Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Droagh Motte

Discover Droagh Motte in Ballygalley, Northern Ireland: Hidden in Carnfunnock Country Park is a lasting testament to the Normans who once settled in the region.

Ečka Kula

Discover Ečka Kula in Ečka, Serbia: Ruins of an old water tower that look like a horror-film castle.

The Dutchman’s Leap

Discover The Dutchman's Leap in Lerwick, Scotland: Legend has it that a Dutch fisherman lost control of his Shetland pony and tumbled from this cliff.

Nea Moni

Discover Nea Moni in Chios, Greece: This 11th-century Greek monastery has renowned mosaics and relics of a brutal past.

Keppel Hill Reservoir

Discover Keppel Hill Reservoir in Singapore: A former reservoir that was only recently discovered after more than 60 years of disuse.

‘Kladenská koule’ (‘Kladno Ball’)

Discover 'Kladenská koule' ('Kladno Ball') in Kladno, Czechia: This spherical sculpture has also been dubbed "the steel orange" due to its likeness to a massive, sliced piece of citrus.

Omori Shell Mound

Discover Omori Shell Mound in Tokyo, Japan: The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.

Falu Gruva (Falun Mine)

Discover Falu Gruva (Falun Mine) in Falun, Sweden: A centuries-old copper mine that once provided two thirds of the world's copper supply.

Hartsville Nuclear Plant

Discover Hartsville Nuclear Plant in Hartsville, Tennessee: This abandoned nuclear cooling tower casts a shadow over a bucolic town.

Bob Marley Monument

Discover Bob Marley Monument in Banatski Sokolac, Serbia: The first European statue dedicated to the legendary musician.

Roman Legionnaire Modesty Shields

Discover Roman Legionnaire Modesty Shields in Washington, D.C.: Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.

Temple of Minerva

Discover Temple of Minerva in Assisi, Italy: What appears to be an ancient Roman temple is actually a Catholic church.

Vennbahn Cycleway

Discover Vennbahn Cycleway in Belgium: Walk or bike along a narrow strip of Belgium sandwiched by German territory.

Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge

Discover Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge in Wilhelmshaven, Germany: Once the longest swing bridge in Europe.

Harukor

Discover Harukor in Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

‘Shetland Receivers’

Discover 'Shetland Receivers' in Lerwick, Scotland: This audio art installation pays tribute to the weather and unique linguistic history of the archipelago.

‘Growing Gardener’

Discover 'Growing Gardener' in Tokyo, Japan: This gnome sculpture and his wonderous hat forces train passengers to do a double-take.

Mangulica & Pulin Statue

Discover Mangulica & Pulin Statue in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia: Statues of two of Srem's most well-known animals.

The Paolozzi Studio

Discover The Paolozzi Studio in Edinburgh, Scotland: A recreation of pop art pioneer Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi's London studio.

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