Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Styx Waterfall

Discover Styx Waterfall in Kleitoria, Greece: This 200-meter-high waterfall marks the site of Achilles’s immortal baptism at the mouth of the River Styx.

Hole-in-the-Wall

Discover Hole-in-the-Wall in Mgxotyeni, South Africa: A massive rock in the surf steeped in legends.

Karja Church

Discover Karja Church in Linnaka, Estonia: Inside this medieval church resides a unique set of murals.

Gành Đá Dĩa

Discover Gành Đá Dĩa in Phú Hòa, Vietnam: This unique formation is characterized by hexagonal basalt rocks stacked in unique formations.

Nymphaeum of Egeria

Discover Nymphaeum of Egeria in Rome, Italy: Roman politician Herodes Atticus built this nymphaeum to honor his wife, whom he may have murdered.

The State Chateau of Hluboká

Discover The State Chateau of Hluboká in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czechia: Heralded as one of the prettiest castles in all of Czechia.

Malmo Möllestenen (The Malmo Millstone)

Discover Malmo Möllestenen (The Malmo Millstone) in Malmö, Sweden: This millstone commemorates a gruesome tale that may have been the source of the city's name.

The Dragon of Wantley

Discover The Dragon of Wantley in Deepcar, England: A stone wall commemorates the legend of a ferocious dragon who literally got his butt kicked by a knight.

Millicent Milroy Memorial

Discover Millicent Milroy Memorial in Cambridge, Ontario: The tombstone epitaph of Millicent Milroy commemorates her "marriage" to King Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor.

Casa di Lorenzo Manilio

Discover Casa di Lorenzo Manilio in Rome, Italy: A 15th-century monumental Latin inscription on this house celebrates Lorenzo Manilio's love for Rome.

5 Fingers Observation Deck

Discover 5 Fingers Observation Deck in Obertraun, Austria: A breathtaking viewing platform over the Alps.

The Champion

Discover The Champion in London, England: This 19th-century pub features stained-glass windows celebrating Victorian-era "champions.".

Beauties & Hardships

Discover Beauties & Hardships in Agrilos, Greece: This quaint farm in the Peloponnese countryside hides an astonishing cache of antique curiosities.

The Bowder Stone

Discover The Bowder Stone in Borrowdale, England: A 2,000-ton rock resting in a state of a delicate balance.

George Stephenson Statue

Discover George Stephenson Statue in Chesterfield, England: One of the town's most famous residents, holding one of his most famous creations.

Tounj Bridge

Discover Tounj Bridge in Zdenac, Croatia: A unique two-level bridge designed to honor a king.

Cresta Aqueduct

Discover Cresta Aqueduct in Oroville, California: A picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature.

The Los Angeles Times Bombing Memorial

Discover The Los Angeles Times Bombing Memorial in Los Angeles, California: This grand memorial remembers the 20 members of the Los Angeles Times killed when the office was bombed.

Anundshög

Discover Anundshög in Hökåsen-Badelunda, Sweden: This patch of land is home to Sweden's largest burial mound, allegedly belonging to a mythical king.

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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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