium

Discover Bizarium in Sluis, Netherlands: This museum is filled with an eclectic collection of unique inventions.

First Public Gas Street Lamp in America

Discover First Public Gas Street Lamp in America in Baltimore, Maryland: One artist’s scheme to expand museum viewing hours into the evening led to the illumination of an entire city.

Ring Mountain Petroglyphs

Discover Ring Mountain Petroglyphs in Corte Madera, California: Across Ring Mountain is a vast collection of Native American petroglyphs unique to the region.

Woolshed Falls

Discover Woolshed Falls in Beechworth, Australia: This gold mine–turned–swimming hole is the perfect summer picnic spot, immersed in nature and history.

Grave of Robert L. Ripley

Discover Grave of Robert L. Ripley in Santa Rosa, California: Believe it or not, this is the final resting place of the man who created the Odditorium.

Higgins Mausoleum

Discover Higgins Mausoleum in Turvey, England: A 19th century grave house with a unique message formed by the stone supports to the railing around the walls.

Mainzelmännchen Traffic Lights

Discover Mainzelmännchen Traffic Lights in Mainz, Germany: While you wait to cross the street at a traffic light in Mainz, you might notice that the light is staring back at you.

Wilmcote Lock Flight

Discover Wilmcote Lock Flight in The Ridgeway, England: A unique flight of canal locks that owe their form to 19th-century cost-saving measures.

Menu

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