Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Peel Monument

Discover Peel Monument in Holcombe, England: This landmark overlooking Ramsbottom pays homage to Sir Robert Peel, repealer of the Corn Laws.

Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Railway

Discover Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway in Bushmills, Northern Ireland: This tiny train shuttles passengers to one of Northern Ireland's most spectacular sights.

Giant Oak Park

Discover Giant Oak Park in Peoria, Illinois: A massive bur oak tree believed to be some 500 years old is the centerpiece of this quiet urban greenspace.

Godstow Abbey Ruins

Discover Godstow Abbey Ruins in Oxfordshire, England: These ancient ruins were the final resting place of King Henry II's mistress.

The Ruins of St. Mary’s Church

Discover The Ruins of St. Mary's Church in Fulmodeston, England: In the quiet village of Fulmodestion, the ruins of a medieval church remain hidden among vines and foliage.

‘The Mantis’

Discover 'The Mantis' in Las Vegas, Nevada: Las Vegas's very own 40-foot-tall fire-spewing praying mantis.

St. George’s Market

Discover St. George's Market in Belfast, Northern Ireland: The last Victorian market in Belfast.

GVIR Post Box

Discover GVIR Post Box in Edinburgh, Scotland: This ordinary-looking mailbox has a rather explosive history.

Duravit Design Center

Discover Duravit Design Center in Hornberg, Germany: A unique showroom for bathroom fixtures featuring a giant toilet observation deck.

Sheep Heid Inn

Discover Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh, Scotland: One of Edinburgh's oldest pubs hides a 19th-century skittles alley in the back.

Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island

Discover Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island in Manteo, North Carolina: The lesser-known lost colony of Roanoke was a safe haven for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War.

Phraya Nakhon Cave

Discover Phraya Nakhon Cave in Sam Roi Yot, Thailand: At the right time of day, sunlight floods through the roof of this cave and illuminates the small pavilion hidden within.

Ecumenical Chapel of Peace

Discover Ecumenical Chapel of Peace in Acapulco de Juárez, Mexico: A giant hilltop cross marks the location of a sanctuary with stunning views of Acapulco.

Bakehouse Close

Discover Bakehouse Close in Edinburgh, Scotland: This alley off Edinburgh's Royal Mile contains remnants of the city's seedier history.

Elsinore Naval and Military School

Discover Elsinore Naval and Military School in Lake Elsinore, California: This stately structure has been abandoned for half a century.

Ancient Egyptian Beef Shoulder

Discover Ancient Egyptian Beef Shoulder in New York, New York: Even for Egyptian royalty, the afterlife was bring-your-own-beef.

Spirit of Justice Park

Discover Spirit of Justice Park in Washington, D.C.: A secret greenspace hides atop a Capitol parking garage.

Sauschwänzlebahn

Discover Sauschwänzlebahn in Blumberg, Germany: A historic steam train meanders along one of the most scenic rail routes in Germany's Black Forest.

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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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