Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Saint Nicholas Naval Cathedral

Discover Saint Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Liepāja, Latvia: This ornate church has survived Nazi and Soviet occupation, including a short stint as a Soviet-era gymnasium and cinema.

The Gardener and Vintner Museum

Discover The Gardener and Vintner Museum in Bamberg, Germany: A local museum honors the history of Bamberg’s unique cultural heritage: growing crops in the heart of the city.

Audrey Hepburn’s Grave

Discover Audrey Hepburn’s Grave in Tolochenaz, Switzerland: The immortal Hollywood star rests in peace in an unassuming Swiss village cemetery.

Adršpach-Teplice Rocks

Discover Adršpach-Teplice Rocks in Adršpach, Czechia: Enormous sandstone towers loom within a Czech forest.

‘Ten Thousand Ripples’

Discover 'Ten Thousand Ripples' in Chicago, Illinois: Partially submerged Buddha heads freckle Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Hector Vasyli Memorial

Discover Hector Vasyli Memorial in Brisbane, Australia: A nearly lost tribute to an 11-year-old boy killed during a World War I homecoming parade.

Lovell Health House

Discover Lovell Health House in Los Angeles, California: The first all glass and steel residence in the United States.

Wallace’s Well

Discover Wallace's Well in Glasgow, Scotland: A humble ancient well where Scottish knight, Sir William Wallace, took his final drink.

The Porty Light Box

Discover The Porty Light Box in Edinburgh, Scotland: An iconic red telephone box turned tiny art gallery.

Maarjamäe Memorial Complex

Discover Maarjamäe Memorial Complex in Tallinn, Estonia: This striking memorial is one of Estonia’s most controversial Soviet leftovers.

Gavel Sculpture

Discover Gavel Sculpture in Columbus, Ohio: Just outside the Ohio Supreme Court sits a testament to justice.

Queensland Police Museum

Discover Queensland Police Museum in Brisbane, Australia: It's home to the taxidermy remains of Peter, the dog who helped convict a murderer.

The Bumblebee Beach

Discover The Bumblebee Beach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: A private residence adorned with a gorgeous mural dedicated to the buzzing insect.

Squirrels of the Kaibab Plateau

Discover Squirrels of the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona: These elusive, isolated rodents evolved into a distinct, locally iconic subspecies.

The Pitstone Windmill

Discover The Pitstone Windmill in Ivinghoe, England: This windmill is believed to be the oldest in the British Isles.

Casa Museo Pablo Escobar

Discover Casa Museo Pablo Escobar in Medellín, Colombia: This unofficial museum details the rise and fall of Colombia's most notorious narcotrafficker, Pablo Escobar.

Hotel Pušynas

Discover Hotel Pušynas in Druskininkai, Lithuania: This striking structure is the Socialist-modernist centerpiece of a former Soviet spa resort.

Malmesbury Abbey Musket Damage

Discover Malmesbury Abbey Musket Damage in Malmesbury, England: Scars from the English Civil War mar this medieval sanctuary.

Walzwerk Restaurant

Discover Walzwerk Restaurant in San Francisco, California: This eatery transports diners to a place that no longer exists: East Germany.

Menu

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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