Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Big Lonely Doug

Discover Big Lonely Doug in Port Renfrew, British Columbia: Saved by a logger, this Douglas fir is one of the last great old-growth trees in Canada.

The Hurlers

Discover The Hurlers in Minions, England: Cornish legend says these ancient circles were people turned to stone for playing hurling on a Sunday.

Lincoln Street Art Park

Discover Lincoln Street Art Park in Detroit, Michigan: This former industrial site has transformed into a community sculpture garden that hosts monthly Full Moon parties.

Robert Burns’ Masonic Apron

Discover Robert Burns' Masonic Apron in Edinburgh, Scotland: The beloved bard's garb is proudly displayed within a Freemason's hall.

Musfur Sinkhole

Discover Musfur Sinkhole in Qatar: Climb down into the largest sinkhole in Qatar.

Destination: Virtual Reality

The Dream Wanderer takes patrons on a trippy virtual reality journey mediated by mediums from a psychic utopian community.

Rocky Valley Labyrinths

Discover Rocky Valley Labyrinths in Cornwall, England: These mysterious mazes carved on the rock may be up to 4,000 years old.

St Clether Holy Well Chapel

Discover St Clether Holy Well Chapel in Cornwall, England: A holy well supposedly infused with a saint's spirit flows within this quaint chapel.

Canada’s Knottiest Tree

Discover Canada's Knottiest Tree in North Saanich, British Columbia: By public opinion, this is Canada's knottiest tree.

Leiden’s Floating Christmas Market

Discover Leiden's Floating Christmas Market in Leiden, Netherlands: A market built atop boats is one of the few floating holiday markets in Europe.

St. Mary’s Basilica

Discover St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow, Poland: St. Mary's features one of the most spectacularly decorated cathedral interiors in all of Europe.

Chihuly Collection

Discover Chihuly Collection in St. Petersburg, Florida: The first custom-designed building to showcase the works of Dale Chihuly is a wonderland of glass and light.

Powell Memorial

Discover Powell Memorial in Grand Canyon Village, Arizona: A monument to the one-armed geologist who led the first documented expeditions through the Grand Canyon.

Madrid’s Walk of Fame

Discover Madrid's Walk of Fame in Madrid, Spain: Just like in Hollywood, Madrid has also a forgotten walk of fame.

Guyana’s Kaieteur Falls

Discover Kaieteur Falls in Guyana: The world's widest single drop waterfall, and the two men who legend says went over its edge in a boat.

Devil’s Island

Discover Devil's Island in French Guiana: An abandoned colonial French prison notorious for its hellish conditions.

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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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