Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Sir Thomas Lipton’s Grave

Discover Sir Thomas Lipton’s Grave in Glasgow, Scotland: The final resting place of one of the most important figures in the world of tea.

Pioneer Florida Museum & Village

Discover Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City, Florida: Step into the past and experience what life was once like in the Sunshine State.

Benwell Roman Temple

Discover Benwell Roman Temple in Newcastle upon Tyne, England: This Roman archeological site is hidden amid a 1930s housing estate.

Cemetery Dieweg

Discover Cemetery Dieweg in Brussels, Belgium: Nature is slowly overtaking this disused cemetery on the outskirts of Brussels.

SR-71C Blackbird

Discover SR-71C Blackbird in Clearfield, Utah: The last SR-71 ever constructed.

Site of the First Transcontinental Call

Discover Site of the First Transcontinental Call in Cambridge, Massachusetts: This plaque commemorates the call between Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson.

Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

Discover Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, Kentucky: The first KFC is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Irugi Shrine

Discover Irugi Shrine in Tokyo, Japan: A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.

Mayhew Lodge

Discover Mayhew Lodge in Sedona, Arizona: Although now a decaying ruin, this stone cabin's history includes several notable figures.

Côa Museum

Discover Côa Museum in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Portugal: An architectural gem nestled into a promontory overlooking a prehistoric landscape.

Sycamore Gap

Discover Sycamore Gap in Henshaw, England: Also known as "Robin Hood's tree," this tree has become a famed location along Hadrian's wall.

Amideva Buddha Park

Discover Amideva Buddha Park in Kathmandu, Nepal: This religious site features Nepal’s largest statue of Buddha.

Waffle House Museum

Discover Waffle House Museum in Decatur, Georgia: A late-night restaurant empire was launched from this humble storefront.

George Mason’s Gunston Hall

Discover George Mason's Gunston Hall in Lorton, Virginia: The former home of the man whose radical ideas changed the nation.

Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

Discover Myouryuji (Ninja Temple) in Kanazawa, Japan: Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

Castello della Valle

Discover Castello della Valle in Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Italy: The ruins of this medieval castle now stand as a monument against all wars.

Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence

Discover Zhou Enlai's Former Residence in Shanghai, China: The home where the first Premier of the People's Republic of China worked and lived.

Dunald Mill Limestone Quarry

Discover Dunald Mill Limestone Quarry in Nether Kellet, England: This abandoned limestone quarry now provides visitors with multiple, breathtaking viewpoints.

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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

PP ToS