Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Guryongpo Japanese House Street

Discover Guryongpo Japanese House Street in Pohang-si, South Korea: Originally built by Japanese fishermen, this historic neighborhood has withstood the test of time.

Eremo di San Girolamo

Discover Eremo di San Girolamo in Italy: The 16th-century son of Sienese nobility carved this hermitage out of volcanic rock.

Radio and Television Slovakia

Discover Radio and Television Slovakia in Bratislava, Slovakia: The inverted pyramid design of this station stands out amid Bratislava's urban landscape.

The Oaks Disaster Memorial

Discover The Oaks Disaster Memorial in Yorkshire, England: A churchyard in Ardsley houses a memorial dedicated to the victims of England’s worst mining disaster.

Hotei Buddha

Discover Hotei Buddha in Konan, Japan: The largest privately owned statue of Buddha in Japan, built by a total amateur, with an unconventional look.

Bensousan Han

Discover Bensousan Han in Thessaloniki, Greece: An artistic melting pot inside an old roadside inn from the Ottoman era.

Ontario Place

Discover Ontario Place in Toronto, Ontario: An abandoned 1970s theme park that has been turned into a space for waterfront walking.

CopenHill

Discover CopenHill in Copenhagen, Denmark: The world's first combination ski slope and power plant.

Ibrox Stadium

Discover Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland: Home to one of the most popular teams in Scottish football history.

Tremont Nail Company

Discover Tremont Nail Company in Wareham, Massachusetts: The former home of the oldest nail maker in the United States was built on the ashes of a mill burned by the British.

The Old Haa’s Inuksuit Collection

Discover The Old Haa's Inuksuit Collection in Burravoe, Scotland: These sculptures common among indigenous populations in North America, celebrate Shetland's unique geology.

Jamie Wright’s Well

Discover Jamie Wright's Well in Glasgow, Scotland: A watering hole from the late 1800s in the heart of the Campsie Fells.

Okta Centrum AS

Discover Okta Centrum AS in Rapla, Estonia: This abandoned office building is a lasting example of Soviet-era architecture.

Wind and Ice Caves

Discover Wind and Ice Caves in Narusawa, Japan: This pair of subterranean caves were crafted by an ancient eruption of Mount Fuji.

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences

Discover Neutra VDL Studio and Residences in Los Angeles, California: This house turned museum chronicles the life and work of Richard Neutra.

Miracle Arch

Discover Miracle Arch in Saint-Bernard, France: The second-largest natural arch in the Chartreuse Mountains.

Roman Baths of Como

Discover Roman Baths of Como in Como, Italy: This 1st-century CE Roman bath sits under a carpark.

Tesoro Adobe

Discover Tesoro Adobe in Valencia, California: The former home of silent film star Harry Carry.

Classic Remise

Discover Classic Remise in Berlin, Germany: An old tram depot transformed into a vintage car paradise.

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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