Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Zwangendaba’s Gravesite

Discover Zwangendaba's Gravesite in Nteko, Zambia: A Zulu warrior is buried far from home, near the very northern border of Zambia.

Saint Erik’s Spring

Discover Saint Erik's Spring in Uppsala, Sweden: Legend has it this spring formed at the spot where a medieval Swedish king was killed.

St. Peter’s Island

Discover St. Peter’s Island in Erlach, Switzerland: The idyllic island where the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent “the happiest time of his life.”.

The Drovers Inn

Discover The Drovers Inn in Argyll and Bute, Scotland: Nestled amid the peaks and lochs of the Scottish Highlands, this inn and pub has played host to outlaws and ghosts.

Monteruga Ghost Town

Discover Monteruga Ghost Town in Nardò, Italy: A fascist-era rural village abandoned since the early 1980s.

The Lincoln Imp

Discover The Lincoln Imp in Lincoln, England: Legend says this demonic carving inside a medieval cathedral was one of Satan's minions.

ZJNU Museum of African Culture

Discover ZJNU Museum of African Culture in Jinhua, China: A museum at a Chinese university is the first of its kind in the country.

Cueva de La Peña de Candamo

Discover Cueva de La Peña de Candamo in Candamo, Spain: A prehistoric cave in Spain contains paintings dating back to the Ice Age.

Bar Vitelli

Discover Bar Vitelli in Savoca, Italy: A quiet Sicilian village is home to a cafe that had an important role in "The Godfather.".

El Sidrón Neanderthal Bones

Discover El Sidrón Neanderthal Bones in Oviedo, Spain: It's believed these prehistoric individuals were the victims of cannibalism.

Art Cartopia Museum

Discover Art Cartopia Museum in Trinidad, Colorado: A roadside attraction filled with an astounding array of gloriously wacky vehicles.

Ohio River Museum

Discover Ohio River Museum in Marietta, Ohio: One of the few places where you can explore a 1918 paddlewheel steamboat from stem to stern.

Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial Museum

Discover Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial Museum in Kamakura, Japan: The former home of queer novelist Yoshiya Nobuko memorializes her contributions to modern-day manga.

Alvastra Abbey

Discover Alvastra Abbey in Ödeshög V, Sweden: The ruins of a monastery where Saint Bridget of Sweden had her revelations recorded.

North Shore Dance Paving Stones

Discover North Shore Dance Paving Stones in Chattanooga, Tennessee: Follow the steps, and this roadside artwork will teach you how to dance.

Patuxai

Discover Patuxai in Vientiane, Laos: When the USA donated cement and funds to expand the airport in Laos, the Laotians built a massive monument instead.

Kangaroo Island Bee Sanctuary

Discover Kangaroo Island Bee Sanctuary in Kangaroo Island Council, Australia: An island off the coast of South Australia is home to the last purebred Ligurian bees.

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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