Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Enciso Ichnites

Discover Enciso Ichnites in Enciso, Spain: Hundreds of preserved dinosaur footprints can be found along a hiking trail in this small village.

All Saints’ Church of Tudeley

Discover All Saints' Church of Tudeley in Tudeley, England: This medieval church is the only one in the world that features all Marc Chagall stained-glass windows.

Shirahatazuka Shiseki Park

Discover Shirahatazuka Shiseki Park in Tokyo, Japan: Visitors to this park are welcomed by an ancient Japanese megalithic tomb that dates back to the sixth century.

Yerrabingin Farm

Discover Yerrabingin Farm in Sydney, Australia: The world's first indigenous rooftop farm boasts 2,000 plants from more than 35 different native Australian species.

‘Coicorin’

Discover 'Coicorin' in Chuo City, Japan: Tell this pair of "love-inviting" cats in Ginza your romantic hopes.

The Cozy Rooms

Discover The Cozy Rooms in Pendleton, Oregon: A statue of the owner stands outside of this museum, once the most popular brothel in town.

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

Discover Sanctuary Wood Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium: In the shadow of a former battleground, the resting place for nearly 2,000 soldiers who died in World War I.

Bethlehem in Ghajnsielem

Discover Bethlehem in Ghajnsielem in Ghajnsielem, Malta: In the sleepy town of Gozo exists a reproduction of the entire town of Bethlehem.

Stone Windmill

Discover Stone Windmill in Austin, Texas: This stone windmill marks an old, mysterious homestead in what is now central Austin.

Ypres Tower

Discover Ypres Tower in Rye, England: Also known as Rye Castle, this 13th-century fortification later became a prison and held one of Rye's most famous criminals.

Shrine of the Ages

Discover Shrine of the Ages in Grand Canyon Village, Arizona: This small interfaith chapel lies not far from the rim of the Grand Canyon.

Wine Cellars of Cricova

Discover Wine Cellars of Cricova in Cricova, Moldova: Seventy-five miles of limestone caves host more than a million bottles of wine beneath a sleepy Moldovan town.

Grottoes of Catullus

Discover Grotte di Catullo (Grottoes of Catullus) in Sirmione, Italy: On the shores of Lake Garda, the ruins of a Roman villa that allegedly belonged to the poet Catullus.

The Plotz Plot

Discover The Plotz Plot in Holbrook, Arizona: For those going through a life transition, a place to leave behind a piece of your former self.

Oxford Castle & Prison

Discover Oxford Castle & Prison in Oxford, England: This Norman castle was once the site of a Victorian-era prison, and now exists as a luxury hotel.

Giant Straw Sandals of Hōzōmon

Discover Owaraji (Giant Straw Sandals) in Tokyo, Japan: An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way, to keep demons at bay.

Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal

Discover Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal in Rochester Hills, Michigan: The remains of a failed canal can be found in several towns near Lake St. Clair and is known historically as "Mason's Folly.".

Niedzica Castle

Discover Niedzica Castle in Niedzica-Zamek, Poland: This picturesque castle in Poland has a rich history, including a legend that ties it to lost Incan treasures.

Craigentinny Marbles

Discover Craigentinny Marbles in Edinburgh, Scotland: This enormous, elaborate tomb looks oddly out of place next to a suburban Edinburgh bowling club.

Smoky Mountain Elk Fest

Discover Smoky Mountain Elk Fest in Maggie Valley, North Carolina: An annual celebration of the region's successful elk reintroduction program.

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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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