Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Bodmer Library

Discover The Bodmer Library in Cologny, Switzerland: A trove of ridiculously valuable prints and manuscripts under one roof.

Netherbow Bell

Discover Netherbow Bell in Edinburgh, Scotland: The bell that once tolled atop a lost Edinburgh gate now hangs for all to see.

D’arcy Island

Discover D'arcy Island in British Columbia: This small island has a dark past as a colony for Chinese lepers and a dropoff point for bootleggers.

Marble Mill Site Park

Discover Marble Mill Site Park in Marble, Colorado: The site of a defunct mill, that once supplied marble for the construction of the Lincoln Memorial.

Burial Site of Carl Linnaeus

Discover Burial Site of Carl Linnaeus in Fjärdingen, Sweden: The final resting place of the father of modern biological taxonomy.

‘The Iron Road Pioneers’

Discover 'The Iron Road Pioneers' in San Luis Obispo, California: A simple statue outside a California Amtrak station honors the overlooked contributions of the "silent spikes.".

Passetto del Biscione

Discover Passetto del Biscione in Rome, Italy: This hidden alley near the location of Rome's first theater was the site of a curious miracle.

Cocodrilo de Leonora Carrington

Discover Cocodrilo de Leonora Carrington in Mexico City, Mexico: A fabulously bizarre surrealist sculpture by the late artist Leonora Carrington.

Queen Elizabeth 2

Discover Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: This living legend of maritime history is enjoying a second life.

Cofiwch Dryweryn

Discover Cofiwch Dryweryn in Llanrhystud, Wales: This mural honoring a drowned village has become a symbol of Welsh pride and patriotism.

Museum of Free Derry

Discover Museum of Free Derry in County Derry, Northern Ireland: A museum dedicated to the tragedy of Bloody Sunday.

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

Discover Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum in Northumberland, England: The first museum in the United Kingdom dedicated to this woodwind instrument.

Museum of Interesting Things

Discover Museum of Interesting Things in Hrodna, Belarus: A unique museum dedicated to the history of household appliances from across the globe.

Wolfe Tone Statue

Discover Wolfe Tone Statue in Dublin, Ireland: An enigmatic monument to the Irish revolutionary who plotted an uprising against British rule.

Ben Cruachan

Discover Ben Cruachan in Dalmally, Scotland: This mountain is one of the largest in Scotland but is better known for its hollow insides.

Huaca de la Luna

Discover Huaca de la Luna in Moche, Peru: The outside of this exposed Moche pyramid is covered with striking colorful adobe friezes.

Grutas de Cacahuamilpa

Discover Grutas de Cacahuamilpa in Cacahuamilpa, Mexico: One of the world’s largest cave systems houses legends, concerts, and wondrous rock formations alike.

Krapina Neanderthal Museum

Discover Muzej Krapinskih Neandertalaca (Krapina Neanderthal Museum) in Krapina, Croatia: This modern, multimedia museum takes visitors on an evolutionary journey back in time.

Eilmer’s Landing

Discover Eilmer's Landing in Malmesbury, England: Where an 11th-century flying monk crash landed after attempting to take to the skies.

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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