Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Church of Our Saviour

Discover Church of Our Saviour in Copenhagen, Denmark: Climb to the top of its spiral spire for spectacular views of Copenhagen.

Chocolate Kitchen at Hampton Court Palace

Discover Chocolate Kitchen at Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey, England: In 2013, historians discovered a hidden room devoted to the art of making royals' hot chocolate.

The Perth Mint

Discover The Perth Mint in Perth, Australia: This Western Australian mint was established during the height of the Australian gold rush.

Mount Moor Cemetery

Discover Mount Moor Cemetery in West Nyack, New York: A historic Black graveyard hidden in the parking lot of one of America's largest malls.

Lev’s Gathering Place

Discover Lev's Gathering Place in Waco, Texas: A musical sanctuary that preserves gospel’s Golden Age is tucked inside a library at Baylor University.

U.N. Delegates Dining Room

Discover U.N. Delegates Dining Room in New York, New York: You don't have to be an ambassador to dine like one.

Barbed Wire Collection

Discover Barbed Wire Collection in Bonner Springs, Kansas: Hundreds of samples of "Devil's Rope" hide in a defunct vintage elevator.

Lark Hill Place

Discover Lark Hill Place in Salford, England: This dreamy street will transport you to wintertime in Victorian England.

The Norrington Room

Discover The Norrington Room in Oxford, England: Once one of the largest rooms full of books in the world, this bookstore basement is still a treat for bibliophiles.

Dave’s Pawn Shop

Discover Dave's Pawn Shop in El Paso, Texas: A decades-old pawn shop featuring an extensive collection of oddities and bizarre trinkets.

Bartow-Pell Mansion

Discover Bartow-Pell Mansion in Bronx, New York: This old estate is a remnant of when the Bronx was a popular summer destination for wealthy New Yorkers.

Normanton Church

Discover Normanton Church in Normanton, England: The sanctuary seems to either float atop the water or sink into the dirt, depending on the water level.

Edward-Dean Museum and Gardens

Discover Edward-Dean Museum and Gardens in Cherry Valley, California: A museum dedicated to the decorative arts from the 16th through 19th centuries.

The Mural Room

Discover The Mural Room in Santa Barbara, California: One incredible room in the Santa Barbara Courthouse is covered in wall-to-wall canvas murals.

Athi Varadar Idol

Discover Athi Varadar Idol in Kanchipuram, India: An effigy of the deity emerges from a temple's water every 40 years.

Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing)

Discover Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing) in Tongren, China: Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.

The Witches’ Dance Floor

Discover Hexentanzplatz (Witches' Dance Floor) in Thale, Germany: This enchanting mountain plateau celebrates spooky local folklore.

Plaza Loreto

Discover Plaza Loreto in Mexico City, Mexico: One of the world's richest men bought this former paper factory and transformed it into a mall.

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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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