Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Bee Museum of Rhodes

Discover Bee Museum of Rhodes in Rhodes, Greece: Learn about the sweet, storied legacy of beekeeping in ancient Greece.

Potemkin Stairs

Discover Potemkin Stairs in Odessa, Ukraine: Featured in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

Bourbon County Horse Walk of Fame

Discover Bourbon County Horse Walk of Fame in Paris, Kentucky: An equine tribute in a charming Southern city that calls itself "The Horse Capital of the World.".

Monasterio de Pedralbes

Discover Monasterio de Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain: Occupied for six centuries by Franciscan Order nuns, this monastery is an amazing ode to Catalán Gothic architecture.

Arco di Malborghetto

Discover Arco di Malborghetto in Rome, Italy: The meaning behind this triumphal Roman arch was a mystery until the early 20th century.

Vratna Gates

Discover Vratna Gates in Vratna, Serbia: These natural stone bridges are the largest on the European continent.

Monet’s Garden Marmottan

Discover Monet's Garden Marmottan in Kitagawa, Japan: Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.

Kristek’s House

Discover Kristek's House in Brno, Czechia: Of all the houses that grace this neighborhood, only one is a testament to surreal architecture.

Charlevoix Stained Glass Windows

Discover Charlevoix Stained Glass Windows in Montreal, Québec: A swirling spectrum of stained glass dazzles visitors who enter this subway station.

Dar El Annabi

Discover Dar El Annabi in Carthage, Tunisia: This museum in the famously blue neighborhood of Sidi Bou Saïd showcases a traditional Tunisian lifestyle.

Fort No. 5 “Friedrich Wilhelm III”

Discover Fort No. 5 "Friedrich Wilhelm III" in Kaliningrad, Russia: This monument commemorates the soldiers who fought for 16 hours straight to penetrate this concrete fort.

Monastery Penteli

Discover Monastery Penteli in Penteli, Greece: The heads and relics of 179 monks slaughtered by pirates are on display within this Ceonobic Monastery.

Stew Pond at Newstead Abbey

Discover Stew Pond at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire, England: In this medieval fish bowl, the carp weren't pets.

Schaakstukkenmuseum

Discover Schaakstukkenmuseum (The Chessmen Museum) in Rotterdam, Netherlands: This small museum located under the famous cube houses, is home to some 30,000 chess pieces.

Ludus Magnus

Discover Ludus Magnus in Rome, Italy: The ruins of the largest gladiatorial school in Rome are largely hidden under modern streets.

Steubenville Steelworkers Memorial

Discover Steubenville Steelworkers Memorial in Steubenville, Ohio: A larger than life statue of a steelworker keeps watch over a closed steel mill.

Zegartowice Mushroom Rock

Discover Grzyb skalny w Zegartowice (Zegartowice Mushroom Rock) in Zegartowice, Poland: This mushroom-shaped rock has frustrated and fascinated locals for centuries.

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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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