Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Casa Sirena Seaside Resort

Discover Casa Sirena Seaside Resort in Oxnard, California: Abandoned in 2009, this once popular resort destination now stands frozen in time.

Barmaz Ghost Village

Discover Barmaz Ghost Village in Saint-Denis, Italy: An abandoned village that resides along the mountains of the Aosta Valley.

Magoula Cemetery

Discover Magoula Cemetery in Magoula, Greece: Modernist design and funerary customs meet Spartan traditions in this one-of-a-kind graveyard.

Shrine to Saint Andrew

Discover Shrine to Saint Andrew in Edinburgh, Scotland: Inside this cathedral is a shoulder bone belonging to the Patron Saint of Scotland.

Sigtuna Stora Gatan

Discover Sigtuna Stora Gatan in Sigtuna, Sweden: Sweden's oldest street has not changed for nearly a millennium.

Barnburgh Crags

Discover Barnburgh Crags in Barnburgh, England: Mysterious stone faces line a hidden path great for seeing wildflowers, bird watching, and rock climbing.

Oost-Indisch Huis

Discover Oost-Indisch Huis in Amsterdam, Netherlands: The former headquarters of history's oldest megacorporation.

Kaymoor Mines

Discover Kaymoor Mines in Fayetteville, West Virginia: An abandoned coal mine reached by a steep hike.

The Poets Path

Discover The Poets Path in Ayr, Scotland: These unique weather vanes honor Scotland's most famous bard and decorate this walkway.

Hypnotic Turtle DreamBox

Discover Hypnotic Turtle DreamBox in Broomfield, Colorado: This drive-by, rotating mini-gallery is nestled in the suburbs of Colorado.

Ely S. Parker’s Grave

Discover Ely S. Parker's Grave in Buffalo, New York: An unprepossessing stone marks the last resting place of one of the most accomplished Native Americans in history.

‘The Sockman’

Discover 'The Sockman' in Loughborough, England: This bare, bronze lad in a lone sock sits in the middle of Loughborough’s town center.

St John’s Arch Cathedral

Discover St John’s Arch Cathedral in Warsaw, Poland: The last king of Poland was interred in this church nearly 200 years after his death.

Sheepwash Pen and Lambs’ Bank

Discover Sheepwash Pen and Lambs' Bank in Ashford in the Water, England: This unique creation was used to house and wash sheep prior to shearing.

The Camposanto

Discover The Camposanto in Pisa, Italy: Next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a cemetery home to ancient sarcophagi and disturbing murals.

Northern Lighthouse Board

Discover Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh, Scotland: A miniature of a lighthouse acts as a beacon for what transpires inside this location.

Srpski Holywood

Discover Srpski Holywood in Boljkovci, Serbia: A Hollywood-sign replica with a typo on a remote hillside.

Belfort Sluis

Discover Belfort Sluis in Sluis, Netherlands: This bell tower is the only one of its kind in the Netherlands and was a symbol of prestige.

Byrsa Hill

Discover Byrsa Hill in Carthage, Tunisia: An ancient Phoenician citadel once stood at the site where Queen Dido first landed, according to legend.

El Cristo de la Habana

Discover El Cristo de la Habana in Havana, Cuba: A colossal statue with a controversial past, forgotten for more than 30 years.

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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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