Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Herminia’s Bakery

Discover Herminia's Bakery in Ribadavia, Spain: A pastry shop specializing in Sephardic sweets serves historic recipes in Ribadavia’s Jewish quarter.

Birth of Radar Memorial

Discover Birth of Radar Memorial in Northamptonshire, England: The first place where the scientific innovation known as radar was first demonstrated in Britain.

Huamelulpan Archaeological Zone

Discover Huamelulpan Archaeological Zone in San Martín Huamelúlpam, Mexico: At this hillside site that was once home to a Mixtec community, you'll find ruins with a view.

Crystal Ice Cave

Discover Crystal Ice Cave in Tulelake, California: Each winter this underground cave forms a dazzling ice palace.

The Washington Window

Discover The Washington Window in Selby, England: This stained-glass window in an English church bears the coat of arms of George Washington's family.

Memorial to the Victims of Air Pollution

Discover Memorial to the Victims of Air Pollution in Kraków, Poland: Down this Cracovian street resides a plaque with a stark message about the city's air pollution.

Kameido Zeniza Monument

Discover Kameido Zeniza Monument in Tokyo, Japan: This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

Belval Blast Furnaces

Discover Belval Blast Furnaces in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg: Two standing giants remain as a tribute to Luxembourg's metallurgical past.

Church Sagrado Coração

Discover Church Sagrado Coração in Lisbon, Portugal: Tucked away inside this concrete building is a church and its grand display of brutalist architecture.

Boolboonda Train Tunnel

Discover Boolboonda Train Tunnel in Boolboonda, Australia: The longest manmade tunnel in Queensland is now a beautiful trail, home to a special colony of bent-wing bats.

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape

Discover Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in Heywood, Australia: The Gunditjmara Aboriginal people of Australia began construction on this vast aquacultural complex 6,600 years ago.

Tempio della Pace (Temple of Peace)

Discover Tempio della Pace (Temple of Peace) in Padova, Italy: The people of Padua pledged to construct this church if the city was spared from destruction during World War I.

Bishops’ House

Discover Bishops' House in Sheffield, England: This house was home to a succession of park keepers for more than 90 years, but in all that time, it never had a toilet.

Áras na nGael

Discover Áras na nGael in Galway, Ireland: At this cozy bar tucked down a hidden Galway backroad, Guinness makes the Gaelic come out.

Chitradurga Fort

Discover Chitradurga Fort in Chitradurga, India: This sprawling stronghold has been at the center of some of South India's bloodiest wars.

Musée Tiskiwin (Tiskiwin Museum)

Discover Musée Tiskiwin (Tiskiwin Museum) in Marrakesh, Morocco: The former home of Dutch anthropologist Bert Flint now houses a collection of Berber art and artifacts.

Izakaya Toyo

Discover Izakaya Toyo in Osaka, Japan: Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

Dream Mine

Discover Dream Mine in Spanish Fork, Utah: An empty mine that some believe will suddenly be filled with fortune and treasures at the end of the world.

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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