Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Lake Akan Ainu Kotan

Discover Lake Akan Ainu Kotan in Kushiro, Japan: This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

Glenwood Institute

Discover Glenwood Institute in Matawan, New Jersey: A condo complex once housed a boarding school with the 24th U.S. Vice President among its notable alumni.

Silverpilen (Silver Arrow)

Discover Silverpilen (Silver Arrow) in Nordingrå, Sweden: Stockholm's famed ghost train is now on display at an art park in northern Sweden.

Fa’side Castle

Discover Fa'side Castle in East Lothian, Scotland: A historic fortification critical to Anglo-Scottish conflicts now serves as a bed and breakfast.

The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park

Discover The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park in Indianapolis, Indiana: This whimsical park encourages its visitors and wildlife to roam on and around the various works of art.

Raton Iridium Layer

Discover Raton Iridium Layer in Raton, New Mexico: This unassuming layer of clay boasts an out-of-this-world origin story.

IBM Building 025

Discover IBM Building 025 in San Jose, California: A lonely monument to the original Silicon Valley tech campus.

Passau Dachshund Museum

Discover Passau Dachshund Museum in Passau, Germany: The world's first and only museum dedicated to Dachshunds.

Perla 2

Discover Perla 2 in Stomoplo, Bulgaria: Not far from a popular beach, an unfinished, abandoned mansion for Bulgaria's last communist dictator.

Myddelton Passage Police Graffiti

Discover Myddelton Passage Police Graffiti in London, England: These marks in Myddelton Passage aren't your run-of-the-mill vandalism, and they weren't made by your typical vandal.

The Ham Sandwich Sign

Discover The Ham Sandwich Sign in Finglesham, England: A beautiful Kentish country intersection hosts a tasty little photo spot.

Whitehead Aerodrome

Discover Whitehead Aerodrome in Whitehead, Northern Ireland: The first military air station in all of Ireland hosted "battlebags.".

Au Roi de la Bière

Discover Au Roi de la Bière in Paris, France: Once a 19th-century brasserie, this McDonald's exterior celebrates Alsatian design and the "King of Beer.".

Doria Castle

Discover Doria Castle in Vernazza, Italy: This amazing medieval fortress stands atop a promontory along the famous Cinque Terre.

Prisoner of War Steps

Discover Prisoner of War Steps in Singapore: The history of those incarcerated in Singapore during World War II is etched into the bricks of a popular staircase.

The Albert Bridge

Discover The Albert Bridge in London, England: Chelsea's soldiers were given strict orders when crossing this historic bridge.

Carrickfergus Knights

Discover Carrickfergus Knights in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland: These sculptures honor the knights who once called Carrickfergus Castle their stronghold.

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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

PP ToS