Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Kirkaldy Testing Museum

Discover Kirkaldy Testing Museum in London, England: A collection of machines designed to break things for science.

Iron Soup

Discover Iron Soup in Campbell, Ohio: There is beauty and history in the ruins of this former company town.

Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory Plaque

Discover Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory Plaque in Leiden, Netherlands: A plaque hidden in the law faculty at Leiden University honors the first scientist to make liquid helium.

Olive Pink Botanic Garden

Discover Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Desert Springs, Australia: Olive’s garden serves up a seemingly endless helping of outback delights.

Fort Ross

Discover Fort Ross in Jenner, California: The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

Discover Point Reyes Lighthouse in Inverness, California: The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

Grave of Filibuster William Walker

Discover Grave of Filibuster William Walker in Trujillo, Honduras: Fenced off in a garden cemetery in Honduras lies the grave of the most notorious American filibuster.

British Library Treasures Gallery

Discover British Library Treasures Gallery in London, England: The library houses an incredible collection of some of the world's most impressive books and manuscripts.

Beth Haim Cemetery

Discover Beth Haim Cemetery in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Netherlands: A Portuguese Jewish cemetery filled with stunning grave monuments that date back to 1614.

The Unfinished Church of Venosa

Discover Incompiuta di Venosa in Venosa, Italy: The construction of a new church near Venosa was started in the 11th century, but never finished.

Foro Sol

Discover Foro Sol in Mexico City, Mexico: The F1 Mexican Grand Prix circuit goes right through the middle of this old baseball stadium.

Kingdom of Torgu

Discover Kingdom of Torgu in Laadla, Estonia: A clerical error gave rise to this imaginary micronation in the southwestern corner of Estonia.

James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

Discover James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, Florida: This Florida museum dedicated to western artwork is entered through an artificial sandstone canyon.

The River Guardian

Discover The River Guardian in Traverse City, Michigan: A 12-foot sculpture serves as a constant reminder of the importance of protecting and restoring the Boardman River.   .

Leiden’s Monumental Urinal

Discover Leiden's Monumental Urinal in Leiden, Netherlands: This public toilet built in the famous Amsterdam School architectural style is a Dutch national monument.

The English Cemetery

Discover The English Cemetery in Florence, Italy: Many famous English poets including Elizabeth Barrett Browning are laid to rest at this Swiss-owned cemetery in Florence.

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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