Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Nelson Monument Glasgow

Discover Nelson Monument Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland: One of the first monuments dedicated to the accomplishments of the great Vice Admiral, Horatio Nelson.

Rysy

Discover Rysy in Tatra County, Poland: The majority of the highest mountain in Poland is actually located in a different country.

Black Cat Alley

Discover Black Cat Alley in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A group of artists transformed this desolate city alleyway into an outdoor gallery of street art.

Putt-Putt of Warren

Discover Putt-Putt of Warren in Warren, Ohio: The oldest remaining authentic Putt-Putt course that Donald Clayton created in Ohio.

‘The Astronomer’

Discover 'The Astronomer' in Parkes, Australia: A stargazing sculpture made from the ruins of an iconic telescope.

Lord Leycester Hospital

Discover Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwickshire, England: A retirement home for soldiers that can trace its history to the Elizabethan era and beyond.

Hanging Pillar of Lepakshi

Discover Hanging Pillar of Lepakshi in Lepakshi, India: Inside a beautiful Indian temple is a seemingly magical floating pillar that doesn't touch the ground.

Hotel Kosmos

Discover Hotel Kosmos in Heuvelland, Belgium: This old, abandoned hotel offers magnificent views.

Sinagoga El Transito

Discover Sinagoga El Transito in Toledo, Spain: Once the grandest synagogue in medieval Spain, it now stands as a memorial of the 15th-century Jewish exile.

‘Nest’

Discover 'Nest' in Pemenang, Indonesia: This underwater sculpture park is the basis for a manmade coral reef.

Usen Castle

Discover Usen Castle in Waltham, Massachusetts: This castle constructed in 1928 was crafted from drawings of Lismore Castle in Ireland.

Parliament Oak

Discover Parliament Oak in Warsop, England: English parliaments were once convened by this ancient oak tree in the heart of Sherwood Forest.

Maine North High School

Discover Maine North High School in Des Plaines, Illinois: Where a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse met one Saturday and changed their lives forever.

Silver City Ghost Town

Discover Silver City Ghost Town in Bodfish, California: This ramshackle ghost town is comprised of mining-era buildings collected from around the region.

The Story Stones

Discover The Story Stones in Saint Paul, Minnesota: Each of these 87 large stones has a unique message. Together, they form part of the Minnesota Military Family Tribute.

Hadrianic Aqueduct of Caesarea

Discover Hadrianic Aqueduct of Caesarea in Beit Hanania, Israel: Built by a king and rebuilt by an emperor, this aqueduct transported water for 1,200 years to this ancient Mediterranean hub.

Brusher Mills Grave

Discover Brusher Mills Grave in Brockenhurst, England: This local celebrity earned his fame by doing a job no one else dared.

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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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