Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Tropical Islands Resort

Discover Tropical Islands Resort in Halbe, Germany: It's always summer at the beach inside this former airship hangar.

Weiße Rose Pavement Memorial

Discover Weiße Rose Pavement Memorial in Munich, Germany: These bronze pamphlets remember a remarkable group of Germans who fearlessly opposed the Nazis in the very center of their power.

Michaelskapelle Ossuary

Discover Michaelskapelle Ossuary in Oppenheim, Germany: This German bone house contains the remains of some 20,000 souls.

Hatch Sticker Museum

Discover Hatch Sticker Museum in Berlin, Germany: This little museum is making sure that the art and history of the graffiti sticker is not scraped from history.

Asamkirche

Discover Asamkirche in Munich, Germany: Among the ostentatious rococo ornamentation of this church, an image of death cuts the life-thread.

Badeschiff

Discover Badeschiff in Berlin, Germany: Floating swimming pool within a moored vessel.

Waldspirale

Discover Waldspirale in Darmstadt, Germany: A German apartment building hosting as many trees as human occupants.

Sanspareil Rock Garden

Discover Sanspareil Rock Garden in Wonsees, Germany: These 18th century gardens tell a rocky story of the son of Odysseus.

Wir Waren Nachbarn (We Were Neighbors)

Discover Wir Waren Nachbarn (We Were Neighbors) in Berlin, Germany: A unique Holocaust memorial tells the personal stories of the Jewish residents exiled from greater Berlin.

Bavaria Filmstadt

Discover Bavaria Filmstadt in Grünwald, Germany: This German version of Universal Studios holds a vault of treasures from the NeverEnding Story.

Heidelberg Thingstatte

Discover Heidelberg Thingstatte in Heidelberg, Germany: This Nazi-built amphitheater was constructed on a sacred mountain site used by various German cults.

Slaughterhouse Five

Discover Slaughterhouse Five in Dresden, Germany: Slaughterhouse Five opens its dank doors to fans of Kurt Vonnegut.

Spreewald

Discover Spreewald in Lübben, Germany: Explore the complex ecology of this multifaceted nature preserve by riverboat.

Berlin Story Bunker

Discover Berlin Story Bunker in Berlin, Germany: This World War II bunker now survives as a documentation of the Nazi regime and war crimes.

Unicorn Cave

Discover Unicorn Cave in Herzberg am Harz, Germany: What was once thought to be a wellspring of unicorn bones is actually just a prehistoric burial site.

Castle of Wewelsburg

Discover Castle of Wewelsburg in Büren, Germany: Magical Nazi castle of the SS.

Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain

Discover Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain in Duisburg, Germany: No need to strap in for a "ride" on this walkable roller coaster.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 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. 474 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. 499 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. 633 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. 135 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. 167 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). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 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. 96 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. 166

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