Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Flintsbach Historical Cemetery

Discover Flintsbach Historical Cemetery in Flintsbach am Inn, Germany: A rare example of a German cemetery with traditional grave markers dating back several generations.

The Pig Museum

Discover The Pig Museum in Stuttgart, Germany: An old slaughterhouse now holds the largest collection of pig artifacts.

The Pig Museum

Discover The Pig Museum in Stuttgart, Germany: An old slaughterhouse now holds the largest collection of pig artifacts.

Document Neupfarrplatz

Discover Document Neupfarrplatz in Regensburg, Germany: From Ancient Rome to WWII, Neupfarrplatz has over 2,000 years of history underneath its main square.

Bananenmuseum

Discover Bananenmuseum in Sierksdorf, Germany: A museum dedicated to the silliest fruit.

Lichtenhain Waterfall

Discover Lichtenhain Waterfall in Kirnitzschtal, Germany: A small man-controlled waterfall powers an Art Nouveau elevator and is accessed via narrow gauge, solar-powered tramway.

Landsberg Prison

Discover Landsberg Prison in Landsberg am Lech, Germany: The prison where Hitler wrote "Mein Kampf," and 278 Nazis were later executed for war crimes.

The Lorenbahn

Discover The Lorenbahn in Nordstrand, Germany: A tiny island is connected to the mainland by a private railway that residents travel in their own personal wagons.

Wunderland Kalkar

Discover Wunderland Kalkar in Kalkar, Germany: An amusement park on the grounds of an unused nuclear power plant, with a swing ride inside the cooling tower.

Sankt Burchardi Church Organ

Discover Sankt Burchardi Church Organ in Halberstadt, Germany: Constantly maintained, this organ is playing a six-century long composition by John Cage.

Herrenchiemsee Neues Schloss

Discover Herrenchiemsee Neues Schloss in Chiemsee, Germany: Originally envisioned by King Ludwig II to rival Versailles, Herrenchiemsee's "New Palace" remains half-gilded for lack of funds.

St. Petersglocke

Discover St. Petersglocke in Cologne, Germany: The largest bell in the world has been swinging high above a Cologne cathedral for almost a century.

Drachenstich-Festspiele

Discover Drachenstich-Festspiele in Furth im Wald, Germany: Each year, Germany's "City of Dragons" slays the world's largest walking robot.

Filmtheater Sendlinger Tor

Discover Filmtheater Sendlinger Tor in Munich, Germany: This century-old cinema house has a marquee that has been hand painted by a single man for over 25 years.

Prora

Discover Prora in Binz, Germany: Hitler's bleak vision of relaxation still stands as a mostly abandoned 10,000-room resort complex.

Abandoned Crematorium and Cemetery

Discover Abandoned Crematorium and Cemetery in Dessau-Roßlau, Germany: The ruins of an abandoned crematorium haunt an eerie deserted German cemetery.

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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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