Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Casa di Scuretto

Discover Casa di Scuretto in Corinaldo, Italy: Only the facade of this house was built so a father could fool his son.

National Museum of the Resistance

Discover National Museum of the Resistance in Anderlecht, Belgium: This museum is housed in an unassuming building that witnessed one of the most daring feats of satire in modern history.

Boca de Potrerillos

Discover Boca de Potrerillos in Mexico: A mysterious, ancient collection of pre-Hispanic petroglyphs hidden deep in the Mexican desert.

Upside-Down Charles La Trobe Statue

Discover Upside-Down Charles La Trobe Statue in Bundoora, Australia: This strange portrayal of the state's first lieutenant-governor literally stands on its head.

Poster House Museum

Discover Poster House Museum in New York, New York: The first museum in the United States dedicated entirely to posters.

Venus Statue

Discover Venus Statue in San Francisco, California: This contorting sculpture is the tallest in San Francisco.

Weekender Billiards & Bar

Discover Weekender Billiards & Bar in Queens, New York: Amid the clacking of snooker balls, diners tuck into fiery Bhutanese fare.

Capitoline Triad

Discover Capitoline Triad in Montecelio, Italy: This incredible second-century sculpture depicts a trio of gods worshipped by the ancient Romans.

Porto Roque Border Post

Discover Porto Roque Border Post in Marvão, Portugal: An abandoned anti-smuggling station decays along the boundary between Portugal and Spain.

Flying Horses Carousel

Discover Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts: The oldest platform carousel built in the United States continues to delight children in Martha’s Vineyard.

Old Stone Fort

Discover Old Stone Fort in Manchester, Tennessee: This limestone outcropping was once a ceremonial site for ancient Native Americans.

Ruth Ann Miller Shrine

Discover Ruth Ann Miller Shrine in Calumet Township, Michigan: A tragedy and memorial that raised awareness about the dangers of unsealed mineshafts.

Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea

Discover Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida: The oldest house of worship in Palm Beach has a wonderful tropical garden.

Abandoned Sea Cable Car

Discover Abandoned Sea Cable Car in Sidi Ifni, Morocco: The forgotten remnants of a land-to-sea cable car that was once unique in the world.

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

PP ToS