Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Universitetshuset Runestone Circle

Discover Universitetshuset Runestone Circle in Uppsala, Sweden: A large collection of ancient runestones decorates this university courtyard.

Thunderbird Lodge

Discover Thunderbird Lodge in Incline Village, Nevada: This historic estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe was home to an eccentric millionaire (and his pet elephant, Mingo).

The Painted Church

Discover The Painted Church in Captain Cook, Hawaii: A priest with no formal artistic training used basic house paint to create gorgeous religious scenes inside this historic church.

The ‘Dowager Empress’ Crystal Ball

Discover The 'Dowager Empress' Crystal Ball in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The world's third-largest crystal sphere has sat in the Penn Museum since 1927 with the exception of one outlandish theft.

Treriksrøysa

Discover Treriksrøysa in Inari, Finland: This cairn marks the only place where Central European Time, Eastern European Time, and Further-eastern European Time meet.

Cayuga Nature Center

Discover Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, New York: A six-story treehouse offers spectacular views of New York's Finger Lakes region.

Yamuna Ghat

Discover Yamuna Ghat in New Delhi, India: Ancient traditions and surreal birdwatching come into sharp relief along one of the world's most polluted rivers.

Puente Nuevo

Discover Puente Nuevo in Ronda, Spain: One of the most spectacular bridges in Spain spans a narrow chasm that divides the city of Ronda.

Torre Miramar (Miramar Tower)

Discover Torre Miramar (Miramar Tower) in Valencia, Spain: This abandoned viewing platform has become a monument to unnecessary government spending.

Shooting Star Saloon

Discover Shooting Star Saloon in Huntsville, Utah: Eat burgers beneath gargantuan taxidermy and thousands of dollar bills in Utah's oldest continuously-operating bar.

St. John’s Church Cemetery

Discover St. John’s Church Cemetery in Pomeroy, Ohio: A lost cemetery stands forgotten on a hilltop, known only to the older residents of Pomeroy.

The Loovre

Discover The Loovre in Berwick-upon-Tweed, England: One of the few surviving examples of Victorian-era public toilets now houses a coffee bar.

Two-Story Outhouse

Discover Two-Story Outhouse in Cedar Lake, Michigan: There are two legends behind the origin of this unusually tall sanitary structure.

Travelers Monument

Discover Travelers Monument in Baker, California: This large pile of traveler-curated rocks by the dry lakebed is a longstanding tradition on the Old Mojave Road.

‘In Between’

Discover 'In Between' in Stockholm, Sweden: What looks like a birch tree smushed between two pieces of glass often confounds commuters.

Grahovo Memorial Park

Discover Grahovo Memorial Park in Grahovo, Montenegro: This memorial to local World War II heroes is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Esfera Caracas

Discover Esfera Caracas in Caracas, Venezuela: One of the most iconic sculptures in Caracas looks like a large orange ball suspended in the air.

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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