Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Lucifer of Liège

Discover The Lucifer of Liège in Liège, Belgium: A marble Lucifer hides behind the pulpit of this Gothic cathedral.

Manneken Pis

Discover Manneken Pis in Brussels, Belgium: A little sculpture with a large wardrobe.

Tower of Eben-Ezer

Discover Tower of Eben-Ezer in Bassenge, Belgium: A Belgian self-built tower inspired by the Bible and ancient civilizations.

Fort de la Chartreuse

Discover Fort de la Chartreuse in Liège, Belgium: This abandoned Belgian fortress is purposefully being left to nature.

Caves of Remouchamps

Discover Caves of Remouchamps in Remouchamps, Belgium: Hiding the longest subterranean river known in the world.

Abbaye de Villers

Discover Abbaye de Villers in Genappe, Belgium: A magical and peaceful ruined Cistercian abbey in what is now southern Belgium.

The Doomed City of Doel

Discover The Doomed City of Doel in Beveren, Belgium: This ghost town in Belgium will lose its street art when it ceases to exist.

Zinneke Pis

Discover Zinneke Pis in Brussels, Belgium: Meet the bronze beloved pet to a family of famous peeing statues.

Musée de la Médecine

Discover Musée de la Médecine in Brussels, Belgium: Medical history with an amazing, if frighting, collection of wax diseases on display.

The Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art

Discover The Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art in Brussels, Belgium: From Tintin to the Smurfs, Europe's greatest graphic icons are celebrated in a grand Art Noveau gallery.

Mini-Europe

Discover Mini-Europe in Brussels, Belgium: Theme park featuring miniature replicas of European monuments.

The Musical Instrument Museum

Discover The Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, Belgium: Three floors of musical instruments coming from all corners of the world and hundreds of years of musical history.

Délirium Café

Discover Délirium Café in Brussels, Belgium: Cozy basement bar sports an inventory of over 2,000 beers.

The Lucifernum

Discover The Lucifernum in Bruges, Belgium: This former Masonic lodge has been transformed into part museum, part bar, all awesome.

Comic Strip Route

Discover Comic Strip Route in Brussels, Belgium: This collection of over 50 murals celebrates Brussels' rich history as the self-proclaimed home of the "comic strip.".

Gravensteen

Discover Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium: This fairytale castle was built as a show of power but was nearly torn down thanks to its history of torture.

The Atomium

Discover The Atomium in Brussels, Belgium: Climb inside an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times its normal size.

Le Cercueil (The Coffin)

Discover Le Cercueil (The Coffin) in Brussels, Belgium: The Devil’s own choice when he needs a drink in Brussels.

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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

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