Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The End of the World

Discover Bahia Lapataia at the End of the World in Ushuaia, Argentina: The most southern point you can drive to in the Western Hemisphere.

Levy Mansion (La Rambla)

Discover Levy Mansion (La Rambla) in Lares, Puerto Rico: The location of Puerto Rico's first water bottling plant, thanks to a collaboration between Mother Nature and technology.

Springfield Armory

Discover Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts: The largest collection of historic military firearms in the United States.

‘Lobey Dosser’

Discover 'Lobey Dosser' in Glasgow, Scotland: This two-legged horse statue celebrates a beloved cartoonist and his quirky characters.

Seminole Canyon

Discover Seminole Canyon in Comstock, Texas: Beauty and history abound in this remote West Texas canyon.

Antonin Dvorak’s Home

Discover Antonin Dvorak's Home in New York, New York: The place where Dvorak composed some of his most famous works.

Tikal Temple IV

Discover Tikal Temple IV in Tikal, Guatemala: Deep in the Guatemalan jungle stands an ancient pyramid that once marked the reign of a king.

A.P. Xinyang Market

Discover A.P. Xinyang Market in Pudong Xinqu, China: A labyrinth of clothing, electronics, and other counterfeit items.

Magdalena Peninsula

Discover Magdalena Peninsula in Santander, Spain: This beautiful spit of land was once the summer playground of the king of Spain.

iBox

Discover iBox in Chengdu, China: A collection of cafes and shops all crafted from recycled storage containers.

Neak Pean

Discover Neak Pean in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia: A small 12th-century temple surrounded by waters believed to have curative properties.

Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones)

Discover Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) in Alcantarilha, Portugal: This unassuming chapel in Portugal plays host to a ghoulish collection of bones.

Judy Garland Museum

Discover Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota: Home to a vast collection of The Wizard of Oz memorabilia and the site of an infamous theft.

Henderson Waves

Discover Henderson Waves in Singapore: The highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore looks like a series of undulating waves rising between two public parks.

Hotel du Lac

Discover Hotel du Lac in Tunis, Tunisia: Some believe this abandoned Brutalist masterpiece inspired George Lucas's Sandcrawler.

Golden Spike Monument

Discover Golden Spike Monument in Council Bluffs, Iowa: This massive railroad spike celebrates the 1939 premiere of the movie “Union Pacific.”.

Mahurangi Harbour

Discover Mahurangi Harbour in Pohuehue, New Zealand: A drowned river valley that was important to the Maori and European settlers.

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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