Archives: Atlas Obscuras

‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Beach

Discover 'Moonrise Kingdom' Beach in Jamestown, Rhode Island: The secluded beach getaway from Wes Anderson's dreamy summer romance.

The Petrie Building

Discover The Petrie Building in Guelph, Ontario: This building's metal facade is the last of its kind in all of Canada.

Panorâmico de Monsanto

Discover Panorâmico de Monsanto in Lisbon, Portugal: This now abandoned restaurant provides some of the most amazing views of Lisboa.

Laws Spring

Discover Laws Spring in Williams, Arizona: This remote desert watering hole has a connection to a curious chapter of American history.

Magicum

Discover Magicum in Berlin, Germany: Visitors can explore the role of mysticism throughout the ages inside this interactive museum of magic.

Peace Hotel Jazz Bar

Discover Peace Hotel Jazz Bar in Shanghai, China: This bar is home to what's likely the oldest living jazz band in the world.

National Public Radio’s Honey Bee Hives

Discover National Public Radio's Honey Bee Hives in Washington, D.C.: Atop this media building, two hives containing more than 30,000 bees keep the surrounding area vibrant.

Palestine Gardens

Discover Palestine Gardens in Lucedale, Mississippi: This roadside attraction in the woods of Mississippi is a scalable replica of the Holy Lands during biblical times.

Brim Silo Murals

Discover Brim Silo Murals in Brim, Australia: These giant grain silo portraits capture elements of rural life in Australia.

Starrett House

Discover Starrett House in Port Townsend, Washington: The building features one of the last remaining free-floating spiral grand staircases in the U.S.

Discover Capilla del Calvario (Chapel of the Calvary) in Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, Mexico: This dome-topped chapel houses the most-venerated religious figure in Yanhuitlán.

REM Eiland

Discover REM Eiland in Amsterdam, Netherlands: This pirate-broadcasting-tower-turned-restaurant played a rebellious role in the history of Dutch television.

Temple Gasometers

Discover Temple Gasometers in Glasgow, Scotland: These rusting, skeletal structures are monolithic monuments to Glasgow's industrial past.

Orto di Olmo

Discover Orto di Olmo in Scandicci, Italy: This garden among the Florentine hills is complete with a meditation path and works of poetry.

Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony

Discover Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony in Stonehaven, Scotland: This brilliant display of whirling fireballs celebrates Hogmanay.

Herkules Windmill

Discover Herkules Windmill in De Veenhoop, Netherlands: This Dutch windmill has its roots in an American invention.

Paul Robeson House

Discover Paul Robeson House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The singer, actor, and activist lived here during his final years, and now it’s a museum dedicated to his legacy.

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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