Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Nellemann’s Have

Discover Nellemann's Have in Sæby, Denmark: This historic orchard contains northern Europe's largest collection of paradise apple trees.

Caja de las Letras

Discover Caja de las Letras in Madrid, Spain: A vault of safe-deposit boxes in an old bank has been repurposed as a time capsule of Hispanic culture.

The Old Manse

Discover The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts: The poems Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife Sophia etched into its windows are still visible today.

Sanatorium du Basil

Discover Sanatorium du Basil in Stoumont, Belgium: An early 20th-century sanatorium, long abandoned and now being reclaimed by nature.

Radburn, New Jersey

Discover Radburn, New Jersey in Fair Lawn, New Jersey: The first neighborhood to implement the Garden City model in its suburban planning.

Fleetwood’s

Discover Fleetwood’s in Asheville, North Carolina: A wedding chapel, vintage clothing shop, and bar all under one roof.

Ars Obscura

Discover Ars Obscura in Seattle, Washington: In this subterranean brick arcade, a small shop continues the ancient practice of bookbinding.

Vulcan Mine

Discover Vulcan Mine in New Castle, Colorado: A coal fire has been burning underground here since 1896.

Oulu Groke

Discover Oulu Groke in Oulu, Finland: This lonely rock has been turned into a character loved and feared by children.

Physicalisches Cabinet

Discover Physicalisches Cabinet in Göttingen, Germany: This small university museum houses a priceless collection of scientific instruments.

Gore Hill Cemetery

Discover Gore Hill Cemetery in St Leonards, Australia: One of Sydney's oldest graveyards hides in plain sight behind a hospital.

Dinero DIY

Discover Dinero DIY in Cártama, Spain: This art installation at an abandoned lipstick factory has distinct anti-capitalist vibes.

Boon Ko Ku So Bridge

Discover Boon Ko Ku So Bridge in Tambon Thung Yao, Thailand: This serene bamboo walkway allows Buddhist monks from remote temples access to the nearby village.

Veliki Tabor Castle

Discover Veliki Tabor Castle in Hum Košnički, Croatia: This beautiful Croatian fortress is haunted by legends of forbidden love.

Ashley House

Discover Ashley House in Sheffield, Massachusetts: The former residence of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, an enslaved African-American woman who successfully sued for her freedom.

Portus Lemanis

Discover Portus Lemanis in Lympne, England: The ruins of a Roman fort lie in the shadows of an imposing medieval castle.

Reindeer of La Cruz

Discover Reindeer of La Cruz in Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico: A wooden sculpture sits rather out of place in this Mexican beach town.

Boot Hill

Discover Boot Hill in Upper Allyn, Australia: Thousands of used shoes create a unique public art exhibit along this old paddock fence.

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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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