Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Victory Memorial to Soviet Army

Discover Victory Memorial to Soviet Army in Riga, Latvia: This controversial monument was designed to lionize the Red Army, but also disheartened the Latvian people.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Skull

Discover St. Aloysius Gonzaga Skull in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy: The skull of this patron saint is kept in a shrine located in his hometown.

Warsaw Pegasus Sculptures

Discover Warsaw Pegasus Sculptures in Warsaw, Poland: This colorful and quirky set of pegasus sculptures celebrate the works of poet Zbigniew Herbert.

Tophet of Motya

Discover Tophet of Motya in Marsala, Italy: These ruins of a Phoenician sanctuary in Sicily have a dark history.

Paseo Yortuque

Discover Paseo Yortuque in Chiclayo, Peru: Stroll among dozens of statues depicting pre-Columbian kings, gods, and supernatural beings.

Carolina Raptor Center

Discover Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville, North Carolina: From golden eagles to peregrine falcons, this rehabilitation and education center is a haven for birds of prey.

Wheatley-Provident Hospital

Discover Wheatley-Provident Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri: The crumbling remains of the first Black-owned and operated hospital in Kansas City.

Great Auk Sculpture at Valahnúkamöl

Discover Great Auk Sculpture at Valahnúkamöl in Iceland: This five-foot-tall bronze bird is a memorial to a species that was hunted out of existence.

Lares Hot Springs

Discover Lares Hot Springs in Lares, Peru: Bathe in these natural hot springs located high in the Andes Mountains.

Santuario di Greccio (Sanctuary of Grecci)

Discover Santuario di Greccio (Sanctuary of Grecci) in Greccio, Italy: One of the four sanctuaries of Rieti's Holy Valley was the site of the first living nativity scene.

Luleå Ice Roads

Discover Luleå Ice Roads in Luleå, Sweden: Explore the frozen river and take a walk to a nearby island on some of the longest ice roads in Sweden.

Ruiguang Tower

Discover Ruiguang Tower in Suzhou Shi, China: The earliest pagoda built in the beautiful Panmen Scenic Area of Suzhou.

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum

Discover Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum in Northampton, Massachusetts: A single room pays homage to the prodigious achievements of the 30th President of the United States.

Woodpecker Hotel

Discover Hotell Hackspett (Woodpecker Hotel) in Västerås, Sweden: Unfortunately, you can no longer spend a night in this single-person treetop hotel.

‘Wicker Man’ Stumps

Discover 'Wicker Man' Stumps in Cutcloy, Scotland: The remnants of a classic 1970's British film.

Green Moor Village Stocks

Discover Green Moor Village Stocks in Wortley, England: In a quiet hamlet above Penistone, these village stocks are still standing.

La Coupole

Discover La Coupole in Helfaut, France: This bunker in northern France was built by Nazi German forces with the intention of launching up to 50 V2 rockets at London each day.

The Bridge to Nowhere

Discover The Bridge to Nowhere in Outer Hebrides, Scotland: A failed infrastructure project now owns this unique moniker.

Tower Clock Museum

Discover Tower Clock Museum in Gdańsk, Poland: This museum in the tower of the oldest church in Gdańsk, is home to centuries-old time-keeping devices and the world's first pulsar clock.

Goathland Station

Discover Goathland Station in Goathland, England: Harry Potter’s Hogsmeade Station is also a charming blast from the past situated in North Yorkshire.

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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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