Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Cemetery of the Burci

Discover Cemetery of the Burci in Silea, Italy: A haunting collection of sunken wooden barges litters this Italian river bend.

Back to the 80s Cafe

Discover Back to the 80s Cafe in Rancho Cordova, California: This diner's a kitschy dreamland for anyone whose heart is stuck in the 1980s.

Fort Dobbs

Discover Fort Dobbs in Statesville, North Carolina: North Carolina's only restored fort from the French and Indian War.

Timgad

Discover Timgad in Batna, Algeria: Classical ruins that remember ancient Rome's presence in Africa.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Discover Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy: An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.

La Bufadora

Discover La Bufadora in Ensenada, Mexico: Legend says one of the world's largest marine geysers is actually a whale that got wedged within the rocks.

Château Musée Vodou

Discover Château Musée Vodou in Strasbourg, France: This fascinating museum in an old water tower holds the world's largest collection of Vodou artifacts from western and central Africa.

Point of Ayr Lighthouse

Discover Point of Ayr Lighthouse in Talacre, Wales: This 1776 beacon on the coast of Wales is said to have a ghost called Raymond, the last lighthouse keeper.

Znesinnia Park Rail Tracks

Discover Znesinnia Park Rail Tracks in L'viv, Ukraine: The largest park in Lviv is surrounded by a network of disused rail tracks.

Statue of Freak Antoni

Discover Statue of Freak Antoni in Bologna, Italy: A beloved local artist has been honored with this statue of a man emerging from a toilet.

John Livingston’s Tomb

Discover John Livingston's Tomb in Edinburgh, Scotland: Nestled among the living residents is the final resting place of an apothecary plague victim.

Hólavallagarður Cemetery

Discover Hólavallagarður Cemetery in Reykjavik, Iceland: This verdant, tree-lined Reykjavik graveyard is both enchanting and eerie.

Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse

Discover Annie's Paramount Steakhouse in Washington, D.C.: This restaurant has been a haven for D.C.'s LGBTQ community since the 1950s.

Old Knobbley

Discover Old Knobbley in Mistley, England: This ancient oak tree sheltered accused "witches" in the 17th century.

Guangfulin Relics Park

Discover Guangfulin Relics Park in Shanghai, China: This theme park presents 5,000 years of Shanghai history and includes a "sunken" exhibition hall.

Doggie Diner Head

Discover Doggie Diner Head in San Francisco, California: This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

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

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