Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Old Indian Trail

Discover Old Indian Trail in Cadillac, Michigan: A series of 33 stone markers maps an ancient 55-mile transportation route.

Bottle Cap Tree

Discover Bottle Cap Tree in Perth, Australia: Hundreds of people walk past this palm tree every day without spotting its secret.

Transfiguration Monastery

Discover Transfiguration Monastery in Samovodene, Bulgaria: Outstanding, eerie frescoes and decorations fill this 19th-century monastery.

Ehrenfest’s Signature Wall

Discover Ehrenfest's Signature Wall in Leiden, Netherlands: For over 100 years the most important physicists in the world have autographed this university wall.

The Coyote Fountain

Discover Fuente de los Coyotes in Mexico City, Mexico: In Coyoacán, a pair of coyotes crown a public fountain in reference to the ancient Aztec name of the borough.

Lil’ Toot

Discover Lil' Toot in Santa Barbara, California: This nonsensical smiling boat shuttles passengers between two places they could've easily walked between.

Ignaluk

Discover Little Diomede Island in Diomede, Alaska: Alaska Natives have lived on this tiny isolated island in the Bering Strait for over 5,000 years.

Fikkie

Discover Fikkie in Rotterdam, Netherlands: This charming pup is meant to celebrate the youth and stubbornness of the city's students.

Shipwreck Lodge

Discover Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia: Ten shipwreck-shaped chalets lie along the sand dunes on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast.

Preston Martyrs Memorial

Discover Preston Martyrs Memorial in Preston, England: A harrowing sculpture commemorates the four people shot down during the workers strike of 1842.

Parksville

Discover Parksville in Parksville, New York: This Central New York ghost town was once a prosperous railroad community.

Old Governor’s Mansion

Discover Old Governor's Mansion in Prescott, Arizona: Arizona's first government hub is a rustic cabin now preserved as part of a historical museum.

Painted Animation Lane

Discover Painted Animation Lane in West District, Taiwan: A small alleyway lined with locally drawn scenes of nostalgic anime and cartoon characters.

Lao National Museum

Discover Lao National Museum in Vientiane, Laos: American bombs, morbid memorabilia, and graphic photographs tell the story of the CIA-led “Secret War” from the Pathet Lao perspective.

The Bear and the Strawberry Tree

Discover El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) in Madrid, Spain: This sweet-toothed bear searching for snacks has been a symbol of Madrid for decades.

Rabbit Islet Has No Rabbits

Discover Rabbit Islet in Lampedusa e Linosa, Italy: Contrary to what its name suggests, you won't find any bunnies here.

Grave Robbing Headstone

Discover Grave Robbing Headstone in Stirling, Scotland: A grave marker depicting a body snatching tableau on a 19th-century tombstone.

Rochester Castle

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

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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

PP ToS