Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Meadow Hot Springs

Discover Meadow Hot Springs in Meadow, Utah: This set of three large, volcanic hot springs is a favorite haunt for intrepid divers.

Sky’s The Limit Observatory

Discover Sky's The Limit Observatory in Twentynine Palms, California: This outdoor observatory offers stellar views and a scale model of our solar system.

MinNature Malaysia

Discover MinNature Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: This museum explores iconic buildings and the cultural heritage of Malaysia in miniature form.

Moine House

Discover Moine House in Highland, Scotland: This ruined travelers shelter sits abandoned in a desolate bog of Flow Country.

Kathline Rock View Area

Discover Kathline Rock View Area in Hanksville, Utah: This roadside stop between Goblin Valley is the perfect location to view some of the region's natural wonders.

World’s Largest Elkhorn Arch

Discover World's Largest Elkhorn Arch in Afton, Wyoming: This town is home to the world’s largest arch constructed entirely of elk antlers.

Monticello’s Vegetable Garden and Fruitery

Discover Monticello's Vegetable Garden and Fruitery in Charlottesville, Virginia: Thomas Jefferson's estate is home to hundreds of varieties of historic fruits and vegetables.

The Armansperg Residence

Discover The Armansperg Residence in Nafplio, Greece: This building was once the most magnificent mansion in Nafplio.

Fontana dell’Acqua Felice

Discover Fontana dell'Acqua Felice in Rome, Italy: A monumental fountain in Rome features a large statue of Moses that has been criticized for centuries.

Cedar Avenue of Nikkō

Discover Cedar Avenue of Nikkō in Nikko, Japan: Stretching for 22 miles, the world's longest tree-lined avenue dates back to the early 17th-century.

The Flamingo House

Discover The Flamingo House in Round Rock, Texas: This house proudly displays an interactive and continuously changing exhibit of lawn flamingos.

Luisenfriedhof II

Discover Luisenfriedhof II in Berlin, Germany: One of the oldest cemeteries in Germany was originally used for victims of a cholera epidemic.

Poverty Point World Heritage Site

Discover Poverty Point World Heritage Site in Pioneer, Louisiana: This ancient settlement contains some of the largest earthen mounds in North America.

Sharp’s Island

Discover Sharp's Island in Richmond, Virginia: This historic, one-acre island is the only legal place to camp in the city of Richmond.

Lancaster Crematorium

Discover Lancaster Crematorium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania: In this cemetery stands the country's first public crematorium.

Door Knocker

Discover Door Knocker in Edinburgh, Scotland: A rare and unique example of an 18th-century door latch calls this restaurant home.

Menu

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