Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Valour Road

Discover Valour Road in Winnipeg, Manitoba: Three young men who lived on this street are honored for their service during World War I.

730 Crossing

Discover 730 Crossing in Ishigaki, Japan: This monumental intersection commemorates the day Okinawa switched to driving on the left.

Grave of Hubert H. Humphrey

Discover Grave of Hubert H. Humphrey in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Vice President Humphrey's final resting place is tucked away in this cemetery along with a few other notable figures.

Hidden Murals of Lemon Grove

Discover Hidden Murals of Lemon Grove in Lemon Grove, California: Tucked away behind an unassuming set of shops is a must-see series of stunning murals.

Hakone Checkpoint

Discover Hakone Checkpoint in Hakone, Japan: A recreation of the historical checkpoint that once served as the gateway to Tokyo.

The Butter Market

Discover The Butter Market in Barnard Castle, England: This building was once a town hall, a fire station, a prison, a dairy market, and the target for two marksmen.

Pinova Vila

Discover Pinova Vila in Zrenjanin, Serbia: Once a beautiful palace, this structure is now known as the ''museum of destruction.".

Dunston Staiths

Discover Dunston Staiths in Gateshead, England: The largest timber structure in Europe.

Bromma Blocks

Discover Bromma Blocks in Stockholm, Sweden: These airport hangars are now a bustling shopping center with only hints of its past still lingering.

Stazione Neapolis

Discover Stazione Neapolis in Naples, Italy: A special area of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples is located inside a metro station.

The Wedgwood Rock

Discover The Wedgwood Rock in Seattle, Washington: This quiet neighborhood is also home to a 700-ton rock transported by the last Ice Age.

The Shropshire Mammoth

Discover The Shropshire Mammoth in Shropshire, England: A replica of one of the most complete mammoth skeletons discovered in England.

Great Mosque of Xi’an

Discover Great Mosque of Xi'an in Xian Shi, China: Although resembling a grand Buddhist temple, this structure is actually the largest mosque in China.

Sedia del Diavolo

Discover Sedia del Diavolo in Rome, Italy: According to local folklore, this Roman sepulcher was once a throne for the Devil.

Nisco Museum

Discover Nisco Museum in Ein Hod, Israel: It took a lifetime to collect these mechanical musical wonders.

Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle

Discover Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle in Singapore: This family-owned pottery shop is home to the last operational dragon kiln in Singapore.

Queen Mary’s Bath House

Discover Queen Mary's Bath House in Edinburgh, Scotland: The building where Queen Mary of Scotland was said to have bathed in white wine.

Freddie Mercury Statue

Discover Freddie Mercury Statue in Montreux, Switzerland: This statue pays tribute to the iconic musician in the place where he recorded his final studio album.

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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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