Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Les Jardins de Quatre-Vents

Discover Les Jardins de Quatre-Vents in La Malbaie, Québec: This Quebec estate is home to the elaborate gardens of a self-taught horticulturist.

L’Anse Aux Meadows

Discover L'Anse Aux Meadows in Saint Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland and Labrador: An ancient Viking village in North America that predates Columbus by 500 years.

Lower Bay Station

Discover Lower Bay Station in Toronto, Ontario: Lost subway station nestled beneath Toronto's busy commuter line.

The Bruce Peninsula Grotto

Discover The Bruce Peninsula Grotto in Tobermory, Ontario: This natural sea cave hides a small wonderland of natural turquoise beauty.

Riverview Hospital

Discover Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia: Historic psychiatric asylum and most-filmed location in the Great White North.

Notre Dame Basilica

Discover Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Québec: A grand Gothic Revival basilica with stained glass depictions of Montreal's religious history has only one soul resting in its crypt.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Discover Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver, British Columbia: This expansive bridge in the Canadian wilderness was originally just built for friends.

Free Spirit Spheres

Discover Free Spirit Spheres in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia: Sleep snuggled in a sphere suspended atop the forest canopy of Vancouver Island.

Sewers of Toronto

Discover Sewers of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario: A well-preserved network of cavernous tunnels have spent silent centuries removing Toronto's waste.

Habitat 67

Discover Habitat 67 in Montreal, Québec: This 1967 experiment in modular architecture was designed to be a new model for urban living.

Biosphere of Montreal

Discover Biosphere of Montreal in Montreal, Québec: Designed by Buckminster Fuller, this relic of the 67 Expo survived fire and ice.

The Enchanted Forest

Discover The Enchanted Forest in Malakwa, British Columbia: An old world fairytale-land with over 350 fairy folk figurines hidden amongst 800 year old cedars.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Discover Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto, Ontario: One of Canada's most incredible rare book collections holds hundreds of thousands of gorgeous tomes that the general public can touch.

The Monkey’s Paw

Discover The Monkey's Paw in Toronto, Ontario: A book collector's dream, this Toronto bookstore has the world's first "Biblio-Mat," a random book vending machine.

La Estrecha House

Discover La Estrecha House in Valencia, Spain: With a facade that measures just 107 centimeters, this five-story building is one of the skinniest in Europe.

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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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