Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Chicago Freight Tunnels

Discover Chicago Freight Tunnels in Chicago, Illinois: A century-old network of freight tunnels underneath the city's historic business district.

Lalish Temple

Discover Lalish Temple in Al-Shikhan, Iraq: The sacred shrine of the Yazidis.

Medieval Habsburg Castle in Switzerland

Discover Schloss Habsburg (Habsburg Castle) in Habsburg, Switzerland: An 11th-century fortress home to one of the most influential royal houses in medieval Europe.

The Three Brothers

Discover The Three Brothers in Riga, Latvia: The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

Tent Pole Monument to Circus Dead

Discover Tent Pole Monument to Circus Dead in Wahpeton, North Dakota: On the windswept Dakota plains there is a memorial to circus workers who were struck down by lightning.

The Big Edge

Discover The Big Edge in Las Vegas, Nevada: A giant open-air sculpture made of over 200 full-sized boats.

Tern Island

Discover Tern Island in Honolulu County, Hawaii: This airstrip atoll is uninhabited by humans, but absolutely full of birds.

Quedlinburg Abbey

Discover Quedlinburg Abbey in Quedlinburg, Germany: The medieval institution is home to the precious treasure stolen in World War II in one of the greatest art thefts of the 20th century.

Gourdlandia

Discover Gourdlandia in Ithaca, New York: This art center is way beyond your average pumpkin-carving operation.

Gullfoss (Golden Falls)

Discover Gullfoss (Golden Falls) in Iceland: If a glacial river suddenly diving into a sheer chasm via a dramatic, multi-stage waterfall isn't peak Iceland, it's certainly close.

Ruined Church of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire

Discover Ruined Church of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France: The 16th-century church was kept in its ruined state as a reminder of the casualties of World War I.

Raniji ki Baori

Discover Raniji ki Baori in Bundi, India: A small town in Rajasthan has been dubbed the "City of Stepwells," and Raniji ki Baori is the queen.

Early Television Museum

Discover Early Television Museum in Hilliard, Ohio: A retro walk through the history of the tube.

Granite Ghost Town

Discover Granite Ghost Town in Philipsburg, Montana: A little-visited ghost town state park offers a glimpse into Montana’s "Silver Queen.".

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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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