Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Saint-Pierre of Firminy

Discover Saint-Pierre of Firminy in Firminy, France: This church looks more like a spaceship than a house of worship.

Wemyss Caves

Discover Wemyss Caves in East Wemyss, Scotland: These ancient sea caves hold Britain's highest concentration of Pictish rock carvings.

Oxford Botanic Garden

Discover Oxford Botanic Garden in Oxford, England: The fantastic charm of England's oldest botanical garden has made it a place of writerly inspiration for centuries.

Aqueduct Park

Discover Parco degli Acquedotti in Rome, Italy: This beautiful park on the outskirts of Rome protects the ruins of two colossal ancient aqueducts.

Richmond Airport Civil War Fortifications

Discover Richmond Airport Civil War Fortifications in Richmond, Virginia: The airport was once a Civil War battleground, and the earthwork defenses can still be seen today.

ANIMA

Discover ANIMA in Marrakesh, Morocco: This amazing oasis of art and plants is hidden on the outskirts of Marrakesh.

La Saline Royale

Discover La Saline Royale in Arc-et-Senans, France: The shape of this old salt factory complex was inspired by the course of the Sun.

Synevyr Lake

Discover Synevyr Lake in Mizhhirs'kyi district, Ukraine: This stunning mountain lake was named for a pair of tragic lovers whose statues stand at the center.

Lego Åhléns City

Discover Lego Åhléns City in Stockholm, Sweden: A miniature model of the iconic Stockholm department store.

Richmond Park

Discover Richmond Park in London, England: This beautiful deer park was built so King Charles I and his court could go hunting while escaping a deadly plague outbreak.

Buduruwagala

Discover Buduruwagala in Moneragala, Sri Lanka: Seven beautiful 1,000-year-old rock-cut Buddhist statues.

Milford Irish Round Tower

Discover Milford Irish Round Tower in Milford, Massachusetts: This stone tower in a small town's graveyard looks as though it would be more at home in a fairy tale.

The Jaguar Cuauhxicalli

Discover Ocelotl Cuauhxicalli in Mexico City, Mexico: This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.

The Jail in the Gunter Hotel

Discover The Jail in the Gunter Hotel in Frostburg, Maryland: The antique hotel still has a jail in the basement, though the cockfighting ring is long gone.

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Discover Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in Hertfordshire, England: An oasis of calm, nestled in the English countryside.

Satyagraha House

Discover Satyagraha House in Johannesburg, South Africa: The home of Mahatma Gandhi during part of the 21 years he spent living in South Africa is now a guest house.

Kuona Trust Arts Centre

Discover Kuona Trust Arts Centre in Nairobi, Kenya: This local art collective supports contemporary artists through a coveted residency program.

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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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