Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Dolhareubang of Meadowlark Gardens

Discover Dolhareubang of Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia: Volcanic stone sentinels stand watch at a Korean Bell Garden in Virginia.

Lieutenant Colonel “H” Jones Memorial

Discover Lieutenant Colonel "H" Jones Memorial in Darwin, Falkland Islands: It marks the spot where the high-ranking British officer died during the Falklands War.

Mzinyathi Falls

Discover Mzinyathi Falls in Iqadi, South Africa: This beautiful waterfall is not easy to reach, but offers a stunning view of the pristine green valley.

NaturOparc Stork Reintroduction Center

Discover NaturOparc Stork Reintroduction Center in Hunawihr, France: Wander among free-roaming storks at the sanctuary that helped save them from local extinction.

Bosque Redondo Memorial

Discover Bosque Redondo Memorial in Fort Sumner, New Mexico: A somber monument commemorates the site of a Native American reservation marked by suffering.

The Tomb of Lê Văn Duyệt

Discover The Tomb of Lê Văn Duyệt in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: An ornate tomb pays tribute to one of the most influential and cherished military leaders in Vietnam's history.

The Hill

Discover The Hill in Hudspeth County, Texas: Hidden in the plains of Texas, an artist has been working on an impressive decades-long art installation.

Prosfygika

Discover Prosfygika in Athens, Greece: This once architecturally advanced housing complex is now a haven for squatters that still bears the scars of war.

Falkland Islands Totem Pole

Discover Falkland Islands Totem Pole in Stanley, Falkland Islands: Where British troops serving on the remote islands paid tribute to their faraway hometowns.

Reactor Institute Delft

Discover Reactor Institute Delft in Delft, Netherlands: A nuclear reactor created for Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" campaign is now used for research at a Dutch university.

RAPS Cat Sanctuary

Discover RAPS Cat Sanctuary in Richmond, British Columbia: One of the largest cat sanctuaries in North America is considered a "Club Med" for felines.

Blue Beach Military Cemetery

Discover Blue Beach Military Cemetery in Falkland Islands: A small cemetery remembers the British troops who fell during the Falklands War.

Album Rock

Discover Album Rock in Raleigh, Newfoundland and Labrador: A remote landmark named for a whimsical photograph taken by a 1850s photographer and his crew of graffiti artists.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

Discover Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Witnesses claim the Virgin Mary statue outside the church once mysteriously shed a single tear.

Lego Very Large Telescope

Discover Lego Very Large Telescope in Garching bei München, Germany: A surprisingly detailed model of one of the most powerful telescopes in the world.

Museum of Aviation

Discover Museum of Aviation in Robins Air Force Base, Georgia: A fascinating aviation museum where you can chat with the veterans who once flew the aircraft on display.

Hispanic Society Museum and Library

Discover Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York, New York: This Manhattan museum houses one of the largest collections of Spanish art and manuscripts outside of Spain.

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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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