Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Rochester Castle

Discover Rochester Castle in Medway, England: This foreboding medieval castle was twice besieged by barons rebelling against the English king.

Méret Oppenheim Fountain

Discover Méret Oppenheim Fountain in Bern, Switzerland: The Swiss artist's bulbous and overgrown shape-shifting sculpture controversially graces the center of Bern.

I-80 Wildlife Overpass

Discover I-80 Wildlife Overpass in Park City, Utah: The largest wildlife crossing in Utah allows local fauna to safely traverse the six-lane Interstate 80 at Parleys Canyon.

Suga Shrine Staircase

Discover Suga Shrine Staircase in Tokyo, Japan: This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

Vatican City Walls

Discover Vatican City Walls in Vatican City: Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.

Little Northwestern

Discover Little Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois: A student designed this 3D-printed scale replica of the entire university campus.

St. Mary of the Angels

Discover St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago, Illinois: This titanic Catholic church in Chicago is also a refuge of the fictional cult-favorite wizard detective Harry Dresden.

Beheading Stone

Discover Beheading Stone in Stirling, Scotland: Legend says this rock was once a chopping block for public executions.

Gorilla Building

Discover Gorilla Building in Tokyo, Japan: A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

Karl-Marx-Monument

Discover Karl-Marx-Monument in Chemnitz, Germany: One of the largest busts in the world celebrates the German city's erstwhile namesake.

Schouwburgplein Kinetic Lamp Posts

Discover Schouwburgplein Kinetic Lamp Posts in Rotterdam, Netherlands: Four giant movable street lights decorate this modern Rotterdam square.

Pillnitz Camellia

Discover Pillnitz Camellia in Dresden, Germany: An engineering wonder at Pillnitz Castle protects a precious 230-year-old flowering shrub.

Dykande Måsen

Discover Dykande Måsen in Stockholm, Sweden: A concrete Picasso in the middle of a student housing complex on the outskirts of Stockholm.

Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve

Discover Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve in Eydhafushi, Maldives: The world's seventh-largest coral reef contains an incredible amount of biodiversity.

New York’s Adam and Eve Sculptures

Discover New York's Adam and Eve Sculptures in New York, New York: Two large-scale sculptures of Adam and Eve greet visitors in the nude at the Time Warner Center in NYC.

Ellsworth Rock Gardens

Discover Ellsworth Rock Gardens in Kabetogama Township, Minnesota: Terraced flowerbeds and rock sculptures in the midst of the Minnesota wilderness.

Gue(ho)st House

Discover Gue(ho)st House in Delme, France: This building’s ghostly exterior reflects its former lives as a prison, school, and funeral home.

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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

PP ToS