Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Walt Disney’s Chicago Birthplace

Discover Walt Disney's Chicago Birthplace in Chicago, Illinois: A chance to follow in the footsteps of the word's most legendary animator.

Ruins of Sauran

Discover Ruins of Sauran in Sauran, Kazakhstan: This was once the largest city in Kazakhstan, and a major stop on the Silk Road.

Hermitage of Saint Michael the Archangel

Discover Eremo di San Michele Arcangelo (Hermitage of Saint Michael the Archangel) in Formia, Italy: Hidden in a high mountain cave, this hermitage dates back to the ninth century.

Keramat Bukit Kasita

Discover Keramat Bukit Kasita in Singapore: This royal shrine and cemetery is hidden amidst modern public housing.

First Roma Stolpersteine

Discover First Roma Stolpersteine in Slatina, Czechia: These small, brass stones commemorate the first Roma victims of the Holocaust.

La Conquistadora, Our Lady of Conquering Love

Discover La Conquistadora, Our Lady of Conquering Love in Santa Fe, New Mexico: A small side chapel in Santa Fe's basilica is home to the oldest statute of the Virgin Mary in North America.

Porta Saracena

Discover Porta Saracena in Segni, Italy: The hilltop town of Segni was once home to an ancient Roman colony and garrison.

The Visiter Memorial

Discover The Visiter Memorial in Robin Hood's Bay, England: This plaque commemorates an amazing 19th-century sea rescue.

Lonsky Prison National Memorial Museum

Discover Lonsky Prison National Memorial Museum in Lviv, Ukraine: This museum explores the tumultuous history of Lviv under Nazi and Soviet occupation.

Moses Mendelssohn Memorial

Discover Moses Mendelssohn Memorial in Berlin, Germany: The original burial place of this preeminent 18th-century Jewish philosopher was razed by the Nazis.

Silver Springs Filling Station

Discover Silver Springs Filling Station in Landrum, South Carolina: Replica of an old Esso filling station, complete with Wayne gravity pump and outhouse.

Walt Disney Hometown Museum

Discover Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, Missouri: A celebration of the animation wizard's childhood home and antique railroad memorabilia collection.

Birthing Figure

Discover Birthing Figure in Washington, D.C.: This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.

Via Flacca Ruins

Discover Via Flacca Ruins in Sperlonga, Italy: The remains of this medieval Roman road and lookout towers dot the rugged coastline of southern Lazio.

MGM-13 Mace Missile

Discover MGM-13 Mace Missile in Mildred, Pennsylvania: This decommissioned surface-to-surface missile resides outside the American Legion Post in Pennslyvania.

Gustav Mahler Statue

Discover Gustav Mahler Statue in Dobbiaco, Italy: This statue of the legendary Austrian composer is hidden in the center of an Italian town.

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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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