Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Silent Pool

Discover Silent Pool in Albury, England: This peaceful oasis appears dreamy, but it's also the site of a nightmarish legend.

Chromium Mill Ruins

Discover Chromium Mill Ruins in Red Lodge, Montana: Operational for less than a year, this mill produced more than 11,000 tons of chrome concentrate in its short lifespan.

Los Ángeles and La Cruz Graveyards

Discover Los Ángeles and La Cruz Graveyards in Aguascalientes, Mexico: Legends, sculptures, and unique tombs can be seen lurking in these connected cemeteries.

Vicolo Inferno

Discover Vicolo Inferno in Imola, Italy: Also known as "Hell Alley," this tiny street in Imola gained its name in a bloody episode in the 16th-century.

Stockholm University Arboretum

Discover Stockholm University Arboretum in Stockholm, Sweden: A collection of trees from various corners of the world call Stockholm University home.

The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading

Discover The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: This stunning Brazilian library contains the largest collection of Portuguese texts outside of Portugal itself.

Fisherman’s Quay

Discover Fisherman’s Quay in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland: A glimpse into the last days of a once-booming past fishing industry.

The Goodnight Barn

Discover The Goodnight Barn in Pueblo, Colorado: This historic stone barn is the former home of legendary cattleman Charles “Lonesome Dove” Goodnight.

The Site of Yatate Hajime

Discover The Site of Yatate Hajime in Tokyo, Japan: The site where the poet Matsuo Bashō read one of the first haiku that comprise his famous travelogue.

Charlie’s Aeroplane

Discover Charlie's Aeroplane in Murray Town, Australia: One man’s legacy soars high on the wings of a miniature plane.

Joliet Army Ammunition Plant

Discover Joliet Army Ammunition Plant in Wilmington, Illinois: This national park dedicated to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem still displays its military past.

1 O’Clock Time Signal

Discover 1 O'Clock Time Signal in Sheffield, England: The once-a-day siren is a reminder of the days before time was standardized.

Roberson Mansion

Discover Roberson Mansion in Binghamton, New York: An allegedly haunted testament to a local businessman's desire for status, posterity, and charity.

The Replica of Fet-Mats

Discover The Replica of Fet-Mats in Falun, Sweden: A reproduction of a mysteriously preserved body found in the 18th-century and put on display for years before burial.

Fort Hensel

Discover Fort Hensel in Malborghetto Valbruna, Italy: The hilltop ruins of a border fortification in the Italian Alps that was much fought over.

The Kingsclere Bed Bug

Discover The Kingsclere Bed Bug in Kingsclere, England: After a night ravaged by bedbugs, it's said King John ordered the creation of this weathervane.

Shrine of the Immaculate Virgin

Discover Shrine of the Immaculate Virgin in Staten Island, New York: Devotional offerings and pleas for intercession are left at this Depression-era shrine inside a nature preserve.

Caves of Monte Castillo

Discover Caves of Monte Castillo in Puente Viesgo, Spain: The walls of these four caverns are filled with art that dates back to the earliest human presence in Europe.

The Original Ornäsbjork

Discover The Original Ornäsbjork in Borlänge, Sweden: A semi-sterile mutant birch that became Sweden's national tree.

Never Again Statue

Discover Never Again Statue in Albadarr, The Gambia: A unique, eye-catching statue that carries an important message of hope.

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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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